Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Ever since the John Hancock incident in elementary school, Amina has experienced stage fright. Happy to stay in the background, she enjoys hanging out with her best friend Soojin.  But she finds things are different now in middle school. Things are changing, and Amina finds some of these changes difficult and she is unsure of how to handle them. Her older brother,  Mustafa gets into a bit of trouble.  Her father’s older brother is visiting from Pakistan, and he voices his unfavorable opinion about Amina singing.  Soojin wants to hang out with Emily, one of the more popular girls at school.  While Amina wants desperately  to keep her friendship with Soojin as it is. When her mosque is vandalized, Amina and her community are devastated by the hateful act. With the support of her family, friends, and community, Amina perseveres.