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Thursday, April 14, 2016

#16 - Does My Head Look Big In This? - Randa Abdel-Fattah



#16        
Title:  Does My Head Look Big in This?
Author:   Randa Abdel-Fattah
Read by:  Rebecca Macauley
Genre:  Fiction
Rating:  B
Published:  2005
Dates:  3/31/16 – 4/11/16
Cds/Hrs:  8/9

Set in present day Melbourne, Australia, Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen year old narrates her high-school experiences from the time she decides to wear her hijab in support of her Muslim faith.  As she says, “It’s hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group.  Try wearing a veil on your head and practicing the bum’s up position at lunchtime and you know you’re in for a tough time at school.
“Luckily my friends support me, although they’ve got a few troubles of their own.  Simone, blonde, gorgeous and overweight – she’s got serious image issues, and Leila’s really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate than her high school certificate!
“And I thought I had problems …”
This story is well done and gets to the heart of the matter of high school peer pressures.  Amal stands by her beliefs with integrity, even when questioned about her faith and her debate skills kick in when she explains why she isn’t into even kissing.  Amal is a young lady to be reckoned with yet admire for her ability to be a role model for others in her class.   As she says "What's faith without action."

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