CANR
WORK TITLE: Yes No Maybe So
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.aishasaeed.com
CITY: Atlanta
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: CA 380
http://skrishnasbooks.com/2015/03/book-review-written-in-the-stars-aisha-saeed.html
RESEARCHER NOTES: AMAL UNBOUND WAS LISTED IN LARGE PRINT EDITIO; I CHANGED
PERSONAL
Married, c. 2003; children: three sons.
EDUCATION:University of Florida, bachelor’s and master’s degrees; also earned J.D.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, teacher, and attorney. We Need Diverse Books Campaign, founding member and vice president of strategy, c. 2014—. Previously worked as a teacher, then as an attorney for Equal Justice Works, Washington, DC.
AWARDS:Picture Book Honor award, Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature, 2020, for Bilal Cooks Daal.
WRITINGS
Contributor to the anthology Love InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women, edited by Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi, Soft Skull Press, 2012. Contributor to periodicals and websites, including the Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Story and Chai, AlAN, Muslim Girl magazine, Red Tricycle, and BlogHer.
SIDELIGHTS
Aisha Saeed is a lawyer, writer, and teacher and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a grassroots organization made up of lovers of children’s books. The organization fosters initiatives advocating changes in the publishing industry to foster literature reflecting the lives of diverse young people. As an attorney, Saeed worked for Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit organization that focuses on a creating a just society. Saeed represented clients with disabilities and chronic illness to help them attain their rights in educational settings. Although Saeed no longer works in law or teaching, she noted in an interview for the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database Company website: “They helped shape who I am on the journey of life, so I do still identify with them as a part of who I am.”
Written in the Stars
In her debut novel, Written in the Stars, Saeed tells the story of a Pakistani American girl whose strict parents plan on following Pakistani tradition and arranging a marriage for their daughter. Saeed noted in the interview for the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database Company website that her family was also “involved” in her marriage, which she called “semi-arranged.” She said in the interview: “In my situation, a mutual friend of my husband’s family and my family introduced the two of us. We met each other and we also met each other’s families but they did not influence us in our marriage decision.”
Saeed was inspired to write Written in the Stars by the fact that some of her childhood friends received pressure from their families to marry someone they chose for them. “While none of their circumstances were exactly like [my] protagonist, seeing what happened to them and reading about the practice of forced marriage the world over served as the inspiration,” Saeed told ArtsATL Web site contributor Soniah Kamal. As for the title of the book, it refers to the belief in Pakistani society that marriages are preordained by God.
Written in the Stars revolves around seventeen-year-old Naila, a first-generation American of Pakistani parents. Naila’s parents are strict and forbid her to date, following the traditions of their home country. Nevertheless, Naila ends up falling in love with Saif, a high school classmate. Naila eventually decides to disobey her parents and sneaks off to the high school prom with Saif. When her parents find out, they are so angry they take her out of school and fly off to Pakistan. Naila thinks the trip is just part of a family vacation to meet relatives but soon learns that her parents have plans to arrange a marriage for her in Pakistan.
Despite Naila’s objections, she is eventually forced into marriage and ends up living with her husband and his extended family, which includes her husband’s mother and two sisters. Life in the household is not happy for Naila. Her stepmother has little sympathy for Naila, and her husband ends up raping her. Naila eventually becomes pregnant and faces a life she does not want with little chance of escaping since she has no passport or visa. Meanwhile, her parents have gone back to America. “Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew,” noted a Pop Goes the Reader Web site contributor. Nevertheless, Naila holds on to the hope that Saif in America will come to her rescue.
Written in the Stars includes an afterword discussing forced marriages, including those that take place in immigrant communities in the United States. Saeed also provides a list of resources to help young girls and women who may face forced marriages. “The spare prose is more evocative than stilted: Saeed shows rather than tells, allowing readers to imagine how Naila … feel[s],” wrote Amy Thurow for School Library Journal. Sarah Hunter, writing in Booklist, called Written in the Stars “stirring, haunting, and ultimately hopeful.”
START NEW
Amal Unbound
In her next novel, Amal Unbound, Saeed tells the story of of a twelve-year-old Pakistani girl named Amal who dreams of becoming a teacher but faces numerous obstacles. The daughter of an orange farmer, Amal ends up leaving school to oversee the household after her mother becomes clinically depressed following the birth of Amal’s fourth sister. In fact, her father is not happy as well as he and his wife has yet to have a son. Then one day Amal encounters a cruel landlord named Jawad Sahib. She ends up insulting the wealthy landowner who demands that Amal make amends by becoming his servant, supposedly to pay off family debts. Living in Sahib’s compound away from her family, Amal’s dreams seem unattainable.
Amal Unbound was inspired by the true story of Maiala Yousafazai. Saeed first got the idea for the novel in 2011. Saeed wanted to write a story about a girl from Saeed’s hometown village in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The idea for the story began to coalesce after she read about Yousafazai’s story. A budding activist, Yousafazai was shot by the Taliban along with another girl while riding a bus after taking an exam. The Taliban believe that girls should not be educated. Although Yousafazai was shot in the head, she recovered. She has since gone on to international claim, including winning the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person ever to attain that honor.
