Golden Girl by Faruqi, Reem

From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah's Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what's right isn't always easy.

For fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Clean Getaway, this is a heartfelt, soul-searching story with laughter, hope, and lessons learned.

Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her--she's drawn to pretty things and can't help but occasionally "borrow" them.

But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn't committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan.

But what if her plan means giving in to her bad habit, the one she's been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family but finds that maybe her plan isn't so perfect after all. . .

A Bank Street Books Best Children's Book of the Year for ages 12-14 in Family/School/Community Fiction (2023)

Author: Reem Faruqi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 02/22/2022
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9780063044753
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.9
Point Value: 2
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 519605 / Golden Girl


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2021
Publishers Weekly 01/03/2022
Booklist 01/01/2022 pg. 74
BookPage 03/01/2022