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The Friendship Matchmaker
by Randa Abdel-FattahLara Zany is known throughout the school yard as the Friendship Matchmaker-kids who need to make or keep a best friend call on her expertise and follow her hard-and-fast rules to find friendships. Lara's documented everything from friendship categories (the BOBF, or Bus Only Best Friend; the NL, or Nerdy Loner; the LBC, or Loner By Choice) to strategies (MAKF, or Make and Keep Friends; BTFP, or Bus Trip Faux Pas). And she's sure that her manual will one day be published by none other than Harry Potter's publishers. But when new kid in school Emily Wong questions whether following such unbendable rules is really the way to true friendship, Lara and Emily decide to compete by each finding a LL a best friend. But Lara, a LBC, doesn't bank on finding her own best friendship in the most unlikely of places... In the tradition of Clueless or Emma, this is a funny and heartwarming story of celebrating individuality and finding acceptance.
The Friendship Matchmaker Goes Undercover
by Randa Abdel-FattahNow that Lara Zany has an Official Best Friend (OBF), her friendship matchmaking days are over. When a boy named Majur transfers to their grade and outplays the school bully, Chris Martin, on the soccer field, Chris's reign of terror is suddenly over. Alone and unable to make friends, Chris turns to Lara-who can't resist the challenge of finding this reformed bully a real friend. Between balancing her new friendships, making sure Majur, a refugee from Sudan, fits in, and finding Chris a friend, the Friendship Matchmaker has her work cut out for her-especially because she promised to put her matchmaking to rest. The only solution is to go undercover . . . which means the Friendship Matchmaker is back in business in this charming, laugh-out-loud sequel about finding true friends despite big differences.
No Sex in the City
by Randa Abdel-FattahIt is a truth universally acknowledged . . . Esma is a modern Muslim woman with an age-old dilemma. She is well-educated, well-travelled and has excellent taste in music, but the hunt for Mr Right leads her to a number of Mr Wrongs. Together with wild-haired Ruby, principled Lisa, and drop-dead gorgeous Nirvana, Esma forms the No Sex in the City Club. Her quest for The One (or Mr Almost-Perfect) was never going to be easy, but soon enough it takes an unexpected and thrilling detour. 'Filled with humour and honesty, Randa has lifted the veil on arranged marriages and Muslim society, and proves that finding The One isn't easy for anyone, regardless of religion.' Kate Forster, author of The Perfect Location 'An enjoyable and unusual book about finding love down the arranged marriage route. Funny, wise and moving, it is also a tribute to the fabulous power of female friendship.' Jaishree Misra, author of Secrets and Lies and Secrets and Sins 'A lot of fun … there's a great deal of enjoyment to be had reading this tale!' Shelina Janmohamed
Listen, Layla
by Yassmin Abdel-MagiedThe hilarious follow-up title to You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied.I am Layla Kareem Abdel-Hafiz Hussein, the greatest Sudanese Australian inventor the world has ever seen. And if they don't know my name yet, they soon will. Inshallah!School's out for the summer! And Layla's going to spend it getting her inventions ready for the grand design competition. But when her grandmother falls ill and her family must rush to Sudan to be with her, Layla feels like she's being pulled in many different directions.Family, friends, home, inventions - there's a lot to navigate. With big protests looming in Sudan, could Layla save the day with her revolutionary ideas?Exploring the diaspora experience, Listen, Layla is an own voices novel for young readers bursting with passion, humour and truth.Praise for You Must Be Layla:'A tonic, and a terrific debut . . . underneath its buoyant humour is a timely wisdom about finding friends in an alien culture' New Statesman'This warm, humorous account of a larger-than-life Sudanese girl navigating a posh Australian school is an engaging read' Guardian 'Fresh funny and empowering' BookTrust'A one-of-a-kind bundle of comedy and compassion' LoveReading
Penguin Readers Level 4: You Must Be Layla (ELT Graded Reader)
by Yassmin Abdel-MagiedPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series. Please note that the eBook edition does NOT include access to the audio edition and digital book. Written for learners of English as a foreign language, each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.You Must Be Layla, a Level 4 Reader, is A2+ in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing more complex uses of present perfect simple, passives, phrasal verbs and simple relative clauses. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly.Layla is a 13-year old Muslim girl. She has just moved to one of the best schools in Brisbane. Layla is clever and funny, and loves making things, but some of the students are not kind to her. How can Layla show that she is a good student and make friends?Visit the Penguin Readers websiteRegister to access online resources including tests, worksheets and answer keys. Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock a digital book and audio edition (not available with the eBook).
