Scholastic. 2007.
ISBN-13 9780439922333
$8.99. Paperback. 368 pages.
Readers Annotation
Australian-Pakistanian teenager, Amal decides to wear the hajib as a full-timer. Her decision causes some to ostracize her, but her deep faith gives her the inner strength to be true to her beliefs.
Plot Summary
Spunky teenager, Amal Mohammed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim, decides that she is ready to wear the hajib fulltime. She carefully makes a “to wear or not to wear list,” while trying all of her clothes with a variety of head scarves. Like many teens she first approaches her close friends Leila and Yasmeen about her decision. When she tells her parents, they quietly attempt to talk her out of it. They know that she will face racism and condescension among her peers at McClean’s Prepartory Academy. Amal’s focus and determination convince them, and her principal at McClean’s that she truly wants to wear the hajib. Amal’s friends Simone and Eileen are proud of her, but her friend Adam isn’t sure what to think. The school queen bees, Tia, Claire and Rita try to make her life uncomfortable, but Amal is brilliant at comebacks. She foils the snooty comments with her own brand of snarkiness. Adam, her school crush, grows closer to Amal as they share their life stories. Eventually, Adam makes a move on Amal and she is forced to decide whether to remain true to her faith or become his girlfriend. Later, when terrorists bomb hotels and nightclubs in Bali, Amal must face the criticism and lack of knowledge of her peers. Throughout the story are subplots about Amal’s girlfriends, and her neighbor Mrs. Vaselli. All of them are sweetly told, with realistic contemporary issues.
Critical Evaluation
This is a beautifully executed novel about a Muslim girl growing up in Australia. While Amal is both smart and snarky, she is also unsure about herself at times. My only criticism is that at times she seems a little too adult. She gets along a little too well with her parents, and she is a little Pollyanna-ish when dealing with her crotchety neighbor Mrs. Vaselli. Yet she is heart rendingly human when dealing with the reactions from her classmates over the Bali bombings. She flees home, staying in bed for several days rather the deal with her classmates. She feels like a target for their anger because she wears the hajib. The other characters in the novel especially her parents are also fully developed. When they argue over Amal’s reaction to the bombings it is the mother who exclaims that she is “sick of it.” She is reacting to the racism experienced by her daughter in her home country. The author’s choice of topic, although a little dated now, remains contemporary. Issues of racism exist in every country, and this book explains much that western society doesn’t understand about Islam.
Information about the author
Randa Abdel-Fattah, is an attorney living in Australian. She is married and has two children. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/.
Genre
Contemporary issues, multicultural
Curriculum ties
Cultural differences, Islamic studies
Challenge Issues
None
Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Does-Head-Look-Big-This/dp/043992233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258863679&sr=8-1.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss why Amal would decide to wear a hajib.
2. Discuss what Amal says about Islam.
Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 15 and up.
Why I included this title
Recommended by a librarian.
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