Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship (Amina Banana #1)
Written by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Amina loves bananas, science, and all things yellow! Her family recently arrived from Syria to Indiana, and she’s starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new country. She’s excited but also nervous, especially about making friends! But she develops the perfect formula to get everything just right:
Speak English + wear a perfect outfit + be a good student + eat American food = Make American Friends!
When the first few days are harder than Amina imagined, she’s left worrying: why doesn’t her formula add up?
Don’t miss the rest of the series! Explore:
- Amina Banana and the Formula for Winning (Amina Banana #2)
- Amina Banana and the Formula for Making Money (Amina Banana #3)
- Amina Banana and the Formula for Fairness (Amina Banana #4)
Primary ISBN: 9780593699225
Publication Date: May 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Chapter Book, Age 06 or older
Community Represented: Syrian/Syrian American
Themes: Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Food, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Discrimination: Language Ability, Discrimination: Microaggression, Education & Literacy, Family Relationship: Parents, Format: Audiobook, Identity: Multilingual, Multilingual: Arabic Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Refugee: War/Conflict, Religious Background: Muslim, STEM, Welcoming by Individual, Welcoming by School
Setting: United States (Indianapolis IN)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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