In a Publishers Weekly Online interview with Claire Kirch, Saeed noted that she agreed with people that Yousarazai was amazing. However, she went on to tell Kirch: “But I thought of all the other young people who do things that are brave and don’t get their names ever in the headlines,” adding later in the interview: “It’s important for us to think about the people who perform brave acts who will never see their names in a headline. From that premise, I started writing about Amal.” Saeed also remarked that it was “important” to her she wrote the story for a young adult audience.
“Short chapters and unadorned prose make the story accessible and direct, with Amal’s emotions, perspective, and strength anchoring the narrative,” wrote Elisa Gall in a review of Amal Unbound for Horn Book. Calling the novel a “eloquent, suspenseful, eye-opening tale,” a Publishers Weekly contributor went on to note that Saeed not only informs the reader about the ongoing “practice of indentured servitude” but also presents a strong argument “for the power of girls’ education to transform systemic injustice.”
Bilal Cookd Daal
Saeed is also author of the picture book Bilal Cooks Daal, illustrated by Anoosha Syed. The story revolves around the immigrant Bilal and his friends, Morgan and Elias, who want to help Bilal’s South Asian father make a popular legume stew in his home region. Bilal’s father, however, is hesitant, warning the children that they need patience to maker the dish. The children decide to make chana daal, but Morgan and Elias are put off by the way the dish looks and smells. The story follows the children as they play while the daal simmers. All the while Bilal is worried that his friends won’t like the daal, which is his favorite food. However, when the dish is finally served in the evening, Bilal’s friends are delighted with it.
“This story is refreshingly innovative in numerous ways,” remarked Amina Chaudhri in Booklist, noting the switching of gender roles and how “Urdu words are seamlessly integrated” into the story. Commenting that the tale “validates young readers’ cultural experiences,” a Kirkus Reviews contributor went on to call Bilal Cooks Daal “a quietly radical, eminently delightful book.”
Yes No Maybe Soand Aladdin
Saeed is coauthor with Becky Albertalli of Yes No Maybe So. The story revolves around a Muslim teenage girl named Maya and a Jewish boy named Jammie. The two are coerced by their mothers to canvas together during a campaign for the Georgia state senate. Told by the protagonists in alternating chapters, the two teenagers are supporting a candidate who opposes a bill that would place restrictions on head and facial coverings typically worn by Muslim women. The two become friends in the process but face several issues. A campaign manager wants to use the growing romance between Maya and Jammie for campaign purposes . Their different religions also play a big role in the story ads the teenagers learning about each other’s religions and tradition. Meanwhile, Maya’s parents are worried about her dating someone outside of their religion.
The two authors “seamlessly join forces to craft a genuine, immediate tale about two teenagers facing some of the harsher truths of the world,” wrote Maggie Reagan in Booklist. Shoshana Flax in a review for Horn Book noted: Yes No Maybe So “leaves much unresolved, allowing its characters and their emotions to stay complicated.”
In Aladdin: Far From Agrabah Saeed provides a story based on the Disney movie characters of Aladdin and Jasmine. When Jasmine wants to see Aladdin’s kingdom, Genie takes them on a magic carpet rider to “Ababwa,” a kingdom made by the Genie at Aladdin’s request as he wants Jasmine to see extraordinary things. The novel follows the trip to the imaginary kingdom, but Aladdin and Jasmine find themselves stranded there after their magic carpet is stolen. Noting that the story is told via the alternating viewpoints of Aladdin and Jasmine, a Kirkus Reviews contributor went on to note: “Saeed powerfully captures both their emotions and the setting.
CLOSE NEW
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2015, Sarah Hunter, review of Written in the Stars, p. 44; March 15, 2019, Amina Chaudhri, review of Bilal Cooks Daal, p. 72; December 1, 2019, Maggie Reagan, review of Yes No Maybe So, p. 56.
Horn Book, November-December, 2018, Elisa Gall, review of Ama Unbound, p. 88; January-February, 2020, Shoshana Flax, review of Yes No Maybe So, p. 85.
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2014, review of Written in the Stars; March 1, 2019, review of Bilal Cooks Daal; April 1, 2019, review of Aladdin.
Publishers Weekly, January 5, 2015, review of Written in the Stars, p. 75; November 27, 2018, review of Amal Unbound, p. 41.
School Library Journal, December, 2014, Amy Thurow, review of Written in the Stars, p. 142; December, 2019, Erin Downey, Erin. review of Yes No Maybe So, p. 86.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 2014, Rachel Axelrod, review of Written in the Stars, p. 66; April 1, 2018, Aileen Valdes, review of Amal Unbound, p. 66.
ONLINE
Aisha Saeed website, http://www.aishasaeed.com (April 14, 2020).
ArtsATL, http:// www.artsatl.com/ (March 27, 2015), Soniah Kamal, “Q&A: Aisha Saeed Explores ‘Hyphenated’ Teenager’s Struggles in Novel Written in the Stars.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Online, http://www.myajc.com/ (June 1, 2015), Bo Emerson, “Arranged Marriage? Bad in New Novel, Good for Writer,” author profile.
Author Village, https://theauthorvillage.com/ (April 13, 2020), author biography.
BookPage website, http:// bookpage.com/ (March 24, 2015), Cat Acree, “Aisha Saeed: An Eye-Opening Tale of Forced Marriage,” author interview.
Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database Company website, http://www.clcd.com/ (October 12, 2015), “Q&A with Aisha Saeed, YA Author and #WeNeedDiverseBooks Co-Founder.”
