“Each of us together makes up a team, but we’re still individuals. And even thought we all obviously want to win, it’s about more than the score, right?”

Freshman Aliya has just moved from warm, sunny Florida to much colder Milwaukee, WI. She misses her friends back in Florida but she has her family to help her adjust to her new life. Aliya is attending Peace Academy, an all-Muslim school. The girl’s basketball team is notoriously bad at winning games but Aliya thinks she can change that. The odds are stacked against them as there are hardly any girls trying out for the team and their old coach quits on them. Unsurprisingly, the losses start stacking up and the girls are discouraged as their basketball season looms in front of them. When the new coach names Aliya co-captain, Aliya also has to fight the pressures put on her by her teammates and co-captain. Then the team starts winning games and capturing the attention of local news stations.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. While fictional, I could see the reality of an all Muslim girl’s basketball team being scrutinized for everything. In this country full of white supremacy, I could definitely see the likelihood of a girl’s team being asked about their ties to the Middle East and terrorist groups. Sadly, I feel like these encounters could increase in the near future, which is sickening. I loved seeing Aliya growing more confident both in her basketball skills but also in her leadership and communication skills. It was fun to see Aliya’s family support her and her whole basketball team. I think this is a graphic novel that will resonate with many young sports fans, especially those who are seen to be the underdogs, for whatever reason.

The artwork in this graphic novel is gorgeous and definitely deserves to be savored. I love how the newspaper articles were shown and the action of the basketball games was definitely not diminished in this format. 🏀

**Thank you to Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This was such a good graphic novel!! It depicts the true story of an all-Muslim girl basketball team at a high school in Wisconsin. It was about perseverance, experiencing discrimination, growing as a person, and how to overcome adversity when it's staring you right in the face. It's also about family and how they can support you when you're going through your difficult high school days.

I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone of any age. It's geared towards young adults, but I feel like all ages would be able to enjoy this.

Such an accessible book. All aspects of this novel are relatable (supportive adults, uncomfortable interviews, balancing school and basketball,) that any student would be able to relate to some part of this book. I enjoyed how the basketball season turned out - there were disappointments as well as successes - which also added to the relatability.

I really enjoyed this book. I love that we now have books that are more representative of real life. I think that kids need to read about people that look like (and don't look like) them in order to really get a grasp on how the world works. Reading books like this will really open the eyes of people that think that women wearing religious garb can't play sports - or do anything else. I thought that this was a fantastic read and one I would recommend to anyone.

Great sports story for a wide age range, even though the main characters are in high school. Love how the cultural bits were handled with respect and some details, but nothing overwhelming. Story was more about teamwork and focusing on what you did well, not dwelling on what mistakes you made.

This was a wonderful graphic novel about a girl's basketball team! I think lots of middle school-aged students will love this title and we will definitely be purchasing it for our libraries. Hopefully our students can see themselves in these wonderful characters!

I love the diversity by showing representation of an all-Muslim girls' basketball team. The story gives some insight to the Muslim religion and some passive aggressive racism Muslim people experience. Some may relate to Alina's family moving to another state and leaving their life behind to begin a new one. Some readers can relate to being new to a school and trying to find new friends. The girls' coach spread an inspirational message that they are "More than the Score" to focus on the positives instead of the mistakes, which is a wonderful lesson for all readers.

The story was engaging, and the drawings were impeccable. I appreciated all of the representation. It was nice to see a sports story told in this way. It makes it easy for anyone to understand and empathize. It was fun getting to watch Aliya grow in confidence. I haven’t read a lot of sports graphic novels, so this was a treat.

This was so relatable and adorable and. inspirational! The art was fantastic and I just. loved reading this right after the olympics time because it really just. fit the vibe! I think this balanced dealing with feeling out of place, finding new friends, and tackling Islamophobia in a really easy to understand way. especially for a graphic novel. Definitely would recommend this to anyone wanting to reading something heartfelt and easy!

I loved this so much. It’s a truly special story about an all Muslim girls basketball team and all they have to overcome. Even better is that it’s based on a true story! I’m so glad stories like this exist, especially in graphic format, because representation matters.

A great story about working together as a team and finding your confidence. It was a great balance of seeing the girls find their way and succeed and the way the media and other team were surprised seeing girls play basketball in hijabs.

We are Big Time was a fascinating read about a Muslim Girl Basketball team who faced discrimination but used the game to show what they were made of. I loved how the girls built friendships and together learnt to cope with everything which was flung at them.


I loved Hena's writing and Safiyah's artwork which were so together it really made the story flow and I ate it all up. Not bad considering I am not keen on sports


We are Big Time receives 4 stars as it is clearly obvious that Hena had done her research which I love and I do hope that they team up again.

