Every school should have an International Day!

This book is such a sweet chapter book for 2nd-4th graders. Anisa's family is from Pakistan, and she shares some of her culture with her classmates (and us!) while she learns more about being a good friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Anisa’s International day was an adorable book. The story was very sweet and simple. I loved Anisa’s story of uniqueness and kindness. Her personality was so fun to get to know and I loved everything about her. Thank you netgalley for such a fun ARC!!

This book was really cute! I liked that the characters were so clearly children and didn't have to worry about things that were larger than they could deal with, instead they got some normal drama that so many young people have/had when they're around Anisa's and her friends' age.

Anisa’s International Day is a chapter book accompanied by illustrations that are bound to capture the interest of kids and help introduce the multicultural theme for those who might be new to it.
Anisa’s school is having an International Day and all the students are encouraged to share something about where they are from. Excited to share her parents’ Pakistani culture Anisa wants to choose the perfect thing. When she finds that her idea to take samosa, a stuffed and fried pastry dish, is not so ingenious and someone else has already to signed up to bring it, she must find something else to share.
At her aunt’s pre-wedding event, an idea comes to her and as she excitedly shares it with her best friend, Katie, she thinks Katie might not like her idea. Will Anisa lose her best friend before International Day?
This sweet short story is a great read for middle school children. The multicultural theme introduces young readers to cultures different than their own. The story itself is simple and all the characters are unique and likable.

Anisa’s International Day is a delightful, heartwarming, and culturally expressive young middle grade book. Featuring a likable, relatable young protagonist, this illustrated chapter book centers on themes of family, sisterhood, friendship, and the love and pride of Pakistani culture. I recommend this one to younger readers who love books like Just Harriet and Ways to Make Sunshine.

This was a really sweet early chapter book that explores the cultures of classmates. Anisa's voice is kind and she has a interesting problem to overcome when another classmate signs up for the dish that she wanted to share for International Day.

Anisa's International Day was a sweet story about family and friendship. The glossary helps to support readers in understanding vocabulary especially about the cultures within the book. The pictures also aid comprehension. Recommended for grades 2-5

Anisa and her 3rd-grade classmates are excited to celebrate International Day, where they get to share and learn about each other's diverse cultural backgrounds. Most of the action revolves around planning for the party; while the focus is on Anisa, her passion for baking, and her Pakistani roots, I appreciate the descriptions of the other students' contributions. A misunderstanding leads Anisa to assume the worst about her best friend, although this is (as expected) resolved at the end. A breezy, illustrated chapter book about friendship and accountability, for early middle grade readers. The appendix includes a glossary and instructions for activities depicted in the story (including recipes).

I recieved a free eARC of this book, Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Anisa is Pakistani. She loves art, baking with her sister, and mehndi designs. When her teacher announces an international day, she decides to share some of her heritage with her friends.

This is a cute children's chapter book that serves a useful message of inclusion and a valuable addition to a school library. It would also be a great start for a class which is going to have their own international day.

This was such a cute little book and I just really enjoyed it! It's hard to write a whole essay for a little middle grade but I just flew through this. It made me smile and reminisce about my own time in middle school being so excited to share and talk about my culture. I just really appreciate seeing books now that represent us in this way!

I definitely want to share this with my younger siblings because it was done in a way that was cute and not only discussed culture but also had a girl that was strong willed and creative and willing to adapt to changes!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

A very sweet intro to middle grade books perfect for 3rd and 4th graders. I enjoyed how the book introduces readers to a variety of cultures and I can see this being a great read aloud springboard for creating your very own International Day. I think the recipes and activities at the end of the book were a great addition.

UPDATED REVIEW

Full of determination, creativity, culture, misunderstandings, and learning from your mistakes, this story will resonate with readers 6-10 who want to solve problems on their own, stand out and be special, and who must own up to their mistakes when they happen.  In just under a hundred pages of story, the characters are developed and made memorable, the voice realistic, and the story engaging and enjoyable.  I love that there is no cultural or religious identity crisis, no parental fixing of problems, and no preachy moral overtones.  There are many lessons learned, explored, and threaded through the book, but the incredible writing never lets the threads overpower the story.  The emotional attachment to Anisa has you cringing when she messes up, cheering for her to solve a problem, and sighing in relief when amends are made.  The backmatter is quite robust with recipes, a glossary, numerous activities, and notes from the author.  I know the book says it is meant for grades 3rd through 7th, but I think early chapter book readers will enjoy it the most.  There is not a lot of Islam in the book, but enough that Muslim readers will appreciate the representation and OWN voice authenticity.

SYNOPSIS:

Anisa is an artist, a baker, and pushes herself to be ingenious in all she does.  With her aunt's wedding coming up, her and her sister and their A-Z Bakery are tasked with making cookies for a party, and her Nani is Pakistan has even sent clothes for her to wear.  Included in the package is a beautiful kurta that Anisa decides to wear to school.  Inspired by her pride in her culture the teacher, Miss Torres, decides the class will have an international day.  Anisa can't wait to bring samosas, but Prerna from India commits to bringing them first and ingenious Anisa can't copy her.  To make matters worse, Anisa's best friend Katie doesn't seem to like the mehndi Anisa got put on at the dholki.  Misunderstandings, assumptions, and hurt feelings get amplified when Anisa takes action, and when everything gets put out in the open, she will have to find a way to make things right.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that the drama is not over sensationalized, it is on par for 3rd grade and the solutions are as well. The teacher and Anisa's parents are supportive and present, but they don't solve the problems or force reflection, the children in the story do.  I love the subtle backstory of Anisa and Prerna seeming to be in competition, but finding support in one another as the story moves through.  I also love that no one puts pressure on Anisa to be the most creative or the best at anything, it genuinely feels like her personality and a standard she expects for herself.  I was glad that there was no cultural (or religious) self doubting.  The problems with a friend is communication, approval, and misunderstanding.  The mehndi is the catalyst, but it is not meant or perceived to be a symbol of a whole culture and identity.  It is just mehndi. Of course I also love that the apologizing is not just saying sorry, but rather making things right.

