Golden Girl

This middle grade novel written in verse, tells the story of 7th grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl. The lyrical creation deals with difficult topics such as kleptomania and hearing loss and to add to Aafiyah’s turmoil, her father is detained on a routine trip. The story is steeped in identity and customs, and I love the way Urdu words are interspersed throughout! An important read for middle graders to understand that life isn’t always perfect; one makes mistakes, but they can always be corrected with love and support.