WE ARE BIG TIME🏀
We are big fans of Hena Khan and this time she has done something different, unique, and amazing. Still unputdownable like all of her books, and her first graphic novel together with illustrator Safiya Zerrougui.

These are my top 5 reasons to read this new release, in no particular order:

🏀 It is about so much more than basketball, with big time themes of friendship, team-building, family, and sports.

🏀 It is one of the most unique graphic novels I have read and it is based on a true story.

🏀 It is fun and educational, and the illustrations are great, so fluid!

🏀 It is written by Hena Kahn. ‘Nough said.

🏀 It is funny and at the same time deep, and it portrays an all-Muslim team in such a positive, uplifting, inspiring way. These girls and their knowledgeable, wonderful coach, are all “more than the score”!

I highly recommend you pick this up, and/or add it to your classroom library!

Aliya and her family have moved from Florida to Wisconsin to be with her grandparents. It’s never easy to be the new kid in school and she tries to find solace by trying out for the girls’ basketball team. It’s a fresh start for the girls’ team and with their new coach, they seek to prove that just because they are Muslim girls they can still play a good game of ball. As they learn to become teammates and work together, Aliya also struggles to figure out her own identity and find her confidence and voice.

I really loved the realism of this book. This book showcased what life is like for a Muslim teen girl and showed both home and school life. It reminded me very much of the Ms. Marvel show (well, minus the superhero stuff) with all the day to day family life and how being Muslim and wearing a hijab is just a part of everyday life. I also appreciated that the coach was very understanding and also wanted to ask questions but be respectful at the same time.

With the Olympics going on now, it was a great time to read this book. I myself do love sports books so it was very fun going only the journey with the team and seeing them improve along the way. It brought back memories of my own adventures in playing on a basketball team. Even if you’re not a huge sports person, this book still has so much going on in it besides basketball. It's such a great read for teens of all backgrounds and I really do love the representation and diversity displayed. Hena Khan has written another wonderful story and the art in this graphic novel is top notch as well.

I knew I was going to enjoy We Are Big Time but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. There is so much to appreciate about this graphic novel and the wholesome, heartwarming story it tells about finding your place and believing in yourself. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a diverse coming-of-age sports-centred story about the underdogs! These girls will win your heart and the art will have you feeling like you're sitting courtside cheering the Peace team on as they play their best game.

This was a short but impactful read and there was nothing about it that I didn't enjoy. While Khan brought these characters' stories to life through wonderful writing, the illustrator, Saffiya Zerrougui, did an incredible job making these characters *feel* alive through the art. The way movement and expressions were portrayed was so dynamic and added so much to the story!

Aliya is a fantastic main character. She's got some growing to do but her struggles were relatable and I loved her family's dynamic. The good-natured sibling teasing, the hilarious and embarrassing family stories, the showing of love through food, the safety and warmth they gave each other... It was so comforting! Plus, as someone who grew up moving around a lot, making those sudden moves in my teen years was incredibly difficult and I related to Aliya's worries about starting in a new high school. She initially struggles to adapt to her new environment but with the help of Peace Academy's girl's basketball team, she slowly embraces the change and the new challenges it brings. She's passionate about basketball, especially as a young BIPOC Muslim woman and despite having misgivings about what she brings to the team, she never gives up. I loved her drive and determination!

Something that I also really appreciated was how the religion and culture, plus the difficulties the players faced were brought up and discussed. I was worried that this would be a read that focuses on the struggles, racism and discrimination these young women experience playing school sports, and while this was a part of the story, it didn't overshadow the positive. Sadly, what they experience, especially as young Muslim women, is a reality that Muslim people face often but those experiences do not define them and I love the way it's presented here. I also thought that the cultural exchange that happens between the girls and their coach, as well as through the media as the story progresses was beautiful! I had no idea this was based on a true story but that makes it all the more empowering.

Overall, a fantastic read for readers young and old, but it's perfect for the reader group it's targeted for. I would highly recommend it and without a doubt, it's one of my favourite middle-grade graphic novels to date! 😍

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 5 smashing stars!

This was a gorgeous graphic novel and I was delighted to see it was inspired by a real high school team! I loved seeing Aliya's growth from unsure to confident and strong, as well as her acceptance within the team. With the coach as a non-Muslim and the reporters it also allowed them to give some background as well as draw attention to some questions that focus on the stereotypes of Muslim women and girls, rather than the actual basketball. It provides a bit of a learning opportunity, and perhaps encourages readers to take a second look at what questions they may be asking. On the educator side, although this takes place in high school, I'd absolutely be okay handing this off to elementary school readers

A must-read Middle Grade graphic novel! We Are Big TIme by Hena Khan follows the story of 9th grader Aliya who leaves her life in Florida to move with her family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Aliya joins her new school’s basketball team, which has a brand new coach pushing them to turn around their historically terrible record. As Aliya adjusts to her new life and school, she has to work with her team to not only improve their basketball skills, but to learn to work together and trust one another if they’re going to finally have a successful season.

