More Book Club Selections
Book Picks by
Jenny McWha
- The Mo(u)rning Letters - Chapter 9
- WAKE, by Lisa McMann
- Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins
- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
- Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
- 4 Book Series by Megan Whalen Turner
- Darklight by Lesley Livingston
- Moving On Up - How to navigate the Bookstore
- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
- Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
- The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
- Blubber, by Judy Blume
- Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
- What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell
- Before Green Gables
- The Classics
- Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
- Cathy's Book, by Jordan Weisman and Sean Stewart
- Does my head look big in this? by Randa Abdel Fattah
- Ophelia, by Lisa Klein
- Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
Does my head look big in this? by Randa Abdel Fattah
BOOKS, October 2007, by Jenny McWha
Does My Head
Look Big In This?
by Randa Abdel Fattah
“Does my butt look big in this?” A phrase that nearly every teenage girl has uttered at least one time in her life. Yet in Randa Abdel-Fattah’s first novel, this expression is cleverly changed to: “Does My Head Look Big in This?” Why? Because the main character, Amal, has just decided to don the ‘hijab’ — the Muslim head scarf — full time. The novel follows the ups and downs of Amal’s struggle with being Muslim in Australia, as well as the regular old roller coaster struggles that come with being a teenager. Like any girl, she has to deal with crushes, friend troubles, and the school bully; not to mention making sure her hijab matches her outfit!
THE GOOD: The best part of this book, in my opinion, would have to be the little bits of wisdom scattered throughout. Like many slightly uninformed people, I was unaware of the true meaning behind the hijab. Many times I had thought that the girls I saw “covering up” were made to by their parents, their religion, and the culture that they had been separated from. I was shocked, though, when this book taught me that Muslim girls actually choose to wear their veil/head scarf, in order to feel closer to God. It also surprised me that this little piece of fabric can be empowering, not oppressing, to a girl. Besides this, the book taught me how difficult it can be to be Muslim in our society, especially after September 11 (the book takes place one year after the event). Amal goes through everything that a normal girl has to go through, but tenfold. She has to put up with prejudice, has to keep strong in the face of whispering and comments, and even has to bare telling her crush that she cannot get physical with anyone until she gets married. This book took a look at very real issues facing both Muslim girls and girls of any other culture, while still doing a good job of keeping it all light and funny.
DOWNSIDE: I really enjoyed this book but found the writing to be a little weak and awkward at points, which I assume is only to be expected from a new writer’s first novel. I also found that the ‘villain’, a prejudiced and overall mean girl at Amal’s school, seemed a little fake. She seemed almost too mean and ignorant. I have never met someone in real life who acted like she did in the novel.
GENRE: This book would probably be considered contemporary fiction.
AGE: I believe that any girl from age 11 and up would love this book, and I think everyone should most definitely read it!
RATING: I give it 2 thumbs up or 4 out of 5 stars.
OTHER BOOKS: Only one other I know of from Randa Abdel Fattah, who is a human rights lawyer, it’s called Ten Things I Hate About Me. I haven’t read it but I hear if you liked Does My Head Look Big In This, you’ll like Ten Things. And from other authors; far as I know, this is the first book of it’s kind, and I definitely think that more books like it should be written. So, get writing girls!
~ Jenny
