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“Offer[s] a poignant glimpse into what growing up really means. Middle-grade students will recognize Alina’s struggles and relationship challenges, but her story will also invite them to think a bit more deeply about the world around them. Just right for middle grade readers who want something a bit more sophisticated but still within their reach.”

—School Library Journal

“Set in the early 2000s, this novel sees a young Pakistani British immigrant learning the art of gratitude…When passport issues prevent her from going on a class trip to Paris, her parents plan a family vacation to Pakistan as a consolation prize. Still, Alina remains convinced that she’s “the unluckiest girl in the world”—a feeling compounded by the realization that the family will have to leave England in one year due to visa problems. But while in Pakistan, she begins to appreciate what she has. Alina’s insightful, humorous, and candid voice lends this steadily paced book a conversational quality. Alina’s reframing of the idea of luck feels authentic and nuanced…A funny and frank tale of self-discovery.”

—Kirkus Reviews

You’re Out of Luck, Alina Butt (Alina Butt #2)

Written by Ambreen Butt-Hussain
Published by Orca Book Publishers

Twelve-year-old Alina is actually looking forward to going back to school.

For once, she has some friends to sit beside on the first day. But when Alina walks into her classroom, someone is sitting in her spot and there are no seats left next to her friends. Grade seven is off to a rocky start! Then the teacher announces that the class will be going on a trip to Paris later in the fall. It’s an expensive trip, but she’s sure that with the right plan, she can convince her strict parents to let her go. What could go wrong?

For starters, her passport is expired so she can’t go on the trip to Paris. When her new passport does arrive, her parents announce a trip back to Pakistan. At first Alina is miserable, but soon she begins to see that when it comes to the things that matter the most, she might not be so unlucky after all.

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Primary ISBN:
Publication Date: May 2025
Available As: Paperback, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 09 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: England, Pakistan

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

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

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