The New Girl: The DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? & A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN Conversation

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Permalink Reply by CherylRainfield on August 5, 2010 at 8:48am

I love that you have great YA books available for download, for free. It's a fantastic way to draw more listeners in to YA audio books AND finding new books/authors they might not have known about. I'm looking forward to these books. But, er...where is the download link for this week's?

Permalink Reply by Sync Head on August 5, 2010 at 8:59am

Look again, Cheryl. It should have magically appeared since your post! We take time every Thursday morning for the title turnover so we are down for 15-20 minutes. You just saw behind the SYNC curtain. SO pleased you like the program.

Permalink Reply by Sync Head on August 5, 2010 at 8:57am

Randa Abdel-Fattah on why she wrote DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS?:

"It became apparent to me that the only time Muslim females appeared as heroines in books were as escapees of the Taliban, victims of an honour killing, or subjects of the Saudi royalty! I wrote Does My Head Look Big In This? because I wanted to fill that gap. I wanted to write a book which debunked the common misconceptions about Muslims and which allowed readers to enter the world of the average Muslim teenage girl and see past the headlines and stereotypes- to realise that she was experiencing the same dramas and challenges of adolescence as her non-Muslim peers- and have a giggle in the process!"

Permalink Reply by Kirsten Cappy on August 9, 2010 at 3:42pm

I learned more about modern Muslim family life in this fab ChickLit-ish novel than I have reading any text or news story. I have long looked for YA about Muslims or Middle Eastern cultures written by authors from the community--very rare.

That the book is light-hearted, funny, provocative, AND from this culture--all the better. A great selection from SYNC leading up to Ramadan.

Permalink Reply by Jenn Dowell on August 10, 2010 at 2:41pm

I'm very excited about Randa Abdel-Fattah's new audiobook, coming to the U.S. for the first time in November from Bolinda Audio (to coincide with the new U.S. hardcover from Scholastic), WHERE THE STREETS HAD A NAME:

Thirteen year old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother's ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab's life. The only problem is that Hayaat and her family live behind the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, and they're on the wrong side of check points, curfews, and the travel permit system. Plus, Hayaat's best friend Samy always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on the pair's side as they undertake the journey to Jerusalem from the Palestinian Territories when Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel. But while their journey may only be a few kilometers long, it could take a lifetime to complete. . . .
Humorous and heartfelt, WHERE THE STREETS HAD A NAME deals with the Israel-Palestinian conflict with sensitivity and grace and will open a window on this timely subject.

Sounds great!

Permalink Reply by Susie Sharp on September 24, 2010 at 4:08pm

I'm enjoying Does My Head Look Big In This it is a unique coming of age story. I do like the reasons the author wrote this book and completely agree that there isn't much out there about teenage muslim girls that Aren't abused in one form or another.

My favorite conversation between Amal & her mother was when her mother was asking about a boy who invited her to a party and Amal says gees Mom it’s not like he’s Eminem and her mother said what does chocolate have to do with it. I was glad I wasn't drinking coffee because that line cracked me up!