Entertainment Weekly Online, https://ew.com/ (February 27, 2020), Abigail Atkeson, “EW Talks YA; Yes No Maybe So Is the Activism Novel Teens — and Adults — Need Right Now.”
HelloGiggles, http:// hellogiggles.com/ (April 10, 2015), Kerry Winfrey, “Talking with Aisha Saeed, Kickass Author of Written in the Stars. ”
Maya Prasad, http:// www.mayaprasad.com/ (April 28, 2014), Maya Prasad, “Diversity Solutions with Aisha Saeed,” author interview.
Nerdy Book Club, https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/ (March 24, 2015), Aisha Saeed, “How to Make a Dream Come True.”
Penguin Random House website, http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ (October 12, 2015), brief author profile.
Pop Goes the Reader, http://www.popgoesthereader.com/ (April 4, 2015), review of Written in the Stars.
Publishers Weekly Online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (May 8, 2018), Claire Kirch, “Q & A with Aisha Saeed.”
Stacked Books, http:// stackedbooks.org/ (March 17 2015), Kimberly Francisco, review of Written in the Stars.*
Aisha Saeed is a New York Times bestselling author. She wrote WRITTEN IN THE STARS (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015) which was listed as a best book of 2015 by Bank Street Books and a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick For Reluctant Readers. She is also the author of the middle grade novel AMAL UNBOUND (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018) a Summer 2018 Indie Next Pick, An Amazon Best Book of the Month, has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus and is a Global Read Aloud for 2018. She also has a forthcoming picture book BILAL COOKS DAAL (Simon & Schuster/Salaam Reads, 2019). Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™. She has been featured on MTV, the Huffington Post, NBC, and the BBC, and her writings have appeared in publications including the journal ALAN and the Orlando Sentinel.
Aisha is represented by Taylor Martindale at Full Circle Literary Agency and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and three sons.
Fourteen Things About Aisha
You can find a full biography here.
1
Aisha learned to read when she was three years old and vowed to read every single picture book at her local library. She made it halfway through the A’s.
2
She began writing stories as soon as she learned to put pen to paper. She
can’t remember her very first story but it was most likely Sesame Street fan fiction.
3
Aisha fosters cats. She cries buckets of tears saying goodbye each and every time.
4
Aisha speaks three languages fluently: English, Urdu, and Punjabi.
5
Aisha has approximately eight hundred and eighty-seven story ideas she’s excited to write about at any given time.
6
Before becoming an author, Aisha had nine other jobs including a lawyer, a second-grade teacher,
and selling jeans at the Gap.
7
She loves writing lists. (Shocking, she knows.)
8
Aisha loves chai. If it were possible to subsist on only one food substance it would be chai.
9
Aisha loves traveling the world. Her favorite country (so far): Turkey.
10
Aisha is great at air hockey. She can beat just about anyone. (No, really. She can.)
11
Aisha’s idea of the perfect place to live is anywhere alongside the ocean but preferably in a beachside cottage on the island of Oahu.
12
Aisha once dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon but when she finally did she learned she was afraid of heights.
13
Aisha loves trees. Be they Willows, Sycamores, or Poplar Oaks, she adores them all. Walking, sitting, daydreaming
among trees brings her a sense of wonder at the beauty of our world. Her favorite trees? Redwoods.
14
Aisha counts her lucky stars each and every day she gets to write books
for young people.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you get an agent?
I queried and was discovered through the so-called slush pile.
How should I go about getting an agent?
Querying [i.e. a letter pitching your work] is the general route. It’s vital to be specific and narrow down which agents you reach out to by making sure they are a) accepting new clients and b) are looking for books in your genre. Querying without focus can be a burden on everyone’s time including your own. Some helpful information on a query letter can be found here and a query tracking database that many find helpful is right here. I personally used Writer’s Market as a starting point. For illustrators and picture book authors, this Writer’s Market guide is more specific for that area.
Can you pass on my manuscript to your agent/publisher/contacts?
I’m sorry, but I can’t. You are welcome to query Full Circle Literary if their site seems to be a good fit for you.
Can I tell your agent/agency that I know you or you recommended me?
Because I know my agent has a great eye and knows what she is looking for I have a policy of not recommending manuscripts to her.
I haven’t finished my novel but I have a great outline and pitch. Can I start querying agents?
For fiction you must have a fully completed manuscript before agents will take a look.
I want to write a novel. Any tips?
The biggest piece of advice for writing I can give is to just do it. Just write. Work through the angst and the self-doubt and get that first draft on the screen. Often we are stifled by the fears of what will happen or what may never happen but we have to try or we’ll never know. As Amy Poehler has said about writing: You do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing.
I suggest two vital books that inspired me and gave me advice on writing:
On Writing by Stephen King
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
For websites on writing tips and advice I suggest:
Writer Unboxed
Nathan Bransford
I have a school assignment about your book and I need your help!
I’m so glad to hear your class is reading one of my books! Unfortunately I cannot help you with your school assignments.
Will you please visit my classroom for a school visit?
I love to meet students and talk about my books. It is one of the biggest perks of being an author for young people! For school visits please contact my booking agency hello@theauthorvillage.com.
Can you Skype with my class?
At this time I am closed to Skype visits.
What is the secret to happiness?
