Does My Head Look Big in This?

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. 2007. Does My Head Look Big in This? Scholastic. New York, NY.

ISBN 13:978-0439919470

The Publisher Recommends this book for grades 7 and up.


Annotation:
The hijab is the traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women when they are in public. Amal, a native Australian-Palestenian teenager living in a suburb of Melbourne, makes a life changing decision when she decides to wear the hijab. Amal's decision sparks controversy within her family and her school as her friends and relatives struggle to understand her decision to make such a public statement of her faith.

Book Talk:
How does an outward statement of your faith affect the way you act in public?

Amal attends McCleans Prep School in Melbourne. She is in the middle of her Junior Year. Four days before her third term at school starts, Amal makes the decision to wear the Hijab.

Wearing a hijab is a risky move. Amal will be proclaiming to the world, everywhere she goes, that she is a devout Muslim. Her actions will be on display to the world, for all to see and judge and hold to a higher standard. What concerns her the most is that, in a post 9-11 world, she is making herself an easy target for anyone who wants to "get even" with a Muslim.

Amal's family desperately attempts to convince her to forgo the hijab at school, Amal insits that she is ready for the challenge.

When she reports back to school for the first day after break, all talk comes to an end when she walks into her classes wearing the veil. People whisper, stare, and make comments behind her back. None of this bothers her, as she fears the reaction of only one person in her school: Adam.

As Amal struggles through this particular faith walk, we begin to see the similarities we all share with a young girl making her way through the tangles of high school. But, as the day of the big debate nears, and a night club in Bali is blown up by Islamic Extremists, Amal struggles with the decision of whether or not she should remove her hijab in public for her own safety and sanity.

How will this very outward statement of faith affect Amal's life?


Author Website:Randa Abdel-Fattah