From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailahâs Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing whatâs right isnât always easy.
For fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Clean Getaway, this is a heartfelt, soul-searching story with laughter, hope, and lessons learned.
Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles herâsheâs drawn to pretty things and canât help but occasionally âborrowâ them.
But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasnât committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan.
But what if her plan means giving in to her bad habit, the one sheâs been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family but finds that maybe her plan isnât so perfect after all. . .
A Bank Street Books Best Children's Book of the Year for ages 12-14 in Family/School/Community Fiction (2023)
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.