Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero [Paperback]

At a time when we are all askingquestions
about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the
author ofA Thousand Questionswill hit home with young readers who love
Hena Khan and Varian Johnson—or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S.
history and how it still affects us today.  

Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey,
Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in the
regional robotics competition, which he justknowshe can win.

Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought.
Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an
anniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge.

With “Never Forget” banners everywhere and a hostile group of
townspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s anger
from two decades ago hasn’t gone away. Can he hold onto his joy—and his
friendships—in the face of heartache and prejudice?

[A] timely, hopeful middle grade novel. -Publishers Weekly

Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Herowill surely help spark many conversations about Islamophobia and xenophobia, as well as how much things have changed in the past 20 years. Faruqi's emotional story will resonate with older readers who lived through the events many years ago, and younger readers will gain insight on the lasting effects that the 9/11 attacks had on Americans and why they are an important part of history. -Booklist

Faruqi finds engaging ways to explore how myriad tragedies of 9/11 have lodged in our memories, from uncomfortable questions in Yusuf’s classroom to a conflict over the construction of a mosque... Among the novel’s strengths is the hope it offers young readers, belSp