Fight Back
Amina's Voice meets A Good Kind of Trouble in this story about 13-year-old Aaliyah, who feels alone after putting on a hijab for the first time, but finds friends and allies through organizing a protest at her school.
Thirteen-year-old Aaliyah can't wait for a concert by her favorite K-pop boy band, 3W. She isn't too concerned with stories on the news about the rise of the far right--after all, it doesn't affect her--until a terrorist attack at the concert changes everything.
Local racists are emboldened and anti-Muslim rhetoric starts cropping up at school and on the street. When Aaliyah starts getting bullied, she knows she has to do something to stand up to the hate. She decides that, instead of hiding who she is, she will begin wearing a hijab for the first time, to challenge how people in her community see Muslims.
But when her school bans the hijab and she is attacked and intimidated for making her choice, Aaliyah feels alone. Can she find allies--friends to stand beside her and help her find ways to fight back?
Acclaimed author A. M. Dassu's follow-up to Boy, Everywhere is an essential read to encourage empathy, challenge stereotypes, and foster positive action.
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A. M. Dassu is the internationally acclaimed author of Boy, Everywhere, an ALA Notable Book which was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She won the We Need Diverse Books mentorship award in 2017 and serves on the Advisory Board of SCBWI-British Isles' Words & Pictures magazine. She is a director at Inclusive Minds, an organization for people who are passionate about inclusion, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children's literature. She lives in the heart of England, and you can find her on Twitter as @a_reflective, on Instagram as @a.m.dassu, or at amdassu.com.
Daby Zainab Faidhi is a versatile artist and illustrator acclaimed for her impactful work in animation, illustration, art direction, and painting. Her portfolio features contributions to award-winning film projects, including The Breadwinner, and most recently, co-art directing Merry Little Batman for WarnerBros. Explore her dynamic creations at zainabfaidhi.com.
"This book--with its celebration of girl power, a main character who forces readers to question religious stereotypes, and a timely message about the importance of coming together as a community to Fight Back against prejudice--deserves a place on every library shelf." -- Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award Winning Author of The Bridge Home
"Powerful. . . will show readers they are not alone when facing racism and hate and that standing together in support of one another provides hope for the future." -- Booklist
"The attention-grabbing writing style and intensifying pace suit the storyline, and characters develop in plausible ways. Hope is interjected into the serious tone as Black, Jewish, and Chinese classmates, among others, share their experiences and help Aaliyah and her friends take action against racism and xenophobia. This group of committed friends will win readers' hearts." -- Kirkus Reviews
"This fearless, compelling story of trauma, solidarity and testing which rules are made to be broken is perfect for fans of Patrice Lawrence and Muhammad Khan." -- The Guardian
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist 2022 - Jane Addams Peace Association