There is mention of the aunt wearing hijab and taking it off because Anisa's dad is not home, that is tucked in and appreciated.  There are black and white illustrations sprinkled throughout that show women in hijab (#muslimsintheillustrations) as well.

FLAGS:

There is mention of music, not sure if it is just drums, or other instruments as well. Makeup is also worn by the adult women and mentioned a few times.  Anisa is mean, but she does apologize.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I can't wait to shelve this book in the school library and encourage teachers to have it available in their classroom libraries as well.  I think fans of the Yasmin series (Saadia Faruqi) will move on to this book, and also enjoy the upcoming Marya Khan series also by Saadia Faruqi.


I had some concerns about the age recommendation, the timeline, the nani missing her daughter's wedding, and who was talking at one point. I reached out to the author directly and she has submitted some possible clarifications to the copy editors and design team, so I am waiting to her back from her regarding what was able to be tweaked before I submit a review and post it on good reads and b&n. I'm writing this little note quite simple because I don't want my percentage to drop, so I hope to come back and update this review once she lets me know if the concerns were able to be fixed, and if they were fixed in the same manner she discussed them with, with me.
I hope that is ok, thank you for the arc
peace
kirin nabi
aka islamic school librarian
ps the author was incredibly gracious and willing to listen to my concerns. I was shocked that she not only took my thoughts well, but that she "fixed" some of the lines, shared the "corrections" with me, and was willing to again get my feedback.

4 stars

As an incoming Faruqi fan, I was excited to read the latest from this author, who consistently pens engaging characters dedicated to friendship, family, and growth. Anisa, the m.c. of this most recent middle grade charmer, nicely complements Faruqi's growing list of memorable young folks.

Anisa's identities as a friend, sister, daughter of Pakistani immigrants, baker, and middle schooler all come into play throughout this fast-paced and brief work. With some unexpected intervention from her grandmother, Anisa sparks an *ingenious* idea in her classroom: an upcoming International Day celebration! This impending event gets Anisa thinking about different opportunities for sharing her culture, but it also becomes the basis for some changes to her friendships.

I'm consistently astounded by how much Faruqi accomplishes in such tiny packages, and while I really appreciated the cultural infusions here, it's Anisa's growth as a friend and sister that I most enjoyed in this piece. She's flawed, making realistic mistakes, but she's also a stellar guide for readers of all ages who can always improve their handling of these kinds of blips. My only wish is that I had gotten to see more of the ancillary characters, their personalities, and their growth throughout, but who knows? Maybe (hopefully) this is just the first of many of Anisa's adventures. I'll keep my fingers crossed for that.

Faruqi remains a favorite, and I look forward to recommending this speedy middle grade read to students and friends' children alike.

Are you in third grade and/or did you really enjoy AMERICAN EID? Then this book is for you! A fantastic little story starring Anisa and what she wants to do for her class's international day. She's a great younger middle-grade hero, and while there is a MISCOMMUNICATION in the book, it gets resolved in a realistic and happy way. This book has it all: heart, humor, and charm. Also, what a cute cover! Five stars; a great addition to any children's library.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Reem Faruqi, and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Anisa is a third grader who is proud of her heritage and family , so when her teacher suggests an international day at school Anisa is so excited to make samosas which is a traditional dish of Pakistan. When another student announces that she us going to make samosas, Anisa is crushed. When Anisa goes to her aunt's dholki party she finds an idea that's even better, mehndi! But when Anisa comes to school with her mehndi and her friend reacts she is crushed! Will Anisa be able to repair her friendship while also staying true to her heritage.

What I liked about the book so much was how proud Anisa was of her heritage and how proud she was to share it with others and her friends. I LOVED this book and will definitely be purchasing a copy for my classroom. I teach at a school with loads of diversity, and I think this book would be the perfect addition for my 2nd grade classroom.
I will also be recommending it to the other teachers at my school.

This short, quick read, goes over Anisa and how she gets a new dress from her grandmother in Pakistan and wants to wear it to school. This gives her teacher the idea to have international day.

The running gag through out, is that Anisa's best friend keeps telling jokes every morning, silly ones, like how do you know the ocean is friendly? Because of the waves. Those sorts of jokes. And one day Anisa doesn't hear the joke, but sees her best friend with her palms up, and thinks she is making fun of the henna, mehndi, she has on her hands from her aunt's dholki party.

The simple misunderstanding gets cleaned up, eventually, and this is the heart of the story, how Anisa makes amends.

A great way to tell a story on acceptance, as well as not jumping to conclusions, and making amends when you do.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

This is a fantastic chapter book with an engaging main character. Young readers will relate to the universal struggles of finding your place and fitting in while celebrating what makes you unique. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for this ultra cute chapter book! Baking, friendship, and cultural appreciation are all themes that can be discussed. The illustrations and glossary at the end are a nice touch. I will definitely order a few copies for our school and classroom libraries.

Anisa’s International Day is a sweet chapter book! Anisa is preparing for her aunt’s wedding and also coming up with an ingenious idea for her class’s upcoming International Day. Typically, I don’t read books intended for early chapter book readers, but I could see them enjoying this book! The cast of characters is dynamic and diverse. The story of friendship is universal, and the difficulties of navigating cultural differences felt very real. Anisa’s International Day could definitely be used in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom.