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Saadia Faruqi

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Saadia Faruqi
Faruqi at the 2022 Texas Book Festival.
Faruqi at the 2022 Texas Book Festival.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityPakistani-American
Alma mater
Website
saadiafaruqi.com

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani-American author.[1]

Biography

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Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Faruqi moved to the United States in 1998.[2][3] She completed her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida and her master's degree in liberal arts from Baker University in Kansas. After 9/11 and while she still worked as a grant writer, Faruqi began writing about Islam for a local newspaper in Houston, Texas as a way to combat Muslim stereotypes. After this work, she led educational discussions and training sessions about Islam at different institutions, including churches, synagogues, schools and police departments.[3]

Several years after 9/11, frustrated by the lack of understanding and acceptance she saw in the west regarding Muslims, Faruqi began her fiction career.[4] Her debut book was a collection of short stories about life in Pakistan, titled Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage From Pakistan. The book was released in 2015.[2] Her first children's book, Meet Yasmin! was released in 2018 and focuses on the adventures of a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl.[5] The book is part of a series of books with the character Yasmin, illustrated by Hatem Aly. At the end of each book, a glossary of Urdu words, facts about Pakistan, and related activities are included.[6] The Yasmin series has won numerous accolades, including Parents Magazine's Best Summer Reading Books for Kids 2019[7] and NPR's Best Children's Books of 2020.[8]

On August 11, 2020, the middle grade novel A Place at the Table was published, co-written by Faruqi and Laura Shovan.[9] The book is about two 11-year-olds—Pakistani-American Sara and Elizabeth, who is Jewish—who develop a friendship after becoming cooking partners in class.[10] Faruqi and Shovan embarked on this project as a way to address the dichotomy that arises in immigrant families between parents and grandparents born in the home country versus first generation children born in the adopted country.[11] Food is an important theme in this novel, as a way to connect cultures, traditions and families.[11][12] In 2021, A Place at the Table won the South Asia Book award highly commended title.[13]

On October 6, 2020, Faruqi published her first solo middle grade novel A Thousand Questions about eleven-year-old Pakistani American girl Mimi who visits Pakistan during summer vacation to meet her grandparents. There, she meets servant girl Sakina, and they form an unlikely friendship across class lines.[14] A Thousand Questions won honor at the 2021 South Asia Book Awards [15] and was a Washington Post KidsPost book club pick for summer 2021.[16] Further, it was a Best Children's Books of 2021 by Bank Street College of Education,[17] and A Mighty Girl 2020 Book of the Year.[18]

On September 7, 2021, Faruqi released Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero, a middle grade novel highlighting the attacks of 9/11. This book focuses solely on the experiences of the Muslim American community during and after 9/11, a perspective she felt was missing from other children's books about the attacks.[19][20] This book highlights Islamophobia, racism, white supremacy and a host of other themes[21] through the eyes of twelve-year-old Yusuf, whose small Texas town is commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the attacks. Included in the novel are journal entries by Yusuf's uncle Rahman, who was a young boy in 2001.[22][23] Yusuf Azeem was one of School Library Journal's Best Middle Grade Novels in 2021.[24]

Faruqi has also written nonfiction books for young readers, aimed at removing stereotypes of Muslims and presenting accurate information about their achievements. Included are Eid-al-Fitr Mad Libs,[25] and The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape The World, co-written with her mother Aneesa Mumtaz.[26]

Publications

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Standalone books

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  • Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan (2015, ISBN 978-0-9903-8766-4)
  • A Place at the Table (2020, Clarion Books, ISBN 978-0-3581-1668-4)
  • A Thousand Questions (2020, Quill Tree Books, ISBN 978-0-0629-4320-0)
  • Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero (2021, Quill Tree Books, ISBN 978-0-0629-4325-5)
  • The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape the World with Aneesa Mumtaz, illustrated by Saffa Khan (2022, Quill Tree Books, ISBN 978-0-0629-7344-3)
  • Rani's Remarkable Day, illustrated by Anoosha Syed (2023, Clarion Books, ISBN 978-0-3585-3677-2)
  • Saving Sunshine, illustrated by Shazleen Khan (2023, First Second Books)

Ali the Great series

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The Ali the Great series is illustrated by Debby Rahmalia.

Marya Khan series

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The Marya Khan series is a chapter book series about a spunky eight year old Marya and her Pakistani American family. Other prominent characters include her arch-enemy Alexa, her best friend Hanna, and her third grade teacher Ms. Piccolo. This series is perfect for grades 3-4. It is illustrated by Ani Bushry.

  1. Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party (2022, Harry N. Abrams, ISBN 978-1-4197-6116-4)
  2. Marya Khan and the Fabulous Jasmine Garden (2023, Amulet Books, ISBN 978-1-4197-6118-8)
  3. Marya Khan and the Spectacular Fall Festival (2023, Amulet Books, ISBN 978-1-4197-6120-1)
  4. Marya Khan and the Awesome Adventure Park (2023, Amulet Books, ISBN to come)

Must Love Pets series

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The Must Love Pets series is a lower middle grade series about a Pakistani American girl named Imaan who starts a petsitting business with her friends London and Olivia in order to convince her mother to let her keep a dog of her own. Each book in the series is about a different pet sitting client. Perfect for grades 3-5.

  1. Friends Fur-Ever (2022, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 978-1-3387-8342-1)
  2. Kitten Chaos (2022, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 978-1-3387-8345-2)
  3. Bunny Bonanza (2023, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 978-1-3387-8348-3)
  4. Dog's Best Friend (2023, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 978-1-3387-8351-3)

Yasmin series

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The Yasmin series is Faruqi's most popular and best selling series. It features a seven year old Muslim girl named Yasmin, and her family, which includes her parents and grandparents. This is an early reader series for grades 1-2, and is illustrated by Hatem Aly. Some titles are also published in Spanish and French Canadian.

  1. Yasmin the Builder (2018, ISBN 978-1-5158-2727-6)
  2. Yasmin the Explorer (2018, ISBN 978-1-5158-2729-0)
  3. Yasmin the Fashionista (2018, ISBN 978-1-5158-3103-7)
  4. Yasmin the Painter (2018, ISBN 978-1-5158-2728-3)
  5. Yasmin the Chef (2019, ISBN 978-1-5158-3784-8)
  6. Yasmin the Superhero (2019, ISBN 978-1-5158-3783-1)
  7. Yasmin the Teacher (2019, ISBN 978-1-5158-3782-4)
  8. Yasmin the Zookeeper (2019, ISBN 978-1-5158-4581-2)
  9. Yasmin the Friend (2020, ISBN 978-1-5158-4644-4)
  10. Yasmin the Gardener (2020, ISBN 978-1-5158-4641-3)
  11. Yasmin the Soccer Star (2020, ISBN 978-1-5158-5886-7)
  12. Yasmin the Writer (2020, ISBN 978-1-5158-4643-7)
  13. Yasmin the Librarian (2021, ISBN 978-1-5158-8372-2)
  14. Yasmin the Recycler (2021, ISBN 978-1-5158-8374-6)
  15. Yasmin the Scientist (2021, ISBN 978-1-5158-8373-9)
  16. Yasmin the Singer (2021, ISBN 978-1-5158-8375-3)
  17. Yasmin the Detective (2022, ISBN 978-1-6639-5929-4)
  18. Yasmin the Doctor (2022, ISBN 978-1-6639-5930-0)
  19. Yasmin the Farmer (2022, ISBN 978-1-6663-3140-0)
  20. Yasmin the Ice Skater (2022, ISBN 978-1-6663-3147-9)

References

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  1. ^ Winegarner, Beth (15 September 2018). "The Mirror and the Window: An Interview With Saadia Faruqi". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b Elliott, Amber (12 June 2015). "Woman's first book aims to educate about Muslim heritage". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b Silver, Kate. "This Mom Is Showing People That Muslims Are Just Like Everyone Else". Oprah.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "How interfaith activism helped Saadia Faruqi change the face of children's books". Religion News Service. 2020-08-11. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  5. ^ "Meet Yasmin!". Kirkus Reviews. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  6. ^ LeClerc, Kirsten (6 May 2019). "Read All About It: Meet Yasmin and reach into a new culture". The Asheville Citizen Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. ^ "The Best Summer Reading Books for Kids". Parents. Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  8. ^ Mayer, Petra (2020-08-31). "Welcome To Story Hour: 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers". NPR. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  9. ^ "A Place at the Table". Kirkus Reviews. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  10. ^ "A Place at the Table". Publishers Weekly. 22 April 2020. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  11. ^ a b "In Conversation: Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  12. ^ Hong, Catherine (2020-11-06). "Fantastic, Flavor-Filled Food Novels for Kids". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  13. ^ "2021 Awards – South Asia Book Award". southasiabookaward.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  14. ^ A THOUSAND QUESTIONS | Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  15. ^ "2021 Awards – South Asia Book Award". southasiabookaward.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  16. ^ "KidsPost Summer Book Club: 'A Thousand Questions' by Saadia Faruqi". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  17. ^ "Best Children's Books of the Year Archive". Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  18. ^ "A Mighty Girl Best Books 2020".
  19. ^ Grochowski |, Sara. "Four Questions for Saadia Faruqi". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  20. ^ "Saadia Faruqi's new novel explores racism against Muslims after 9/11". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  21. ^ Jones, Nalini (2021-09-03). "The Children of 9/11 Come of Age". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  22. ^ "Children's Book Review: Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi". www.publishersweekly.com. 2021-09-01. Archived from the original on 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  23. ^ YUSUF AZEEM IS NOT A HERO | Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  24. ^ Worley, Monisha Blair, Myiesha Speight, Ashleigh Williams, Taylor. "Best Middle Grade Books 2021 | SLJ Best Books". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Peyton, Lindsay (2022-04-29). "Eid al-Fitr game: Houston author creates Mad Libs for a Muslim audience". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  26. ^ THE WONDERS WE SEEK | Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
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