You Must Be Layla
by Yassmin Abdel-MagiedLayla's mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth - unfortunately her better judgement can take a while to catch up! Even though she believes she was justified for standing up for herself, a suspension certainly isn't the way she would have wished to begin her time at her fancy new secondary school. Despite the setback, Layla's determined to prove that she does deserve her scholarship by setting her sights on winning the big robotics competition. But where to begin?You Must Be Layla is jam-packed with heart and humour, touching on the migrant experience whilst exploring thought-provoking themes relevant to all teens, and introducing Yassmin Abdel-Magied as a brilliant new voice in children's writing.
America in An Arab Mirror: Images of America in Arabic Travel Literature: An Anthology
by K. Abdel-MalekThis distinguished anthology presents for the first time in English travel essays by Arabic writers who have visited America in the second half of the century. The view of America which emerges from these accounts is at once fascinating and illuminating, but never monolithic. The writers hail from a variety of viewpoints, regions, and backgrounds, so their descriptions of America differently engage and revise Arab pre-conceptions of Americans and the West. The country figures as everything from the unchanging Other, the very antithesis of the Arab self, to the seductive female, to the Other who is both praiseworthy and reprehensible.
The Rhetoric of Violence: Arab-Jewish Encounters in Contemporary Palestinian Literature and Film
by Kamal Abdel-MalekDespite the urgent need to develop understandings of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the light of the current situation in the Middle East, the role of violence and reconciliation in Palestinian and Israeli literature and film has received only brief treatment. This book is intended to fill that void; that is to explore how Israelis and Palestinians view and depict themselves and each other in situations that lead to either violence or reconciliation, and the ways in which both parties define themselves in relation to one another. The book examines selected Palestinian and Israeli literary works and a small number of films and their tacit assumptions about Israeli Jews. It will attempt to look at, among other questions a) is violence perceived as a means of empowerment, b) is there connection between imaginary violence in literature and actual violence, and what is the nature of the association between creative writers and violence? (eg. popular writer Ghassan Kanafani who is also a spokesman for the violent PFLP).
Children's Literature, Domestication, and Social Foundation: Narratives of Civilization and Wilderness (Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature)
by Layla AbdelRahimThis study of children's literature as knowledge, culture, and social foundation bridges the gap between science and literature and examines the interconnectedness of fiction and reality as a two-way road. The book investigates how the civilized narrative orders experience by means of segregation, domestication, breeding, and extermination, arguing instead that the stories and narratives of wilderness project chaos and infinite possibilities for experiencing the world through a diverse community of life. AbdelRahim engages these narratives in a dialogue with each other and traces their expression in the various disciplines and books written for both children and adults, analyzing the manifestation of fictional narratives in real life. This is both an inter- and multi-disciplinary endeavor that is reflected in the combination of research methods drawn from anthropology and literary studies as well as in the tracing of the narratives of order and chaos, or civilization and wilderness, in children's literature and our world. Chapters compare and contrast fictional children's books that offer different real-world socio-economic paradigms, such as A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh projecting a civilized monarcho-capitalist world, Nikolai Nosov's trilogy on The Adventures of Dunno and Friends presenting the challenges and feats of an anarcho-socialist society in evolution from primitivism towards technology, and Tove Jansson's Moominbooks depicting the harmony of anarchy, chaos, and wildness. AbdelRahim examines the construction, transmission, and acquisition of knowledge in children’s literature by visiting the very nature of literature, culture, and language and the civilized structures that domesticate the world. She brings radically new perspectives to the knowledge, culture, and construction of human beings, making an invaluable contribution to a wide range of disciplines and for those engaged in revolutionizing contemporary debates on the nature of knowledge, human identity, and the world.
Children's Literature, Domestication, and Social Foundation: Narratives of Civilization and Wilderness (Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature)
by Layla AbdelRahimThis study of children's literature as knowledge, culture, and social foundation bridges the gap between science and literature and examines the interconnectedness of fiction and reality as a two-way road. The book investigates how the civilized narrative orders experience by means of segregation, domestication, breeding, and extermination, arguing instead that the stories and narratives of wilderness project chaos and infinite possibilities for experiencing the world through a diverse community of life. AbdelRahim engages these narratives in a dialogue with each other and traces their expression in the various disciplines and books written for both children and adults, analyzing the manifestation of fictional narratives in real life. This is both an inter- and multi-disciplinary endeavor that is reflected in the combination of research methods drawn from anthropology and literary studies as well as in the tracing of the narratives of order and chaos, or civilization and wilderness, in children's literature and our world. Chapters compare and contrast fictional children's books that offer different real-world socio-economic paradigms, such as A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh projecting a civilized monarcho-capitalist world, Nikolai Nosov's trilogy on The Adventures of Dunno and Friends presenting the challenges and feats of an anarcho-socialist society in evolution from primitivism towards technology, and Tove Jansson's Moominbooks depicting the harmony of anarchy, chaos, and wildness. AbdelRahim examines the construction, transmission, and acquisition of knowledge in children’s literature by visiting the very nature of literature, culture, and language and the civilized structures that domesticate the world. She brings radically new perspectives to the knowledge, culture, and construction of human beings, making an invaluable contribution to a wide range of disciplines and for those engaged in revolutionizing contemporary debates on the nature of knowledge, human identity, and the world.
The House of the Mosque
by Kader AbdolahIn the house of the mosque, the family of Aqa Jaan has lived for eight centuries. Now it is occupied by three cousins: Aqa Jaan, a merchant and head of the city's bazaar; Alsaberi, the imam of the mosque and Aqa Shoja, the mosque's muezzin. The house itself teems with life, as each of their families grows up with their own triumphs and tragedies. Sadiq is waiting for a suitor to knock at the door to ask for her hand, while her two grandmothers sweep the floors each morning dreaming of travelling to Mecca. Meanwhile Shahbal longs only to get hold of a television to watch the first moon landing. All these daily dramas are played out under the watchful eyes of the storks that nest on the minarets above. But this family will experience upheaval unknown to previous generations. For in Iran, political unrest is brewing. The shah is losing his hold on power; the ayatollah incites rebellion from his exile in France; and one day the ayatollah returns. The consequences will be felt in every corner of Aqa Jaan's family.
The King
by Kader Abdolah*Longlisted for the 2016 International DUBLIN Literary Award* Once upon a time there was a Persian prince. The prince had many brothers, for his father had married over a thousand wives, but Prince Naser alone stood to inherit the kingdom. As the prince ascends to the throne we lurk in his shadow to overhear the whispered intrigues and plotting of bloody battles. The weight of the nation bears heavily on Shah Naser's shoulders. Will this young king triumph or will he succumb to the forces that threaten to engulf him? Enter the court of the King of Persia . . .
My Father's Notebook: A Novel Of Iran (Canons)
by Kader AbdolahWhen he was a boy, Aga Akbar, the illegitimate, deaf son of a Persian nobleman, travelled with his uncle to a cave on nearby Saffron Mountain. Once there, he was to transcribe a cuneiform inscription over three thousand years old. Decades later, his son, Ishmael – a political dissident in exile – attempts to translate a notebook filled with a private language made from this ancient script . . . and in the process tells his father’s story, his own, and the story of twentieth-century Iran. My Father’s Notebook is at once a masterful chronicle of a culture’s troubled voyage into modernity and the heart-rending, timeless tale of a son’s enduring love.
