Golden Girl

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

From the award winning author of Unsettled, comes her second magical middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah, a Pakistani American girl. This book is about her coming-of-age trials as her habit of “borrowing” glittery things overshadows otherwise good intentions, ultimately betraying her best friend and thwarting her plan to help her family in the process. This heartfelt, soul-searching story is perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Clean Getaway.

Award-winning author Reem Faruqi delivers a powerful and relatable story that will leave readers with laughter, hope, and lessons learned. This middle grade novel in verse tackles difficult topics in a poignant way, and is infused with humor and family dynamics.Seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar loves playing tennis, reading weird-but-true facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her—she’s drawn to pretty things and can’t help but occasionally “borrow” them.But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn’t committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her weird-but-true facts and devises the perfect plan.But what if her plan means giving in to her bad habit, the one she’s been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family, but finds that maybe her plan isn’t so perfect after all. . . .

About the Author

Reem Faruqi is the award-winning author of Unsettled and Lailah’s Lunchbox, an ALA Notable Book, as well as Amira’s Picture Day and Let Me Show You the Way. Of Pakistani descent, Reem immigrated to Peachtree City, Georgia, in the United States from the United Arab Emirates when she was thirteen years old. Reem is also a teacher and photographer who loves to doodle. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three daughters. Like Aafiyah, Reem loves tennis, photography during golden hour, and her father, Abba. Visit her online at www.reemfaruqi.com.