❤️ What I loved: Dynamic illustrations accompany a thoughtful and engaging story about being the “new kid,” finding your place, and beating the odds that I think many young people will relate to. This story has great representation and tackles some very timely issues related to race and gender in sports. It also includes some great examples of cultural exchange between people of different identity groups, with excellent models of how to be curious about religions and cultures and ask questions thoughtfully and respectfully.

*We Are Big Time* is an instant buy for my school’s library, and I know it will be a huge hit among my Middle Grade readers this fall!

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Hena Khan, and Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

1. The art Of course I have to start with the art! This is a graphic novel and it is all about that art~ Well, I can tell you that I really like the art and how it looks! Tons of diversity, great character designs, good colours, and more!
2. Family This book is not just about basketball and finding your way in a new school and a new place, it is also about family! Not just Aliya’s mom, dad, two brothers, but we also see her grandparents. We see how close-knit the family is and how they all just click together. We see them hanging out on the couch watching movies, eat yummy foods, have great family meals, talk about sports, and there is more. I just loved this family! Oh, and I laughed when the dad confessed how, when he was younger, thought that Mecca was way nearer to him than it actually was.
3. Basketball I am normally not a big sports fan, as in I do love at times checking things out for the Olympics, but I do love reading about it in books. And the author definitely made the basketball in this one very engaging. Because you don’t just start with a team that is perfect, you see the girls work HARD. Train HARD. Have some disappointments. Fight and find their strengths. Get better. It was just all very fun to read and you find yourself 100% rooting for the girls. You want them to get better, start kicking some serious ass. Whoop some other teams. Let’s goooo! Plus, their coach was the sweetest and I loved how she tried to find out more about the culture/religion, eat various foods, try out new things. She really was there for the girls in every aspect and that made me smile so much.
Oh, and I loved seeing our MC, Aliya, train hard outside of school. She really wants to get better!
4.Friendship Aliya is all new in the school and she is not really happy about things, but I loved that she found friends so fast, especially when the team gets formed she gains many more friends, but she has a couple of friends who are closer to her and I was just so happy for her. It hasn’t been easy for Aliya, she left her bestie back in Florida, so I love how she made friends so easily and seeing them get closer and closer!
5 Culture/Religion Aliya and her friends/family are Muslim and we see how that is for them in daily life, from wearing a hijab when outside the house to praying (and I loved how the coach tried to accommodate them so they could do prayers) to many more aspects. But also seeing the not so happy parts, the micro-aggressions, the way the reporters acted, how the other teams treated Aliya’s team as if they were bad because they were wearing what they were wearing. And see how the girls react to that, I loved how they also got stronger in their replies.

This graphic novel highlights many themes that young readers may be going through such as moving to a new town, making friends, and balance the demands of school with extracurricular activities. It also highlights prejudice people have about those wearing hijabs. I enjoyed the relationships that Aliya had with her brothers and the friendships she formed. I loved the author's note at the end that talked about how this graphic novel is based on a true story.

One of the things I really wanted to do this year was expand my graphic novel reading, and this was a great one to include for that. Not only does it have a storyline inspired by real life, but it has a cast of characters you want to root for.

Aliya and her family have moved across the country to be closer to her grandparents, and while her parents might be excited about their new work prospects, Aliya and her siblings are less than enthusiastic about all these changes. A new school is always an intimidating prospect, and Peace Academy is a much bigger place than their old Islamic school. However, there is the tempting prospect of the girl’s basketball team that just might motivate Aliya to get excited.

Soon the team are taking on different schools, and before long they start to win. With the interest of the press, though, comes a wave of microaggressions, and hurtful assumptions about a girl’s Muslim team; what do their mothers think? How can they possibly play in their headscarves?! There’s only one real way to contend against the Islamophobia, and that’s to keep winning.

It’s an emotive story about rooting for a team that very much start off as the underdog, and swiftly become a national sensation. Aliya’s experience of anxiety is relatable and real, allowing anyone to connect with her, and her desire to be the best player she can be. Her commitment to the sport and dedication to the team is all-consuming, but in the best way, and you’ll find yourself cheering for her, and all of Peace Academy, whether you’re a sports fan or not.

I’m sharing this while the Olympic fever rushes through the world, and it’s a fantastic, poignant time to consider the barriers that are broken down every time to Olympics rolls around. You can get your hands on your own copy of this graphic novel just next week, and whether you’re a middle grade reader or the parent, carer or teacher of a middle grade reader, this is a great graphic novel to take so many positive things from.