“Omar, the likeable protagonist of this early middle-grade by Zanib Mian, instantly charmed me with his wit and curiosity, in this #OwnVoices story perfect for kids just beginning to stretch their reading abilities beyond chapter books. The playful fonts and kinetic illustrations by Nasaya Mafaridik make this reading experience a breeze, but Mian deftly incorporates meatier plot elements such as a classroom bully’s Islamophobic comments and a school field trip gone awry. Not to worry, though: friendship triumphs and Omar saves the day! I love this book because it invites reluctant readers in and introduces them to a new friend, even as it treats kid audiences with enough respect to be honest about the world they live in. Best news: two more Omar books are planned for the series!”--from Matt Phipps, Penguin Young Readers
224 pages 978-0593109212 Ages 8-12
Keywords: moving, new school, new experiences, bullying, friends, friendship, humor, belonging, fitting in, Muslim, Islamophobia, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, part of a series, diversity, diverse books
Read alikes: The Diary of a Wimpy Kids series by Jeff Kinney; Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon
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An exciting #OwnVoices middle-grade debut starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination
Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar!
Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too hard or the kids are mean or the teacher is a zombie alien?!
But when Omar makes a new best friend, things start looking up. That is, until a Big Mean Bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare! Daniel even tells Omar that all Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country . . . Could that possibly be true?
Luckily, Omar's enormous imagination and goofy family help him get through life's ups and downs.
Omar's funny, relatable narrative is the perfect answer to the call for both mirrors and windows to fill bookshelves with diverse stories.---from the publisher
