Anisa's International Day

In Atlanta, spirited third grader narrator Anisa Zakaria, who is Pakistani American, enjoys drawing; baking with first grader sister Zineera, with whom she runs a small bakery for family; and laughing with jokester best friend Katie, who reads as white. When Anisa wears a new kurta that her Nani sends from Pakistan, it gives her beloved teacher the idea to hold an International Day, for which each student will choose a state or country to which they have a connection. Looking for an "ingenious" idea for the celebration, the occasion of Anisa's beloved aunt's pre-wedding dholki inspires her to plan on bringing mehndi for International Day. But after Katie seems to laugh at Anisa's decorated palms, Anisa surveys classmates about the ingredients required of a good friend, determining that Katie no longer measures up--and resulting in a fallout. Exploring a cross-cultural friendship alongside interpersonal dynamics at home and school, Faruqi (Unsettled) uses a light touch to articulate one student's multifaceted struggles around sharing an intersection of her identity in a slice-of-life chapter book that deftly portrays elements of Pakistani culture. Final art not seen by PW. A glossary, recipes, and activities conclude. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Sept.)

Genuine, sweet, and relatable... you can't help but root for driven Anisa as she problems solves her way out of more than one sticky situation with sometimes unexpected-and joyful-results.
— -Maleeha Siddiqui, author of Barakah Beats