Saadia Faruqi

Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Faruqi moved to the United States in 1998.[2][3] She completed her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida and her master's degree in liberal arts from Baker University in Kansas. After 9/11 and while she still worked as a grant writer, Faruqi began writing about Islam for a local newspaper in Houston, Texas as a way to combat Muslim stereotypes. After this work, she led educational discussions and training sessions about Islam at different institutions, including churches, synagogues, schools and police departments.[3]

Several years after 9/11, frustrated by the lack of understanding and acceptance she saw in the west regarding Muslims, Faruqi began her fiction career.[4] Her debut book was a collection of short stories about life in Pakistan, titled Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage From Pakistan. The book was released in 2015.[2] Her first children's book, Meet Yasmin! was released in 2018 and focuses on the adventures of a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl.[5] The book is part of a series of books with the character Yasmin, illustrated by Hatem Aly. At the end of each book, a glossary of Urdu words, facts about Pakistan, and related activities are included.[6] The Yasmin series has won numerous accolades, including Parents Magazine's Best Summer Reading Books for Kids 2019[7] and NPR's Best Children's Books of 2020.[8]

On August 11, 2020, the middle grade novel A Place at the Table was published, co-written by Faruqi and Laura Shovan.[9] The book is about two 11-year-olds—Pakistani-American Sara and Elizabeth, who is Jewish—who develop a friendship after becoming cooking partners in class.[10] Faruqi and Shovan embarked on this project as a way to address the dichotomy that arises in immigrant families between parents and grandparents born in the home country versus first generation children born in the adopted country.[11] Food is an important theme in this novel, as a way to connect cultures, traditions and families.[11][12] In 2021, A Place at the Table won the South Asia Book award highly commended title.[13]

On October 6, 2020, Faruqi published her first solo middle grade novel A Thousand Questions about eleven-year-old Pakistani American girl Mimi who visits Pakistan during summer vacation to meet her grandparents. There, she meets servant girl Sakina, and they form an unlikely friendship across class lines.[14] A Thousand Questions won honor at the 2021 South Asia Book Awards [15] and was a Washington Post KidsPost book club pick for summer 2021.[16] Further, it was a Best Children's Books of 2021 by Bank Street College of Education,[17] and A Mighty Girl 2020 Book of the Year.[18]

On September 7, 2021, Faruqi released Yusuf Azeem Is Not A Hero, a middle grade novel highlighting the attacks of 9/11. This book focuses solely on the experiences of the Muslim American community during and after 9/11, a perspective she felt was missing from other children's books about the attacks.[19][20] This book highlights Islamophobia, racism, white supremacy and a host of other themes[21] through the eyes of twelve-year-old Yusuf, whose small Texas town is commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the attacks. Included in the novel are journal entries by Yusuf's uncle Rahman, who was a young boy in 2001.[22][23] Yusuf Azeem was one of School Library Journal's Best Middle Grade Novels in 2021.[24]

Faruqi has also written nonfiction books for young readers, aimed at removing stereotypes of Muslims and presenting accurate information about their achievements. Included are Eid-al-Fitr Mad Libs,[25] and The Wonders We Seek: Thirty Incredible Muslims Who Helped Shape The World, co-written with her mother Aneesa Mumtaz.[26]

• Official website