All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2022). The story chronicles the lives of Noor and Salahudin, close high school friends who share their Pakistani-American heritage. Their familial challenges unfold as Noor …
Older Readers
Meet Me in Mumbai
Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan (Scholastic Press). A story about love and family that spans two generations – a connection that brings Ayesha as a visiting graduate student to the US, and Mira, …
The People of the Indus and the Birth of Civilization in South Asia
The People of the Indus by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and Illustrated by Nikhil Gulati (Penguin Random House India, 2022). The People of the Indus is a unique, well-researched approach to the history of a region. …
American Fever
On her first journey away from home, sixteen-year-old Hira experiences many unfamiliar situations, including the threat of tuberculosis. Through it all, Hira faces her own misconceptions about America while dealing with Islamophobia from her new friends and host family in Oregon. (Grades 10-12)
Torn
Torn by David Massey (Chicken House, 2012). The story follows Ellie, a 19-year-old British medic, during her tour of duty in Afghanistan. Her squad is attached to a small troop of American SEALs who must find …
Tina’s Mouth: an Existential Comic Diary
Tina’s Mouth: an Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap, illustrations by Mari Araki (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). Tina Malhotra, a sophomore at the Yarborough Academy in Southern California, creates an existential diary for an assignment …
The Secret Sky
The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi (Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2014). This classic tale of taboo love illuminates the cultural and political complexities of present-day Afghanistan. Wrought with tension and dreams …
When Dimple Met Rishi
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (Simon Pulse, 2017) Dimple is surprised when her parents allow her to attend a special summer coding camp before she heads off to Stanford. Then she finds out the …
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan (Scholastic, 2019). Rukhsana Ali is in love with her girlfriend Ariana. As a Muslim, Bangladeshi-American daughter, Rukhsana wants to preserve her parents’ honor by hiding her …
Lakshmibai: A Graphic Biography
Lakshmibai: A Graphic Biography by Jason Quinn; illustrated by Naresh Kumar (Campfire, 2019). Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, broke from patriarchy to lead her citizens in an arduous fight against the British. Her story is an important …