Anisa’s International Day

Reviewed by Paige Pagan

Review Source: Teaching for Change
Book Author: Reem Faruqi

Anisa’s International Day is a middle grade book perfect for upper elementary children looking to make their foray into more ambitious, independent reading. In this narrative, author Reem Faruqi shows readers the importance of having an open mind and checking their own biases.

Anisa’s third grade teacher, Miss Torres, is hosting an International Day at school and it’s the perfect opportunity for Anisa to share her mother’s infamous samosas with her class. But when Prerna says she’ll be bringing in samosas too, Anisa decides to do something different, but just as special — mehndi! She couldn’t wait to show her mehndi design to her best friend, but when she does, she finds Katie laughing. Why would Katie mock her idea? In a moment of anger, Anisa tells Katie that she’s not a good friend. Then Anisa finds out that Katie wasn’t laughing at her design at all — Anisa just made an assumption that she was. As an apology, Anisa thinks up a special design for her best friend.

Faruqi provides a significant moral for child readers in an accessible way and also gives a reminder to adult readers that sometimes our internalization of the ways in which we’re different can become a barrier for making connections and lead to stagnating our own understanding and sensitivity. It’s not a coincidence that Katie is a white-presenting character, the most common population that’s assumed to be rapt with cultural misunderstanding and insensitivity. It’s refreshing to see that’s not the case in this story and witness Anisa take accountability for her actions and make amends.

Paige Pagan is a Social Justice Books Program Specialist at Teaching for Change.

---

Anisa's International Day by Reem Faruqi
Published by HarperCollins on September 20, 2022
Genres: Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Education, Muslim, South America
Pages: 112
Reading Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8
ISBN: 9780063206267
Review Source: Teaching for Change
Also by this author: Amira's Picture Day

Publisher's Synopsis:

From the award-winning author of Unsettled, meet Anisa, the adorable Pakistani American heroine of this irresistible younger middle grade novel about a girl who introduces her class to the art of mehndi for International Day. Filled with fun black-and-white interior art, recipes, and activities in the back matter and perfect for fans of Meet Yasmin!

Anisa is super-excited about International Day and can’t wait to share her mother’s samosas with her class. But when someone else has the exact same idea, Anisa is crushed.

Going to her aunt's dholki party gives her an idea for the perfect activity instead — mehndi! There’s only one problem: Anisa’s best friend doesn’t seem to like the idea. She doesn’t even seem to like Anisa anymore.

Will Anisa ever get to enjoy International Day?