Interest Level:
9-12
Lexile Framework:
850L
Grade Level Equivalent:
5.5
Age:
14-18
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Subject:
Pride and Self-Esteem, Prejudice and Tolerance Experiences, Islam, Australian and New Zealander
Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full- time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Can she handle the taunts of "towel head" and the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school?
Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.
Praise for Does My Head Look Big in This?
"Abdel-Fattah's fine first novel offers a world of insight to post-9/11 readers." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"...the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere." — Booklist, starred review
"The details of Amal's family and social life are spot-on, and the book is wonderful at showing the diversity within Muslim communities and in explaining why so many women choose to wear the hijab. " — School Library Journal
"[A] witty, sensitive debut." — People
"A fascinating look at Islam." — Entertainment Weekly
"Abdel-Fazttah makes sure her 16-year-old heroine shares common experiences with pretty much every other self-conscious, semi-awkward adolescent out there." — Associated Press


