Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big In This?
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.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Illustrated by Ellen Forney.
Hatchette Book Group. 2007.
ISBN 9780316013697
$8.99. Paperback. 288 pages.

Readers Annotation
Junior (Arnold Spirit) leaves the Spokane Indian reservation to attend an all-white high school. His hopes to rise above the poverty of the rez, but will his best friend ever forgive him?

Plot Summary
Junior, born with “grease” on the brain, draws because it is easier than words. He is small boy with big dreams. On his first day of high school he opens his geometry textbook only to discover that it had been his mothers. This enrages Junior, who throws the book and hits his teacher. The teacher, Mr. P. convinces Junior to take a chance and have hope for his life. Junior decides to leave the reservation school and go to the rich all white school called Reardan. This decisions sets off a chain of events at the reservation and at his new school. Members of the tribe think he is a traitor to his people. His best friend Rowdy hates him, and for the first time, Junior begins to have friends beyond his community. While Junior is enjoying his time at Reardan, his life on the rez is filled with sadness. At 14, Junior has been to 42 funerals. During his first year of high school, his grandmother is killed while walking by a drunk driver. Then his father’s best friend, Eugene is shot and killed. Finally, his big sister, Mary Ran Away (who ran away to marry), dies in a house fire. Junior nearly breaks down, he feels “helpless and stupid.” Even with all of the grief, Junior is still hopeful and hilarious. His drawing and writing help him overcome his deep grief. He even joins the Reardan basketball team, becoming a freshman starter on the varsity team. During a game with the rez team, Junior realizes that his former classmates on the Wellpinit Redskins team were in some distress. Some probably had not eaten, some had alcoholic parents, or parents in jail, and none of them were going to college. He sees the dichotomy of the two communities. Although his team wins because of his efforts, Junior realizes that he is no longer angry with his tribe. Instead, he becomes more determined to leave the reservation and attain his dreams of success.

Critical Evaluation
Sherman Alexie portrays the characters in this novel with great compassion and humor. He takes on the stereotypes of the Native American culture, and consequently informs the reader of both the truth and myths behind life on the reservation. His characterization of Junior is well rounded and superbly realized. Junior has no qualms about informing the reader that his is excellent at masturbation and cartooning, or that his best friend likes to beat people up. Junior’s perspective of life on and off the reservation is unsentimental. He wants to fit in both places, but he realizes that he must let go of his life on the reservation in order to attain his dreams. As Junior states in the novel, he feels like he is half Indian on the reservation, and half white at school. Either way, he is a lovable and believable character. The illustrations by Ellen Forney tell a story by themselves. Each cartoon depicts some aspect of Junior’s life: his hopes, dreams, and frustrations. The pencil illustrations, created to look taped into the journal, add much to the narration.

Information about the author
Sherman Alexie was born in October, 1966, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This novel is based on his early life. This novel has won a number of awards including:

• 2007 National Book Award
• 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
• 2008 ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Genre
Multicultural Fiction

Curriculum ties
English or social studies. This is a good book for multicultural studies.

Challenge Issues
Language, sexuality, alcohol abuse

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-True-Diary-Part-Time-Indian/dp/0316013692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258319587&sr=1-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss Junior Spirits life and his disabilities.
2. Talk about Junior’s arrival at Reardan high school.
3. Talk about Junior’s grief and his success at his new school.

Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. Age 13 and up

Why I included this title
This book is included on the 2008 ALA Best Books for Young Adults.