All Walls Collapse: Stories of Separation
by Muyesser Abdul’ehed Zahra El Hasnaoui Ahmed Maya Abu Al-Hayat Larissa Boehning Rezuwan Khan Paulo Scott Kyung-Sook Shin Geetanjali Shree Constantia Soteriou Krisztina Tóth Juan Pablo VillalobosThe history of walls – as a way to keep people in or out – is also the history of people managing to get around, over and under them. From the Berlin Wall and the Mexico–US border, to the barbed wire fences of Bangladesh’s refugee camps, the short stories in this anthology explore the barriers that have sought to divide communities and nations, and their traumatic effects on people’s lives and histories. At a time when more walls are being built than are being brought down, All Walls Collapse brings together writing from across national, ethnic and linguistic borders, challenging the political impulse to separate and segregate, and celebrating the role of literature in traversing division.
Menstruation
by Ammar AbdulhamidHasan, the local imam's son, has the strange ability to smell a menstruating woman among a thousand others. This helps him classify members of the opposite sex with whom he has little contact until the day he has a brief affair with a married woman. This sexual initiation irrevocably transforms him and shakes his entire system of beliefs. Hasan no longer knows what to believe in nor who he is, he just knows he has to avoid the marriage his father has arranged for him. Hasan's story runs in tandem with Wisam's, a friend of his sister's, who is unhappily married and having her first lesbian relationship. Her sense of alienation from her husband, her frustration and her newfound sexuality echo Hasan's questions about religion, identity and sexuality. Hasan and Wisam will both experience frustration, doubts and ultimately liberation in different ways. Their previously held notions about religion and sexuality are dramatically shaped by their new experiences and the influence of Nadim and Kindah, the progressive intellectuals who help them formulate a new worldview. Abdulhamid's daring debut novel explores contemporary themes related to sexuality, self-realization and repression within a conservative religious framework and the ways people are able to reconcile themselves with a changing world. 'Going out on a limb almost comes naturally for Ammar Abdulhamid … he is one of Syria's daring modernizers.' -- Washington Post 'Set in contemporary Damascus, Ammar Abdulhamid's debut novel is going to upset people. Its title, Menstruation, leaves readers in no doubt that Abdulhamid is not about to pull any punches when it comes to taboo subjects. Clearly a reaction to repression in itself, the novel looks at the effect of conservative values on society, particularly the young.' -- Cairo Times
Negotiating Diasporic Identity in Arab-Canadian Students: Double Consciousness, Belonging, and Radicalization (Palgrave Studies in Educational Futures)
by Wisam Kh. Abdul-JabbarThis book, framed through the notion of double consciousness, brings postcolonial constructs to sociopolitical and pedagogical studies of youth that have yet to find serious traction in education. Significantly, this book contributes to a growing interest among educational and curriculum scholars in engaging the pedagogical role of literature in the theorization of an inclusive curriculum. Therefore, this study not only recognizes the potential of immigrant literature in provoking critical conversation on changes young people undergo in diaspora, but also explores how the curriculum is informed by the diasporic condition itself as demonstrated by this negotiation of foreignness between the student and selected texts.
