The Magical Reality of Nadia (Magical Reality of Nadia #1)

by Bassem Youssef (Author) Douglas Holgate (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

Inspired by the author's real life experiences, this rollicking, charming novel follows sixth grade Egyptian immigrant Nadia as she navigates the ups and downs of friendships, racism, and some magic, too!

Nadia loves fun facts. Here are a few about her: - She collects bobbleheads -- she has 77 so far.- She moved from Egypt to America when she was six years old.- The hippo amulet she wears is ancient... as in it's literally from ancient Egypt.- She's going to win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. Because how cool would that be?! (Okay, so that last one isn't a fact just yet, but Nadia has plans to make it one.) But then a new kid shows up and teases Nadia about her Egyptian heritage. It's totally unexpected, and totally throws her off her game. And something else happens that Nadia can't explain: Her amulet starts glowing! She soon discovers that the hippo is holding a hilarious -- and helpful -- secret. Can she use it to confront the new kid and win the contest?

From political satirist and comedian Bassem Youssef, aka The Jon Stewart of the Arab World, and author Catherine R. Daly comes a humorous and heartfelt story about prejudice, friendship, empathy, and courage. Includes sections of black-and-white comics as well as lively black-and-white illustrations throughout.

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Kirkus

Readers will cheer for Nadia as she responds to prejudice and affirms her identity.

ALA/Booklist

Nadia isn’t perfect, but she handles the hurdles with grace, making this a poignant ode to the American ideals of blended culture and community.

Publishers Weekly

In this entertaining story by comedian Youseff and author Daly (the Flower Girls series), fact-loving Nadia Youssef, who's Egyptian American, eagerly begins sixth grade wearing a necklace she bought during her summer trip to Cairo. When an animated man shows up in her notebook, though, Nadia discovers that the necklace's antique hippo amulet has for 2,000 years imprisoned quirky teacher Titi. The duo realizes that he can only be freed if he assists Nadia seven times; via magical adventures to ancient Egypt rendered in Holgate's (the Last Kids on Earth series) comiclike illustrations, Titi supports Nadia through the turbulence of her first weeks at school. Tensions rise between Nadia and her friends as they take on an immigration-related project, and she struggles to deal with a school bully, who makes ignorant, increasingly pointed jokes about her culture. Smart, confident Nadia is guided by a strong sense of right and wrong; aided by Titi's lessons and wisdom from her parents, she faces these challenges with bravery, resilience, and compassion. In this heartfelt tale, Youseff and Daly strike a solid balance between magical worldbuilding, witty humor, and a unifying anti-xenophobic theme. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Twelve-year-old Nadia is proud of her Egyptian heritage, loves school, and is ready to rock sixth grade flanked by her friends in the Nerd Squad. But when she discovers a magical teacher in an amulet she brought home from Egypt as a souvenir, everything starts to change. All she wanted was to create a winning presentation for the question, "What makes America, America?" Instead, a new kid comes between her and her BFF, she's bullied, and even the Nerd Squad is unhappy with her. Can Nadia find a way to restore her friendships? This lighthearted read bubbles with jokes, magic, comics, and the ever-persistent issues of friendship and personal identity. And yet, the cheerful tone belies deep messages of acceptance and understanding that are brought beautifully to life. The final message readers take home, "Unless you are Native American, we all have an immigrant story in our past," clearly resounds throughout this expertly crafted lesson disguised as a fantastical story about middle school life. VERDICT Whimsically packaged into a relatable tale, the message to celebrate diversity and identity comes through loud and clear in this must-buy for collections serving young readers.—Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Sch., NE

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Readers will cheer for Nadia as she responds to prejudice and affirms her identity." -Kirkus Reviews

"Youssef based the novel on his daughter's experience moving to the U.S. from Egypt, and the labor of love comes through, sweet and silly. The bullying on display isn't the threatening kind; the new kid is popular and often terrifically funny, but his hurtful humor cuts down those around him. Nadia isn't perfect, but she handles the hurdles with grace, making this a poignant ode to the American ideals of blended culture and community." -Booklist

"Humorous black-and-white illustrations, including some comic pages, draw in even the non-bookworms." -Parents Magazine

UGH

its amazing but she so beautitl like rlly loll anyways do u know gacha welll make an oc of it amd its popasoihgcudygqhi anywayws byeereeeeeeeeeeee sub to me lilia

Bassem Youssef
Bassem Youssef, a.k.a. the Jon Stewart of the Arab World, was a heart surgeon in his home country of Egypt before becoming the host of AlBernameg, the first political satire show in the Middle East. He has appeared on The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and other late-night shows, and was also featured in TIME 100, Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.
Douglas Holgate is the illustrator of Something's Amiss at the Zoo by Jen Breach. He is also the illustrator of The Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brallier and Wires and Nerve, Volume One by Marissa Meyer. Douglas lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his family. Visit him online at skullduggery.com.au.
A former editor at Disney, Harper, and Scholastic, Catherine Daly has written many books for young readers, including the Petal Pushers middle-grade series, the Disney Fairies chapter book Prilla and the Butterfly Lie, and popular paperback titles such as Whiskers, Knights, All Aboard Cars, and Daddy and Me. She lives in New York City with her family.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338572285
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Inc.
Publication date
February 02, 2021
Series
Magical Reality of Nadia
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV039250 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV016020 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Ancient Civilizations
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Magic
Race relations
Contests
Egyptian Americans

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