A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Khan, H. (2019). Amina's voice. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Amina's Voice is about a young girl named Amina who aspires to be a singer one day, but suffers from stage fright due to an incident during a school play when she was in elementary school. Now that she has moved on into middle school, her best friend, Soojin, is beginning to change. Her family is soon becoming American citizens, and she is wanting to change her name to something more American. As the only two girls at their school with 'difficult to pronounce' names, Amina worries that the changes in Soojin may lead to her becoming friends with other people.
Amina and her family are anticipating an arrival from her uncle Thaya Jaan, whom she hasn't seen since she was very little. Thaya Jaan is very traditional, and expects both Amina and her brother to speak in Urdu while at home. They have both been entered in a Quran reading competition at their mosque, and Thaya Jaan is set to help them with their Arabic. As the year continues on, Soojin grows closer with another girl in their class, Emily, who has been rude to both Amina and Soojin in the past. Amina continues to feel left out, and believes that Soojin will soon leave her behind as a friend. Amina then accidently reveals a secret about who Emily has a crush on, causing further tension between her and Soonjin.
As the competition approaches, Amina's father receives a phone call late one night, and rushes off to the mosque. Amina soon finds out that the community center has been vandalized and set on fire, nearly destroying the mosque and much of the rest of the structure. Her family and the other members of the mosque are devastated, and the iman tells them that it will be months before they are able to open again. Members from all over the community, including Soonjin and Emily's families, come to support the Muslim community, and they all help ensure that the competition and festival continue. At the competition, Amina's brother surprises everyone by winning first place, and Amina finally finds her voice by singing her first solo.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This novel did a really good job of showing what life can be like for immigrants and children of immigrants in this country. Both Amina and Soojin's families live somewhat differently than do the rest of their classmates. Culturally speaking, we see Amina's family at their mosque and during Sunday school, and the reader learns a bit about Islam and some of their customs and beliefs. We also get to learn about different foods that Amina and Soojin's families eat, including kimchi, masala, curry, and gulab jamun. Their classmates often make nasty remarks or turn up their noses to the smells of the food that the girls eat.
I was devastated when I found out that the Islamic community center and mosque were vandalized. The hurtful words and damage caused - both physical and emotional - felt very real indeed. Unfortunately, there are still hateful, bigoted people in this country, and things like this happen too often. What was really nice to see was how much the rest of the community stepped up and supported the Muslim community during their time of need. It was really great to see how open all of the different characters in the story were to new experiences and being around people that were different. The friendships and family relationships throughout the novel were really refreshing, and even though this book is intended for younger readers, I think adults would learn a great deal from Amina and her family as well.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*"Amina's middle school woes and the universal themes running through the book transcend culture, race, and religion. A perfect first book for this new Muslim imprint."
-- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Watching Amina literally and figuratively find her voice—bolstered by community, friendship, and discovered inner strength—makes for rewarding reading."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Realistic fiction centered on a Pakistani-American Muslim girl is a refreshing change in the middle grade market.....It’s solid storyline and the common denominator of middle school drama highlights the fact that students from all backgrounds may be more alike than they realize. Recommended."
-- School Library Connection
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