A Thousand Questions

by Saadia Faruqi (Author)

A Thousand Questions
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi's tender and honest middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kind hearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.

Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she's never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.

The cook's daughter, Sakina, still hasn't told her parents that she'll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score--but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family's kitchen?

Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common--and that they each need the other to get what they want most.

This relatable and empathetic story about two friends coming to understand each other will resonate with readers who loved Other Words for Home and Front Desk.

Select format:
Paperback
$9.99

Publishers Weekly

Faruqi (A Place at the Table) deftly explores Pakistani culture through the dual perspectives of Mimi and Sakina, two girls from different backgrounds. Eleven-year-old Maryam "Mimi" Scotts lives in Texas with her Pakistan-born single mother, after her American father, who is white, left them to further his journalistic career. Financial difficulties have forced them to return to Karachi, her mother's birthplace, to visit the grandparents Mimi has never met. In Karachi, 11-year-old Sakina's diabetic father is a servant for Mimi's grandmother, whose callous pride alienates her dependents; Sakina helps him in the kitchen but longs to attend New Haven School, whose admissions test she has already failed once due to a low score in English. After a rocky beginning, the girls start to grow closer: Mimi agrees to help Sakina improve her English, and Sakina helps Mimi locate her father. Cultural differences complicate the budding friendship: humor is occasionally lost in translation, and both are initially quick to condemn the other's lack of cultural knowledge as ignorance. But the likeable heroines develop a touching connection that enhances the fast-paced plot and counterpoints tense situations with their families. The novel's observations about other societal issues--including religion, politics, wealth, and marriage--add thought-provoking touches. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kari Sutherland, Bradford Literary. (Oct.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Atmospheric and tender, this delightful story about the life-changing power of friendship is sure to capture the heart of many readers.—Jasmine Warga, author of Other Words For Home
Saadia Faruqi
Saadia Faruqi was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States when she was 22 years old. She writes the Yasmin series and popular middle-grade novels such as Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero. Besides writing books for kids, she also loves reading, binge-watching her favorite shows, and taking naps. She lives in Houston with her family. Ani Bushry graduated from the University of West England with a background in graphic design and illustration. She grew up listening to stories her mom used to tell her and always wanted to tell her own. She lives in the Maldives with her husband and cat, Lilo, whom she loves to spoil.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062943217
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Quill Tree Books
Publication date
May 03, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV023000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | City & Town Life
JUV030110 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Middle East
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Family life
Grandparents
Household employees
Single-parent families
Americans
Pakistan
Karachi (Pakistan)

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!