Saadia Faruqi | |
|---|---|
 Faruqi at the 2022 Texas Book Festival. | |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Pakistani-American |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | |
| saadiafaruqi | |
Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani-American author. [1]
Saadia Faruqi | |
|---|---|
| Faruqi at the 2022 Texas Book Festival. | |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Pakistani-American |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | |
| saadiafaruqi | |
Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani-American author. [1]
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Faruqi moved to the United States in 1998. [2] [3] She completed her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida and her master's degree in liberal arts from Baker University in Kansas. After 9/11 and while she still worked as a grant writer, Faruqi began writing about Islam for a local newspaper in Houston, Texas as a way to combat Muslim stereotypes. After this work, she led educational discussions and training sessions about Islam at different institutions, including churches, synagogues, schools and police departments. [3]
Several years after 9/11, frustrated by the lack of understanding and acceptance she saw in the west regarding Muslims, Faruqi began her fiction career. [4] Her debut book was a collection of short stories about life in Pakistan, titled Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage From Pakistan. The book was released in 2015. [2] Her first children's book, Meet Yasmin! was released in 2018 and focuses on the adventures of a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl. [5] The book is part of a series of books with the character Yasmin, illustrated by Hatem Aly. At the end of each book, a glossary of Urdu words, facts about Pakistan, and related activities are included. [6] The Yasmin series has won numerous accolades, including Parents Magazine's Best Summer Reading Books for Kids 2019 [7] and NPR's Best Children's Books of 2020. [8]
On August 11, 2020, the middle grade novel A Place at the Table was published, co-written by Faruqi and Laura Shovan. [9] The book is about two 11-year-olds—Pakistani-American Sara and Elizabeth, who is Jewish—who develop a friendship after becoming cooking partners in class. [10] Faruqi and Shovan embarked on this project as a way to address the dichotomy that arises in immigrant families between parents and grandparents born in the home country versus first generation children born in the adopted country. [11] Food is an important theme in this novel, as a way to connect cultures, traditions and families. [11] [12] In 2021, A Place at the Table won the South Asia Book award highly commended title. [13]
On October 6, 2020, Faruqi published her first solo middle grade novel A Thousand Questions about eleven-year-old Pakistani American girl Mimi who visits Pakistan during summer vacation to meet her grandparents. There, she meets servant girl Sakina, and they form an unlikely friendship across class lines. [14] A Thousand Questions won honor at the 2021 South Asia Book Awards [15] and was a Washington Post KidsPost book club pick for summer 2021. [16] Further, it was a Best Children's Books of 2021 by Bank Street College of Education, [17] and A Mighty Girl 2020 Book of the Year. [18]
On September 7, 2021, Faruqi released Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero, a middle grade novel highlighting the attacks of 9/11. This book focuses solely on the experiences of the Muslim American community during and after 9/11, a perspective she felt was missing from other children's books about the attacks. [19] [20] This book highlights Islamophobia, racism, white supremacy and a host of other themes [21] through the eyes of twelve-year-old Yusuf, whose small Texas town is commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the attacks. Included in the novel are journal entries by Yusuf's uncle Rahman, who was a young boy in 2001. [22] [23] Yusuf Azeem was one of School Library Journal's Best Middle Grade Novels in 2021. [24]
Faruqi has also written nonfiction books for young readers, aimed at removing stereotypes of Muslims and presenting accurate information about their achievements. Included are Eid-al-Fitr Mad Libs, [25] and The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape The World, co-written with her mother Aneesa Mumtaz. [26]
The Ali the Great series is illustrated by Debby Rahmalia.
The Marya Khan series is a chapter book series about a spunky eight year old Marya and her Pakistani American family. Other prominent characters include her arch-enemy Alexa, her best friend Hanna, and her third grade teacher Ms. Piccolo. This series is perfect for grades 3-4. It is illustrated by Ani Bushry .
The Must Love Pets series is a lower middle grade series about a Pakistani American girl named Imaan who starts a petsitting business with her friends London and Olivia in order to convince her mother to let her keep a dog of her own. Each book in the series is about a different pet sitting client. Perfect for grades 3-5.
The Yasmin series is Faruqi's most popular and best selling series. It features a seven year old Muslim girl named Yasmin, and her family, which includes her parents and grandparents. This is an early reader series for grades 1-2, and is illustrated by Hatem Aly. Some titles are also published in Spanish and French Canadian.
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