After a big move, Omar must make new friends, deal with a bully who wants to "send him back to Pakistan," and stay out of trouble so he can enjoy the Eid feast. Sounds rough, right? Nah. It's just an average day for the Accidental Trouble Magnet.

This illustrated novel will work well for Diary of a Wimpy Kid readers, particularly those who are interested in seeing themselves in a book. From a dragon to a zombie, Omar's drawings amuse and delight while you read. You might find yourself laughing so hard you need a tissue.

I had trouble getting this to load on my Kindle. Even with app support. With the Wimpy Kid style illustrations and text a lot was missing or blacked out. Look forward to checking this book out form the public library to see if it's a good fit for my elementary library.

Such a FUN book!

Omar and his family are Muslim and have just moved to a new place. Omar is starting at a new school and super nervous. There are some great things about school, like his new friend Charlie, and a quirky teacher, but there are also some bad things- mostly one, comes by the name of Daniel. Daniel even told Omar that him and his family will be “kicked out of the country.” Will Omar survive middle school ? Read to find out!

My favorite parts of the book were the illustrations (practically one on every page!) and how the book is written like Omar is writing in a diary or journal. His “voice” is perfect and reminds me of when I was in elementary and middle school and wrote in a diary.

I also loved the way Mian described Muslim traditions (and addressed misconceptions) in a simple way for young readers to understand.

I will definitely be book talking and recommending to my students this year!

Omar is a new student to a community where being Muslim is different. He is afraid of not fitting in and being picked on by his teacher or other students. Their place of worship needs financial help. Omar comes up with lots of ideas to help his community. From his mothers cooking, lemonade sales, doing yard work and even doing a school talent show. When the event is over, Omar can't find the money so he creates a list to figure out who took the cash? This is one quick read with lots of humor and silliness to lift your spirits.

Omar's family's mosque is in desperate need of repair and if the repairs don't happen, the mosque will have to close. And so begins Omar's and his friends' humorous attempts to help fundraise, not always going as planned. Mixed text and illustrations will engage even Fans of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or "Timmy Failure" will surely enjoy "Planet Omar."

This short chapter book about Omar and his friends is unique because Omar's Muslim religion is very much presented as part of his day-to-day life. I like that "own voices" perspective. But the story itself was not particularly memorable and seemed to try too hard to be cute. An average beginning chapter book.
Review based on an ARC received from NetGalley.

This was a good story of a non-caucasian family. Living in a predominantly white city, it was a good look at another culture. I enjoyed Omar as a character and he & his friends had many adventures, which I also enjoyed! The writing was good, the illustrations punctuating the text were fun and funny, and I would recommend this book to any middle-grade reader.

This laugh our loud book is a must have for every K-5 and 6-8 library collection! Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid will love Omar and his friends—and the illustrations throughout the story add just the right touch.

A funny, heartwarming juvenile fiction with a young Muslim boy as the protagonist. Although Omar's religion played an important part in the story insofar as he was trying to raise money to help repair his mosque's roof, it was just another aspect of his character. I feel like so many stories with Muslim or other non-white protagonists have conflict at their center. This story was just a realistic fiction story about a boy, his friends and family and religious community. I was unaware of this author until attending an online conference. I'm so glad I discovered Ms. Mian and her work.

Meet Omar! He's a young Muslim boy living in the UK, and has just moved to a new neighborhood and school so his mom could accept her dream job. He's got an imaginary dragon for a friend and pet, he's creative and imaginative, and... he finds himself the target of the school bully. Originally published in abroad in 2018 as The Muslims, Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet is hilarious, sweet, and brilliantly tackles Islamophobia, all from a kid's point of view.


Written from Omar's point of view and illustrated a la Wimpy Kid, Accidental Trouble Magnet introduces us to Omar's family: his parents, his siblings, the bully who becomes enraged at the idea of Muslims, and the sweet little old lady next door who constantly talks to someone one the phone about what "The Muslims" are doing. Omar's parents handle the next door neighbor with grace and aplomb, always extending the hand of friendship. Omar is informative about Muslim traditions - we learn about Eid and Ramadan; his excitement about attempting to take part in the fast (so he can be up in the middle of the night to eat), and about the hijab his mother wears (no, she doesn't shower with it). Zanib Mian convincingly writes with Omar's voice and introduces us to a friendly kid who wants to let you know about him - and wants to let you know that he can't wait for his holiday gifts; he loves sweets, and he loves his culture and wants to share it with you, too. Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet is an upbeat, fun intermediate story that serves as a wonderful introduction to Muslim culture. It encourages empathy, compassion, and understanding. It promotes patience with others who make rash judgements, and encourages all of us to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be.


Have readers who love Saadia Faruqi's Yasmin books and are ready to take on a longer chapter book? Introduce them to Omar! I'd love to see this on Summer Reading Lists this year, nudge nudge.


Accidental Trouble Magnet received the 2018 Little Rebels Award, was nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal, and longlisted for the 2019 UKLA Award. See more about the book on Muslim Children's Books UK.