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Any Way You Look
Illustrator:
Ainy is excited for summer! She plans on working at her mom's clothing store, having adventures with her best friend, and maybe even starting to wear the hijab--just like her big sister.
Everything changes when a boy from her community starts messaging her and following her around, even showing up at the store while she's working! Ainy knows his behavior isn't okay, but she can't find the words to tell the people around her how the unwanted attention makes her uncomfortable.
Finally, Ainy decides that she needs to start wearing the hijab to get him to leave her alone. She's always used fashion to express herself, so maybe now she can use it to become invisible.
But things don't get any better--and Ainy starts to realize that she's lost her own sparkle along the way. Maybe she can't handle this all on her own. With the help of her best friend and her sister, Ainy must find a way to stand her ground and get the respect that she knows she deserves--no matter how she looks.
Bhai For Now
Illustrator:
Ashar is busy with the ice hockey team, studying to get into the best school, and hanging out with his friends.
Shaheer and his father are always moving, following his dad's jobs. Shaheer has given up hope of finding a place where he can put down roots, a place that feels like home.
The two boys have nothing in common.
But when they meet on Shaheer's first day at his new school, it's like looking in a mirror.
They quickly figure out that they're twins, separated as babies. And they are determined to do whatever it takes-including secretly switching identities-to get to know the parent they've been separated from.
This is the story of two long-lost brothers who, while they might not like each other, just might need each other. Bhai for Now is by turns heartwarming and hilarious, and with an unforgettable Muslim family and friendship story at its core.
Barakah Beats
Illustrator:
Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif has spent her whole life in Islamic school, but now she has to go to "real school." She quickly learns that middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and her best friend Jenna has started giving her the cold shoulder. Desperate to fit in and get back in Jenna's good graces, Nimra joins a popular 8th grade boy band. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn't allowed in Islam, and she knows her parents would be disappointed if they found out. So she devises a simple plan: join the band, win Jenna back, then quietly drop out before her parents find out. But dropping out of the band proves harder than expected. Not only is her plan to get Jenna back working, but Nimra really likes hanging out with the band—they value her contributions and respect how important her faith is to her. Then Barakah Beats signs up for a talent show to benefit refugees, and Nimra's lies start to unravel. With the show only a few weeks away and Jenna's friendship hanging in the balance, Nimra has to decide whether to betray her bandmates—or herself.
March to Your Own Beat with the Barakah Beats Playlist
Maleeha Siddiqui
Maleeha Siddiqui is a first-generation Pakistani-American Muslim living in Virginia. When she isn't writing, she can be found working at a biotech company or hanging out with her family. Barakah Beats is based on her own experiences growing up in America as a young practicing Muslim.