Koala bears, of course.
Aisha Saeed
Aisha Saeed is an author, mama, lawyer, teacher, and maker and drinker of chai. She is also the Vice President of Strategy for We Need Diverse Books. Aisha has been blogging for over a decade and her writing has also appeared in places such as The Orlando Sentinel, BlogHer, Muslim Girl Magazine, and Red Tricycle. She is also a contributing author to the anthology Love Inshallah
While Aisha loves writing about a variety of topics, her main passion lies in channeling her inner teen. Her debut YA novel WRITTEN IN THE STARS will be released in 2015 by Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books. She is represented by Taylor Martindale at Full Circle Literary Agency.
When Aisha isnt writing or chasing her two little boys, you can find her reading, baking, doodling henna patterns, or daydreaming about eight consecutive hours of sleep.
Genres: Children's Fiction
New Books
January 2020
(paperback)
Amal UnboundFebruary 2020
(paperback)
Yes No Maybe SoMay 2020
(hardback)
Once Upon an Eid
May 2020
(hardback)
Diana and the Island of No Return
(Wonder Woman, book 1)
Series
Wonder Woman
1. Diana and the Island of No Return (2020)
thumb
Novels
Written in the Stars (2015)
Amal Unbound (2018)
Aladdin: Far from Agrabah (2019)
Yes No Maybe So (2019) (with Becky Albertalli)
thumbthumbthumbthumb
Picture Books
Bilal Cooks Daal (2019)
thumb
Anthologies edited
Once Upon an Eid (2020)
thumb
Aisha Saeed is a New York Times bestselling author. Her books include young adult novels Written in the Stars and Yes No Maybe So (coauthored with Becky Albertalli), middle-grade novels Amal Unbound and Aladdin: Far from Agrabah, and picture book Bilal Cooks Daal (illustrated by Anoosha Syed). Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and sons. You can find her at aishasaeed.com, at Twitter and Instagram @aishacs, and on Facebook.
Aisha Saeed (aishasaeed.com) is a Pakistani American writer, teacher, and attorney. Her writings have appeared in publications including The Orlando Sentinel, Muslim Girl magazine, and BlogHer. As one of the founding members of the much talked about We Need Diverse Books Campaign, she is helping to change the conversation about diversity in literature. She is also a contributing author to the highly acclaimed Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women, which features the story of her own (happily) arranged marriage. Aisha lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and sons.
Q & A with Aisha Saeed
By Claire Kirch | May 08, 2018
Comments Click Here
Aisha Saeed, the author of Written in the Stars (2015), a YA novel about a Pakistani-American girl whose conservative immigrant parents try to force her into an arranged marriage, has once again reached into her Pakistani background for her second novel, Amal Unbound. The middle grade novel tells the story of a Pakistani girl desiring an education who is forced into indentured servitude to pay off her family’s debt to the village’s cruel overlord. Saeed spoke with PW about the real-life Pakistani girl who jumpstarted the writing of Amal Bound, the heroism of so many young people that too often goes unrecognized, and how the Florida-born author’s research connected her with her relatives who still live in their ancestral village in Pakistan.
What inspired you to write Amal Unbound?
I had the idea for the character in 2011. I knew I wanted to focus on a village in Pakistan in the Punjab region, where my ancestors are from. I knew I wanted to tell this character’s story, but I wasn’t sure what her story would be. I just knew I wanted to write about her. In 2012, the shooting happened with Malala Yousafzai and it was making headlines everywhere. Like everyone else I was paying attention and reading about what was happening. When people talked about Malala, it was, “Wow, she’s so amazing, this is so unusual, so exceptional.” Yes, Malala is exceptional, no doubt. But I thought of all the other young people who do things that are brave and don’t get their names ever in the headlines. But they still do what they need to do.
It’s important for us to think about the people who perform brave acts who will never see their names in a headline. From that premise, I started writing about Amal. I wanted her to do something brave, something people wouldn’t know about, but that would be equally important [to Malala’s real-life advocacy of education for girls].
Why are some regimes so afraid of females becoming educated?
There are some tribal regions like where Malala is from, where education for females is tamped down and girls are told to not actively pursue an education – but this book is set in the Punjab, which is a very different area than the outer lands [northwest Pakistan near the Afghanistan border]. In this novel, Amal’s family and the other villagers don’t object to education for girls, they just don’t prioritize it. They let her go to school until there were more pressing needs at home that took over. There was too much to do at home. It’s definitely devaluing her education and minimizing it.
What kind of research did you do for Amal Unbound?
The village is a fictionalized version of my family’s ancestral village. Growing up in the United States, writing about Pakistan is a way to connect with my heritage, where I come from. A lot of the research began with my interviewing family members, relatives who have lived [in the same village] their entire lives. As for the topic of indentured servitude, I read a lot of books and articles about it, trying to understand it and how it works.
It was important to me to take this difficult topic and make it accessible to young people without watering down the harshness of it. Unfortunately, most people who enter into indentured servitude do not get a happy ending. Also, I knew this was a middle grade book. So, I wanted to make it as honest as possible, but I also wanted to portray it in a way that was accessible to children. That’s why I wrote an author’s note at the end, to underscore that Amal’s story is unfortunately a best-case-scenario and the reality is much harder than [Amal’s experience]. I wanted readers to understand that. It’s an awful practice that happens everywhere. It happens in the United States.