The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy)
by Chelsea Abdullah'The Stardust Thief will transport you, enchant you, and revive your belief in the magic of storytelling' Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the SunInspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a magical lamp.Neither here nor there, but long ago...Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp.With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan's oldest son to find the artefact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen and confront a malicious killer from Loulie's past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything - her enemy, her magic, even her own past - is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.Praise for The Stardust Thief:'Sizzling with action and secrets, The Stardust Thief is a grand adventure with unforgettable characters, enchanting magic, and plenty of heart' Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage'A thrilling adventure about found families, ancient magic and stories that linger' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass'The Stardust Thief is a dream written upon a page - absorbing, lingering and poignantly told. Abdullah weaves a sweeping adventure of tales within tales, while laying bare the ways those we love can both uplift us and break our hearts' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter'Abdullah transports readers into this rich world and literary heritage' Library Journal'A marvellous plunge into a beautifully crafted adventure' Kirkus 'This powerful, intriguing adventure will leave readers eager for more' Publishers Weekly'Abdullah is a gifted storyteller. . . [bringing] to life a rich world, rife with magic, where anything that can be dreamed up can happen' Booklist
Next of Kin
by Kia Abdullah“Abdullah’s legal thrillers make John Grisham seem like a maiden aunt.” Sunday Times Crime Club “An enthralling, heartbreaking and thrilling courtroom drama that had me shouting out loud and gripped until the last page.” Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man
Next of Kin
by Kia Abdullah‘An enthralling, heartbreaking and thrilling courtroom drama that had me shouting out loud and gripped until the last page’Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man
Take It Back
by Kia Abdullah‘A superb legal thriller…crackles with tension’ Guardian 'A thought-provoking and sparklingly intelligent novel, with the welcome bonus of an unguessable ending’ Daily Telegraph ‘Razor-sharp…Much more than a courtroom thriller’ Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times bestselling author of VOX * * * * *
Those People Next Door
by Kia Abdullah‘Abdullah’s legal thrillers make John Grisham seem like a maiden aunt’ Sunday Times Crime Club
Truth Be Told
by Kia Abdullah‘Vividly examines some of the issues that shape (and deform) society . . . A gritty, extremely hard-hitting drama’Adele Parks, Platinum magazine ‘Gripping, sensitive, nuanced and heart-breaking, it will stay with you long after you read it’Roz Watkins, author of Cut to the Bone
Those People Next Door: Quick Reads 2024
by null Kia AbdullahA Quick Reads story from award winning author Kia Abdullah ‘Abdullah’s legal thrillers make John Grisham seem like a maiden aunt’ Sunday Times Crime Club ‘Intelligent, clever, poignant, sharp, and thought-provoking, right through to the perfect final line. Another sure hit for Kia Abdullah’ Andrea Mara ‘Brilliantly pacey and wonderfully written with a lovely big twist. Highly recommended’ Neil Lancaster * * * You can choose your house. Not your neighbours. WELCOME TO YOUR DREAM HOME…Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen. MEET YOUR NEW NEIGHBOURS…Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner her son put in their front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. AND PREPARE FOR THE NIGHTMARE TO BEGIN…This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt. A gripping thriller about nightmare neighbours, Those People Next Door explores the loss of innocence and how far we’re prepared to go to defend ourselves and the people we love. * * * Praise for Those People Next Door: ‘This powerful social drama about racism and microaggression in today’s society is a must-read’ Prima ‘A stunning, thought-provoking and morally challenging read. It had me guessing until the ingenious reveal – a world-class story’ Graham Bartlett, author of Bad For Good ‘A tense, clever tale about the seething underbelly of a picture-perfect suburban town’ Country and Town House
And Here I Am (Oberon Modern Plays)
by Hassan AbdulrazzakBased on Ahmed Tobasi’s personal coming of age story, And Here I Am, is an epic voyage of identity and self-discovery. Combining fact and fantasy, tragedy and comedy, spanning both the first Palestinian intifada and the second, we follow the protagonist through his transformation from resistance fighter to artist, his journey as a refugee from the West Bank to Norway and then back again. In a series of tragicomic episodes vividly brought to life with music, dance and animation, we journey through this personal and political tale of occupation and resistance, fear and heroism, a life of self-pursuit and loyalty that transports us to the heart of the hardships, struggles and contradictions of a young man growing up under occupation and his pursuit for the true meaning of freedom.
Baghdad Wedding (Oberon Modern Plays)
by Hassan AbdulrazzakIn Iraq, a wedding is not a wedding unless shots get fired. It's like in England where a wedding is not a wedding unless someone pukes or tries to fuck one of the bridesmaids. That's the way it goes.'From cosmopolitan London to the chaos of war-ravaged Baghdad, this is the comic tale of three friends, torn between two worlds, and a wedding that goes horribly wrong.Baghdad Wedding premiered at the Soho Theatre in June 2007.