Zara's Rules for Record-Breaking Fun
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the beloved author of Amina’s Voice comes the first book in a humor-filled middle grade series starring a young Muslim girl with an endless list of hobbies who searches for ways to maximize fun for her family and neighborhood friends.
Meet Zara Saleem, the queen of the neighborhood.
Zara’s in charge of it all: she organizes the games, picks the teams, and makes sure everyone has a good time…and they always do.
When a new family moves in across the street, suddenly Zara’s reign is threatened by Naomi, who has big ideas of her own about how the neighborhood kids can have fun. To get everyone to notice her again, Zara decides she’s going to break a Guinness World Record—if her little brother Zayd doesn’t mess things up.
But when she finds herself increasingly alone in her record-breaking quest, Zara starts to wonder if sharing the crown and making a new friend might end up being the best rule of all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Khan's (Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream) lively series opener follows 10-year-old Zara Saleem, "Queen of the Neighborhood," as she struggles to maintain her leardership status when new neighbors move into her suburban Maryland town. Zara has always been the one to set the rules that keep her and the other neighborhood kids—including her seven-year-old brother, Zayd—playing together happily. After white, Jewish Naomi Goldstein moves in across the street, however, Zara's erstwhile subjects begin following Naomi's suggestions instead. Eager for a new way to shine, Zara tries setting a hula-hooping world record, until Zayd accidentally ruins her lonely endeavor. But when Zara finds out that Naomi, inspired by her record-breaking attempt, tried and failed to bake the world's biggest rugelach, the two girls, realizing they'll have more fun together, decide to combine their talents to come up with activities for the rest of the group. Debut creator Haikal's energetic illustrations underscore the neighborhood's racial diversity and handily depict Zara's multigenerational Muslim Pakistani family. The alacrity with which Zara overcomes her disappointments and pursues new friendships highlights mutual support in this endearing tale. Ages 7–10.