Your last novel, Written in the Stars, was a YA novel. This is a middle grade story—despite this being a novel about a topic that’s just as unsettling as arranged marriages. Why did you decide to write Amal Unbound for middle graders?
RELATED STORIES:
More in Children's -> Authors
More in Authors -> Interviews
More in articles by Claire Kirch
Want to reprint? Get permissions.
FREE E-NEWSLETTERS
Enter e-mail address
PW Daily Tip Sheet
subscribeMore Newsletters
Initially, I started writing this as a YA novel. As I was writing it, though, I noticed this young voice coming out and I thought to myself, “But I’m writing a YA novel.” I kept trying to push it back into being a YA novel, until eventually, I gave a version of it to my editor [Nancy Paulsen] and she read it and said, “This is a middle grade novel.” I was like, “Yeah, that’s what it is.” You can start out trying to tell a certain story for a certain age group, but then, sometimes, the story tells you what it wants to be. That’s what happened with Amal.
There’s one scene in the library in the home of Jawad Sahib, the wealthy landowner who coerced Amal’s father into sending her to him, where the two converse about a beloved book from his childhood. This is the one scene where the two bond over their shared love of books— and he drops briefly his evil façade.
That was a tough one. I kept trying to find more instances and ways [to make Jawad more likeable], but sometimes, people are so awful that you have to just call it what it is. So, yeah, there was one moment in the library. And it’s ironic, because Amal’s ability to read is what causes Jawad’s downfall.
The book has received a fair amount of pre-pub buzz. Why do you think Amal Unbound resonates with readers?
It’s been amazing to see all the support that Amal Unbound is getting. I began this novel in 2011. I had no way of knowing that by the time publication day would come, a story about a Pakistani girl in the Punjab and her struggles would seem so relevant and would connect so much with people today. But that’s what I am hearing time and again.
I think these teens who are speaking up after the shootings in Parkland are inspiring so many others. All these young people are standing up and saying enough is enough. The timing of a story like Amal Unbound, that’s what’s helping it resonate with people. There’s injustice in the United States too, and kids are taking a stand and trying to lead the way. This book is about resistance and about not giving up. That’s a message that a lot of people are connecting to as well.
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99, May ISBN 978-0-399-54468-2
Aisha Saeed
“As a child I never saw myself in the stories I read so I know how important it is for children to feel seen. I write stories that underscore the common threads of humanity that bind us together and hope to help all students realize just how important their stories are and how much their voice matters.”
Biography
Aisha Saeed is the New York Times-bestselling author of the middle grade novel, Amal Unbound. She writes books for children of all ages from preschool through high school and as such she’s a great choice for school districts seeking one author to meet a wide age range of students. Aisha is also a founding member of the grass-roots, non-profit organization, We Need Diverse Books.
As a child, Aisha loved writing, but her love for writing often got her into trouble. Instead of paying attention in math, she would outline story ideas in her textbook. Throughout middle school and high school, she filled notebook after notebook with stories and ideas.
But then for many years, Aisha began to doubt her voice and whether her stories mattered, so she stopped writing.
She became a teacher, earning a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida. Later, she became a lawyer. But the burning desire to write never disappeared. Aisha often wrote about wanting to write a novel. She often talked about wanting to write a novel. But it wasn’t until a life-changing conversation with a dear friend who told her just to try once and for all and see what happens, that Aisha decided to finally give it a go. We’re all glad she did.
These days, Aisha lives in Atlanta with her family. When she isn’t writing or chasing after her little boys, she loves to foster kittens, read, bake, doodle henna patterns, and dream about sleeping in.
Yes No Maybe So
by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
High School Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 440 pp. g 2/20 978-0-06-293704-9 $18.99 e-book ed. 978-0-06-293705-6 $11.99
In alternating chapters, teens Maya (a Muslim girl) and Jamie (a Jewish boy) narrate a story set amidst a longshot Georgia state senate campaign. Pushed by their politically progressive moms into canvassing together, they continue the work longer than expected--mostly because they believe in the cause (their candidate's opponent supports a bill that would restrict head and facial coverings, and though Maya doesn't wear hijab, her mother does)--but also because they enjoy each other's company. Jamie's cousin, who's the candidate's assistant campaign manager, complicates matters with his eagerness to exploit anything that might make the campaign go viral, including the pair's awkwardly burgeoning romance and the vandalism of Jamie's car with a white-supremacy sticker. Albertalli and Saeed work the above concerns naturally into a mostly light rom-com, along with elements of both characters' religions: Jamie's family is in prep mode for his sister's bat mitzvah, while Maya fasts for Ramadan for much of the book and struggles with her parents' reservations about her dating, either outside the faith or at all until she's older. Though the ending is hopeful, the novel leaves much unresolved, allowing its characters and their emotions to stay complicated. SHOSHANA FLAX
g indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Flax, Shoshana. "Yes No Maybe So." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. ZIP, Jan.-Feb. 2020, p. 85. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616788629/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b7182366. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Yes No Maybe So. By Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed. Feb. 2020.448p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (9780062937049). Gr. 9-12.
