Why does Soojin consider changing her name? Why do you think Amina is uncomfortable with the idea of Soojin changing her name? Have you ever wanted to change your own name?ģ. What keeps Amina from telling her teacher that she would like to sing a solo? What could Amina do to overcome her fear? Have you ever been afraid to do something you wanted to do? What happened?Ģ. But when Amina’s mosque is vandalized, she learns that the things that connect us will always be stronger than the things that try to tear us apart.ġ. With so many changes, it’s hard to know how to be a good friend, sister, and daughter.

To make matters worse, her uncle comes to visit from Pakistan, and her parents seem to be trying awfully hard to impress him. Suddenly, Amina’s best friend, Soojin, starts talking about changing her name and, even worse, spending time with Emily-a girl that used to make fun of them! Amina’s older brother seems to be getting into a lot of trouble for his grades, and now he wants to play basketball instead of studying. The first year of middle school is tricky. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.Īmina’s Voice brings to life the joys and challenges of a young Pakistani-American and highlights the many ways in which one girl’s voice can help bring a diverse community together to love and support each other. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. “Amina’s anxieties are entirely relatable, but it’s her sweet-hearted nature that makes her such a winning protagonist.” - Entertainment WeeklyĪ Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family’s vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community in this “compassionate, timely novel” ( Booklist, starred review) from the award-winning author of It’s Ramadan, Curious George and Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns.Īmina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. Palacio, author of #1 New York Timesbestseller Wonder “For inspiring empathy in young readers, you can’t get better than this book.” -R. A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2017

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan