I really enjoyed this middle grade novel centered around a Muslim boy who is experiencing Islamophobia at his middle school near the anniversary of 9/11. The history of the event and after effects were beautifully wound into the story of Yusuf and competing in the robotics competition.

There were a couple of things that stood out for me in this book:
1. I really loved the way that the author connected the event of 9/11 to the present using Yusuf's uncle's journal around that time. It helped bring both the facts and emotions of that time into the story better, and as someone who was in middle school during 9/11, I thought it was very well done.

2. The different friendships and the way that they fluctuated was beautiful and artfully done. Oftentimes I find in books that kids are either friends or not, and this novel explored the gray area of that in a really great way. I don't want to give anything away, you'll have to read to find out!

I will definitely be adding this title to our middle school library when it comes out and recommending it to kids. We have a lot of robotics fans/competitors and I think they will really enjoy this book for that and for the message and topics it discusses!

A timely story about 9/11. Yusuf (and his uncle's) story show how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Faruqi does a great job of placing historical events in a modern context.

Yusuf Azeem is a hero in the best possible way. I appreciated his confusion about 9/11 and why that has made life so much harder for our Muslim neighbors. He shows the true sense of community and I'm glad his community comes together to stand with their Muslim friends and against the Patriot Sons.

What a fantastic book. Yusuf is a character we all need in our lives. I love his calm, positive spirit and I love that he always stands up for what he knows is right. We can all learn a lot from him.

Quick and engaging read exploring xenophobia, islamophobia, and the lasting impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In the small town of Frey, Texas, our protagonist Yusuf deals with a school bully, a racist gang named “The Patriot Boys” infiltrating his town, a stressful robotics competition, and flashbacks from his uncle’s journal chronicling the effects of September 11th when he was in middle school.

So glad I was able to read the eARC By NetGalley of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero. I have thoroughly enjoyed other books by this author and this one did not disappoint. I was brought to tears multiple times during this emotional read about an Islamic boy's experiences during the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Sadly, many things have not changed from what his uncle wrote about his personal experiences when 9/11 happened, but this book shows hope for the future when dealing with bullies and standing up for what is right. It comes out the beginning of September and should be on every MG Must read book list!

Very well written novel about the long-lasting legacy of 9/11, Islamophobia, and the rising tide of xenophobic nationalism. Yusuf Azeem is an 11 year old American Muslim living in the small town of Frey, Texas. He is harassed by fellow classmate Ethan Grant, who is in turn the son of a violent white nationalist who has recently moved back to town following the collapse of his marriage. While Ethan is in many ways an equal opportunity bully, he takes particular delight in harassing the small population of Muslim students at his local middle school and targets Yusuf in particular once Yusuf begins to stand up to him. Yusuf's story is accompanied by short journal entries written by his uncle 20 years before during the fall of 2001. An ongoing subplot related to the state robotics championship is inspired by the experiences of Ahmed "Clockboy" Mohamed. Themes covered include tolerance, Islamophobia, xenophobia, assimilation, morality, making choices, and living religious/moral values.

Yusuf is looking forward to his first day of middle school, but then he opens his locker and finds a hateful note and his world shifts. More notes follow, but instead of telling his parents or the administration, Yusuf decides to stop using his locker. What could be causing people to spew such hateful language? It doesn't help that Yusuf is Muslim and the 20th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up. Will his small Texas town accept Yusuf and the other Muslim families, most of whom have lived there for years, or will ignorance and discrimination win out? This is a compelling middle grade story that explores issues of religious and cultural identity, friendship, family and compassion.

Some of the dialogue is a bit heavy handed but this is a great book for middle schoolers. The unflinching look at Islamophobia and bullying is what teens need to read. The journals from the main characters uncle really tie the book together in a meaningful way

First off, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi is a book that will stay with me for a while. It deals with issues such as bullying, friendship, grief, islamophobia, 9/11, and terrorism. It has been 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City's Twin Towers, yet anger and resentment towards Muslims are still rampant in the small town of Frey, Texas where Yusuf and his family reside. Yusuf finds hate notes in his locker, he is ridiculed at school, the mosque his community is building is being challenged by a white supremacists' group called the Patriot Sons, his father's dollar store is vandalized, and more.

Yusuf finds some solace in reading his uncle's journal which centers around his personal experience of 9/11, and his participation in his school's robotics competition team. After a profoundly disturbing incident at school, he feels broken. But with advice from his family and faith, he takes the path that love will win over hate. This book is a great read!

Since the audience this novel is geared towards were not yet alive when 9/11 occurred, this story can serve both as a history lesson for them, and a reflection on the resulting attitudes that have contributed to today's too frequent nationalism, xenophobia, and hate crimes. Yusuf is a young teen, living in a Texas town, interested in robotics and determined to participate in the championships. But because it is also the "anniversary" of 9/11, he soon finds himself and his family on the receiving end of threats, and doesn't fully understand why they become a target of hate. A beloved family member helps Yusuf gain a better understanding by sharing his personal journals from the time of the attacks, and we are all reminded of how far we still have to go. This was an emotional read, and undoubtedly will be even more so for young adult readers, but it is an important read. I received an ARC from NetGalley, to whom I am very grateful.

Many teachers are quickly realizing that the students they have in class weren’t even born when 9/11 occurred and yet their Muslim students are facing ignorance and prejudice birthed 20 years ago. That’s why books like Faruqi’s are essential. This title will be the starting point for meaningful conversations with students. The narrative is fast paced and appeals to the universal issues facing MG-aged readers while still letting Muslim students see themselves on the page. Highly recommended.

It has been 20 years since our country was attacked and sadly prejudices and bullying are alive today against Muslims living in America and really anyone who is different.

Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life growing up in the small town of Frey, Texas. His passion is electronics and the chance to participate in the regional robotics competition, which he just knows he can help his school win. Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought. Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge. The small town has proudly displayed "Never Forget" banners everywhere. But there is a hostile group of townspeople who want the established and respected by most, Muslim families, out and gone. This takes many forms of hate. An organized Protest group called The Patriot Sons, hurtful messages slipped into Yusuf’s locker, the sabotage attempts of the building of a Mosque, an incident where a student hijab is snatched from her head, and the climaxing event involving the backpack. It is unbelievable that anger from two decades ago hasn't gone away. Can Yusuf hold onto his joy-and his friendships-in the face of such heartache and prejudice?

This is an important story and also important to middle school readers a well paced and interesting book. Early on Yusuf gets a true insight into 9/11 when Uncle Rahman realizes the schools in Texas simply touch on the event in the classroom. He gives Yusuf his journal he wrote during the attack and events following. The journal entries are strategically, placed throughout the story written in Italic print.

This book is so well multifaceted as we view the rich home life and customs of Muslum families, the raciest and bullies that are students and sadly the behavior is learned from parents and then there us the exciting STEM component of the robotics competition. The events are all wrapped up in the very real drama of middle school life.
This book will evoke all kinds of emotions for the reader.

This story takes me back to when I was seventeen in my AP Political Science class and another teacher came into the class and told us about the first tower going down. We did not believe her, but then the sirens began instantly. She returned afterwards and told us about the second tower. I remember a classmate who use to always wear her Hijab went without it for those few weeks in the beginning. She was afraid that she would be attacked. Yusuf's story gives us a window in to what the American Muslims were feeling and going through in the difficult time. The journal entries adds another layer to the story showing that though many things have changed a lot of things remain the same and repeat like a cycle. It is a powerful perspective on an event that change the world forever.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this middle grade novel.

As the twentieth anniversary approaches, I've already read a number of upcoming or recently released books addressing the events of 9/11 or the anniversary itself. This is the only one, so far, that has specifically addressed the lasting impact of that day on the Muslim community in America, or perhaps even broader than that, the impact on anyone who looks like they could be a member of the Muslim community. Yusuf is a wonderful protagonist, one that I hope many of my students will sympathize with. His need to stand up for what is right, his refusal to tolerate unacceptable behavior, and his own identity struggles are all things that I think many islamic students will welcome.

I’ve given a lot of thought to the upcoming anniversary of 9/11, including how similar the world seems to the anti-Muslim rhetoric afterwards. Now there is anti-Asian violence and lots of backlash against BLM and those who just want to end the divide in our country. I can see something like this happening, as it does during traffic stops...slanted negatively towards people of color. When I read the afterward, I wasn’t surprised that this story was inspired by the clock boy incident. Both are sad indications of our times. Hopefully it more young people (like my students) read books like this, their knowledge of humankind will help prevent future rushes to judgment and hurtful actions.

Yusuf has prepared his whole life for a robotics competition and is thrilled his school is offering a robotics club. As time passes, Yusuf,who is Muslim, is bullied by a boy whose father is part of the Patriot Sons who want to take their town back. The anniversary of 9/11 is coming and it’s fueled hatred and prejudice. When the community comes together to help build a new mosque, Yusuf discovers we are all together as Americans and that one shouldn’t stay silent but stand up for justice. Through all of this, the robotics team readies for competition, Yusuf makes friends, and realizes how proud of who he is and what he stands for. Excellent book.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I love that this book is from a young boy's perspective who is a Muslim! TW: Islamophobia, bullying, and racism. This book tackled a lot of different subjects beautifully. I highly recommend picking it up if you were a fan of David Yoon's Frankly in Love. However, this is meant for a younger audience or for those who enjoy reading Middle Grade! C.S. Lewis has this really good quote: "But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. " I believe this quote fits pretty well with this Middle-Grade book. It's the kind of book I wish I had growing up and it also talks about getting into STEM which isn't talked about enough in fiction books with Muslim protagonists. I'm super ecstatic to read Saadia's next book!!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. Living in Houston and having participated in robotics competitions as a nerdy high schooler, I was excited to read this book. The themes of bullying, friendship, and courage really shine through. Even 20 years after 9/11, Muslims are still being subjected to Islamaphobia and hate. The messages that love overcomes hate, standing up for others, and loving one's neighbor are great topics of discussion here. Of course, those into STEM and robotics will enjoy the story as well. Middle school boys will also identify with the male protagonist. I appreciate that this novel is clean, and I will be purchasing a few copies for our school in Houston. While I wish something more had been done to the bully in the story, the ending was satisfying enough.

This book was fantastic! I highly recommended it for middle grades. It tells the story of Yusuf a Muslim boy in a small town in Texas who loves science, robotics and just started middle school. He and other Muslim's in the town begin to be harassed by a group of white supremacists who are trying to get them to stop building their Mosque and do not want them in their town. Throughout the story the author addresses the impact of 9/11 on Muslim's today, Islamophobia, racism, bias and the impact of these on a young boy. Yusuf encounters multiple situations where he has to decide if he is going to stand up for what is right or stand back and watch someone be mistreated. Yusuf shows the reader the value of standing up for others and speaking out for injustice. I loved reading at the end how this was inspired by a true story and seeing how the author used the true story that felt rather hopeless to create a new story that inspires hope.