For Jamie Goldberg, campaigning for Jordan Rossum is a way to make a difference before he can vote. Canvassing, though, freaks him out; speaking in front of people (or to them) isn't his strong suit. For Maya Rehman, Rossum isn't impressive--just another white guy running for office, and not even an experienced one. Her summer is already terrible: her parents have split, and her best friend has been totally unavailable. When her mom basically forces her to canvass with Jamie for the summer, Maya is less than thrilled. She and Jamie don't exactly get off on the right foot either; he's painfully awkward and keeps forgetting she's fasting for Ramadan, while she's dismissive of his commitment. But as they slowly find their footing, they both start to feel like they're part of something bigger. With a fervor born from the 2016 presidential election, Albertalli (Leah on the Offbeat, 2018) and Saeed (Written in the Stars, 2015) seamlessly join forces to craft a genuine, immediate tale about two teenagers facing some of the harsher truths of the world for the first time and finding something to believe in anyway. Buoyed by humor, enriched by a colorful supporting cast, and strung through with a charming (and charmingly awkward) romantic subplot, Jamie and Maya's story, their miscommunications, and their true connection will win hearts and inspire action. --Maggie Reagan
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Albertalli and Saeed are both best-sellers, their collab comes with a hefty promotional campaign, and this timely love-and-politics offering could draw a crowd on premise alone.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Reagan, Maggie. "Yes No Maybe So." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 7, 1 Dec. 2019, p. 56. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609538868/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c9f21c03. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Yes No Maybe So. By Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed. Feb. 2020.448p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (9780062937049). Gr. 9-12.
For Jamie Goldberg, campaigning for Jordan Rossum is a way to make a difference before he can vote. Canvassing, though, freaks him out; speaking in front of people (or to them) isn't his strong suit. For Maya Rehman, Rossum isn't impressive--just another white guy running for office, and not even an experienced one. Her summer is already terrible: her parents have split, and her best friend has been totally unavailable. When her mom basically forces her to canvass with Jamie for the summer, Maya is less than thrilled. She and Jamie don't exactly get off on the right foot either; he's painfully awkward and keeps forgetting she's fasting for Ramadan, while she's dismissive of his commitment. But as they slowly find their footing, they both start to feel like they're part of something bigger. With a fervor born from the 2016 presidential election, Albertalli (Leah on the Offbeat, 2018) and Saeed (Written in the Stars, 2015) seamlessly join forces to craft a genuine, immediate tale about two teenagers facing some of the harsher truths of the world for the first time and finding something to believe in anyway. Buoyed by humor, enriched by a colorful supporting cast, and strung through with a charming (and charmingly awkward) romantic subplot, Jamie and Maya's story, their miscommunications, and their true connection will win hearts and inspire action. --Maggie Reagan
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Albertalli and Saeed are both best-sellers, their collab comes with a hefty promotional campaign, and this timely love-and-politics offering could draw a crowd on premise alone.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Reagan, Maggie. "Yes No Maybe So." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 7, 1 Dec. 2019, p. 56. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609538868/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c9f21c03. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Saeed, Aisha ALADDIN Disney Press (Children's Fiction) $16.99 4, 2 ISBN: 978-1-368-03170-7
Follow Princess Jasmine and Aladdin--in disguise as Prince Ali--on a new adventure into a magical world beyond Agrabah.
After exploring Agrabah, Jasmine wants to see the prince's kingdom. Genie obligingly creates "Ababwa" to order, asking Aladdin to describe "the perfect kingdom." Aladdin's description is as enchanting as it is meaningful to him. He thinks of a courtyard, because "my mother loved the courtyards of Agrabah," and "It should also have a pretty fantastic menagerie," since he wants Jasmine to see "animals and birds she's never seen before." But once they're in Ababwa, Jasmine and Ali's return to Agrabah is threatened when the carpet is stolen by an embittered man named Abbas. Writing in alternating chapters from Aladdin's and Jasmine's points of view, Saeed also includes legends within the main story, some shedding light on Abbas' backstory. Although this veers from the story of Disney's Aladdin, many familiar elements are present. Saeed's Jasmine is a strong, smart woman with a love for maps, and she aspires to do well by her people, because "[they] are what make Agrabah beautiful. And they deserve a leader who knows that." Aladdin wants more from the world too, and the adventure causes him to question his lies to Jasmine. Saeed powerfully captures both their emotions and the setting.
For Aladdin fans who would enjoy a different journey. (Fantasy. 11-14)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Saeed, Aisha: ALADDIN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A580520889/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=98919f47. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Saeed, Aisha BILAL COOKS DAAL Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster (Children's Fiction) $17.99 6, 4 ISBN: 978-1-5344-1810-3
Novelist Saeed makes her picture-book debut with this delicious tale about a boy and his beloved daal.
When Bilal's father begins to make the South Asian legume stew, Bilal and his friends Morgan and Elias are eager to help, but Abu tells them, "This dish takes patience....This dish takes time." The children choose to make chana daal (with split chickpeas) and line up the spices: turmeric, chili, cumin. But when Morgan and Elias wonder aloud why the daal "looks" and "smells" funny, Bilal becomes concerned that his friends won't like his favorite food at all. The daal simmers all day--as Bilal, Morgan, and Elias play hopscotch, swim, and hike and other friends join them--and once the sun begins to set, Bilal's father calls them all home. They break naan around the table and share the steamy, soupy, garlicky, salty, sweet, creamy daal. "Bilal, you were right--daal tastes great!" they say. The tale centers on a situation familiar to many children of immigrants--the othering of the foods of their homes--and validates young readers' cultural experiences. Saeed's inclusion of a South Asian father engaged in domestic work is radical and welcome, and Syed's inviting, bold, cartoonlike illustrations depict brown-skinned Bilal surrounded by children of a variety of skin tones (Morgan presents white and Elias presents black).
