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“Emotional, with respites of dry hilarity (plus an adorable halal romance), every page in Shukairy’s debut exudes purpose.”
—Booklist, Starred Review

The Next New Syrian Girl

Written by Ream Shukairy
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend.

Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.

When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she’s long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.

But as Khadija digs up Leene’s past, a startling and life-changing discovery forces the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, a friendship slowly and hesitantly begins blooming. Doubts are cast aside as they realize they have more in common than they each expected. What they find takes them on a journey all the way to Jordan, challenging what each knows about the other and herself.

Primary ISBN: 9780316432634
Publication Date: March 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade , Age 12 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , ,

Setting: United States, Jordan

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Source: Teen Vogue