Bibliographic Information:
Title: Huda F Cares?
Author: Huda Fahmy
ISBN: 9780593532805
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Copyright Date: 2023
Format/Genre: Paperback; Comics and Graphic novels
Awards and Honors: None
Reading Level/Interest Level: 7th grade and up (Title Detail: Huda F Cares (Huda F), n.d.).
Plot Summary: Huda and three of her sisters (as one sister is staying home) and her mom and dad are taking a roadtrip to Disneyworld! Huda’s mom keeps reminding the sisters that this is a great opportunity for them to bond with each other! But they’re barely able to survive the 24 hour car trip to get there. When they get to Disneyworld, Huda and her sisters can’t help but notice everyone staring at them because of their different attire. At home in Dearborn, Michigan, they don’t get stared at because there is a much higher Muslim population. Will Huda and her sisters find a way to get along and not annoy her parents? Well it starts off okay with Huda making friends with one girl, but the rest of the girls friends make fun of what she and her sisters are wearing. And what about when it’s time for them to pray? Read the book if you want to know how the rest of this works out for Huda and her family.
Author Background: Growing up in Dearborn, Michigan, Huda Fahmy always loved comics. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she taught in middle and high school for eight years until she decided to start writing comics about living in America with her visibly Muslim appearance. She and her family currently reside in Houston, Texas (About - Huda Fahmy, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation: Huda F Cares? is a sequel to her first graphic novel about Huda entitled Huda F Are You? The book deals with some serious topics, like Islamophobia, physical assault when a character tries to remove a hijab from Huda, and unwanted sexual advances. But the graphic novel tells a strong story of sticking together as a family, and even when you don’t always get along, family will always be there for you.
Creative Use for a Library Program: I would introduce the teens to other graphic novels about cultures in America that might also experience racism and prejudice. Graphic novels such as American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Hopefully this would help some of the teens who have never experienced racism or prejudice see the world through some of these other cultures.
Speed-Round Book Talk: Huda is a Muslim teenager with 4 younger sisters. Her mom and dad announce a family trip to Disneyworld, and everyone is excited until they realize they have to sit in the car with each other for 24 hours from Dearborn, Michigan to Florida. Will they survive the roadtrip without killing each other? And if they do, what sort of reception will they find at Disneyland to their formal Muslim attire?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: Not much someone could challenge this graphic novel about, unless they really don’t like Muslim people. The unwanted sexual advances are there when a boy puts his hand on Huda’s hip, and there is some racism with people calling out ISIS-type insults. But for the most part, this is a wholesome book about a Muslim family trying to do normal family things in America. If someone complains just give them a copy of the collection development policy and call it a day.
Reason for Inclusion: I wanted to include some more graphic novels in my collection, and even better if they could be about other cultures, to try to help the teens understand what other people go through even if they do not.
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