A quietly radical, eminently delightful book. (author's note, recipe) (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Saeed, Aisha: BILAL COOKS DAAL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A575952174/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=676cca4e. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Bilal Cooks Daal.
By Aisha Saeed. Illus. by Anoosha Syed.
June 2019.40p. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (9781534418103). Gr. 1-3.
When Abu calls his son in to cook dinner, Bilal's friends are curious about why dinner needs to be prepared so early. Daal takes a long time to cook, so Bilal invites his friends to help him choose lentils and spices from the pantry and mix them together in a large pot. Afterward, Bilal catches whispers that the daal "smells funny" and worries that his friends won't like it. There's no knowing until evening. When the daal finally finishes simmering, the kids gather around the table, where sounds of slurp! and mmm! allay Bilal's concerns. This story is refreshingly innovative in numerous ways. First, with a father and son in charge of cooking and no mother in sight, gender roles are shifted. Second, it tackles the matter of "different" food with joy rather than angst. And third, Urdu words are seamlessly integrated without cushioning for the linguistic outsider. Cheerful illustrations capture the children's reactions and depict a happily multicultural cast. An authors note and chana daal recipe conclude this lovely picture-book debut.--Amina Chaudhri
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Chaudhri, Amina. "Bilal Cooks Daal." Booklist, vol. 115, no. 14, 15 Mar. 2019, p. 72. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A580343937/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2af0cc50. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
ALBERTALLI, Becky & Aisha Saeed. Yes No Maybe So. 448p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Feb. 2020. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780062937049. POP
Gr 7 Up--Even though they're not old enough to vote in the upcoming state special election, 17-year-olds Jamie and Maya find themselves roped into canvassing for a progressive candidate in an effort to flip a historically conservative voting district. Jamie sees himself both as a passionate activist and a completely hopeless, clumsy mess. When lie's asked to deliver the toast at his sister's bat mitzvah and go door-to-door to talk to likely voters, lie's convinced he'll do or say something that will make him a laughingstock. Maya is having a terrible summer--her best friend is moving to college and her parents announced their trial separation at the beginning of Ramadan. When the local political candidate holds a campaign event at her mosque, her mother encourages her to volunteer as a way of filling her time. Although they'd been close as children, Jamie and Maya's relationship has been dormant for several years, but begins to bloom slowly into something beautiful, multilayered, and complex. While this scenario hardly sounds like the setup for a compelling novel, Albertalli and Saeed unfold a story told in alternating chapters that weaves together timely, relevant, and engaging themes. VERDICT With topical references to state and national issues--including hijab bans, bathroom bills, and the subtle politics of merne culture--this is a warm, beautiful story about relationships' beginnings, endings, and transitions; what it means to fight the good fight; and the transformative power of local activism. A solid addition to any contemporary YA collection.--Erin Downey, Boise School District, ID
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Downey, Erin. "ALBERTALLI, Becky & Aisha Saeed. Yes No Maybe So." School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 11, Dec. 2019, p. 86. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A607579798/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e027605e. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Saeed, Aisha. Amal Unbound. Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Random House, May 2018. 240p. $17.99. 978-0-399-54468-2.
Twelve-year-old Amal dreams of following in Miss Sadias footsteps and becoming a teacher. In Pakistan as the dutiful eldest daughter of an orange farmer, however, this path is not so simple. Amal is forced to leave school to run the household when her mother falls into a deep depression following the birth of her fifth daughter. As if Amal's life is not difficult enough, a brash run-in with the town landlord, Jawad Sahib, lands Amai in an unspeakable situation: to pay off supposed debts to the cruel and vindictive Sahib, she must become a servant in his compound far away from her own family. Will she ever feel like she belongs in this mansion among servants who form their own families? Will this dampen Amal's spirit and motivation for a brighter future?
Saeed was inspired to create Amal's journey by the story of Maiala Yousafzai. This simple yet lyrical novel paints an evocative picture of life in a small village in modern-day Pakistan, especially the limits placed on girls and women. Because the story focuses mainly on Amal's introspection, this quick read may engage reluctant readers. It may serve as a read-alike or a gateway to stories such as Yousafzai's autobiography, I Am Malala (Little, Brown, 2013); The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Scholastic, 2017/VOYA June 2017); and Saeed's debut novel, Written in the Stars (Penguin Random House, 2015/ VOYA December 2014). This title should be added to collections serving large middle-school populations. It is an additional purchase for others.--Aileen Valdes.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Valdes, Aileen. "Saeed, Aisha. Amal Unbound." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 41, no. 1, Apr. 2018, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A536746178/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a3035163. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Amal Unbound
Aisha Saeed. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-399-54468-2
Saeed (Written in the Stars) infuses this true-to-life story of unjust power dynamics in a poor Pakistani village with a palpable sense of dread regarding the fate of the inquisitive, industrious, poetry-loving titular character. Twelve-year-old Amal is troubled by her parents' obvious distress that her newborn sibling is yet another girl, and she is vexed that her responsibilities as eldest daughter require her to run the household while her mother is bedridden. Amal unleashes her frustration on the wrong person when she talks back to Jawad Sahib, the wealthy landowner, who demands she work off her debt for the insult. Amal's experience navigating an unfamiliar social hierarchy in the landlord's lavish estate exposes her to pervasive gender inequities and unfair labor practices, like being charged for room and board but receiving no pay. While her growing indebtedness makes it unlikely she will ever leave, Amal's ability to read grants her a dangerous opportunity to expose the landlord's extensive corruption, if she dares. Saeed's eloquent, suspenseful, eye-opening tale offers a window into the contemporary practice of indentured servitude and makes a compelling case for the power of girls' education to transform systemic injustice. Ages 10--up.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Amal Unbound." Publishers Weekly, vol. 265, no. 49, 27 Nov. 2018, p. 41+. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A564607243/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=76ca9112. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
Amal Unbound
by Aisha Saeed
Intermediate, Middle School Paulsen/Penguin 234 pp. g
5/18 978-0-399-54468-2 $17.99
This heart-wrenching yet hopeful contemporary novel about class, gender, and literacy features a narrator who takes great risks in the name of justice and self-determination. Amal lives with her family in a small village in Pakistan. She dreams of becoming a teacher, but as the eldest daughter her education takes a backseat to familial responsibilities after her mother gives birth to another girl. (Following an argument with her father, Amal wonders, "If I were a son, would he so casually tell me to forget my dreams?") When Amal is grazed by a car at the market and the stranger who emerges from it is rude to her, she stands up to him, with dire consequences. The man is Jawad Sahib, the son of the town's villainous landlord. Enraged at Amahs disrespect, he demands that Amahs father pay back his debts, forcing Amal into indentured servitude. As Amal bonds with the other servants and tries to adjust to her new life, she learns more about the Sahib family's history and gains knowledge that will implicate them in a crime. When she has an opportunity to expose the truth, she takes it. Short chapters and unadorned prose make the story accessible and direct, with Amal's emotions, perspective, and strength anchoring the narrative. An author's note asserts that Amal represents real women and girls who fight injustice across the globe, often without recognition.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Gall, Elisa. "Amal Unbound." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 94, no. 6, Nov.-Dec. 2018, p. 88. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A560014878/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6dae7e45. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
EW talks YA: Yes No Maybe So is the activism novel teens — and adults — need right now
By Abigail Atkeson February 27, 2020 at 08:30 AM EST
Save
FB
Tweet
More
Yes No Maybe So
BALZER + BRAY
Yes No Maybe So
B+
TYPE
TV Show
GENRE
Young Adult, Fiction
EW is here to provide reviews and recommendations for the biggest new YA titles. Here’s our top pick for February.
In a refreshing change from typical YA fare, the teens and tweens in Yes No Maybe So aren’t fighting vampires, being whisked away by immortal beings, or falling into messy love triangles. Instead, they’re getting involved in their local elections.
New York Times best-selling authors Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda) and Aisha Saeed (Amal Unbound) pull from their personal experiences with local activism and combine their talents to tell the story of Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman, two teenagers set on making a difference in their community.
Aisha Saeed, Becky Albertalli
DANIEL DENS PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY BECKY ABERTALLI
Jamie loves politics and dreams of one day running for office, but his fear of public speaking holds him back. He volunteers to help when a special election for the Georgia State Senate is held, along with the less-than-enthusiastic Maya Rehman. Encouraged by her parents, Maya begrudgingly joins the campaign to fill her free time for the summer. Instead of hanging with her best friend and enjoying a previously planned family trip to Italy, she’s knocking on strangers’ doors to ask for their votes now — and emotionally preparing herself for her first Ramadan since her parents’ separation. As the summer progresses, the election heats up. So does Jamie and Maya’s relationship. The pair begin to realize they may be invested in more than just the campaign.
Yes No Maybe So is a very 2020 coming-of-age story, littered with topical references both to national politics and online culture. (Memes get a lot of play here.) Social media incites many points of conflict, and Albertalli and Saeed demonstrate an understanding of the role it plays in the formation and destruction of young people’s relationships. It’s not just GIF-sharing and text back-and-forths that Albertalli and Saeed nail, though. The authors also tap into the insecurities and anxieties of adolescence, the highs and lows of first love, and how the 2016 presidential election has shaped Generation Z’s social consciousness and aptitude for activism.
Yes No Maybe So doesn’t shy away from exploring its characters’ experiences of anti-Semitism and xenophobia. But Jamie and Maya maintain unshakeable hope that real change begins with them. Pinging back and forth between the two, Albertalli and Saeed weave together narratives of multidimensional characters who, despite their differences, find commonality and friendship in their religious upbringings, complicated family dynamics, and the belief that the personal is political.
The heart of Yes No Maybe So is its humanity. Albertalli and Saeed’s writing shines when focusing on the sparks of Jamie and Maya’s blossoming romance. Highlights also include Jamie’s wonderfully charming and calculating younger sister, Sophie, and the depiction of the sometimes strained, always loving relationships between the book’s adolescents and their parents. Albertalli and Saeed offer a delightful and humorous coming-of-age story with a positive message for teens hoping to change the world. B+