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Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · June 30, 2021

Review | Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year

Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year - Book Review

Summary: Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year

Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year chronicles Ahmed’s experiences in the school year after he and his family move from Hawaii to Minnesota. Ahmed’s dad has hereditary chronic hepatitis (a liver disease) that has led to cirrhosis (permanent liver damage). He has come to Minnesota where a clinical trial may be able to keep him from dying.

There, Ahmed runs into a school bully who happens to live in his neighborhood and is in Ahmed’s class where their zealous English teacher makes them read and discuss three classic middle grade books, including Holes and The Bridge to Terabithia. During the course of the year, Ahmed finds parallels between his life and the stories and learns that sometimes, change isn’t the worst thing.

The Good

This was a really good book with a strong classic feel. The author uses the age-old year-long exploration as we meet Ahmed and his family and go to school with him. I liked getting to know Ahmed and understanding his sometimes cynical sense of humor. He’s understandably frustrated by Minnesota, the cold, the mean kids, and just being the new kid in school. And he hates reading — so just imagine how frustrating a zealous English teacher would be!

Ahmed isn’t dull, he just isn’t a big fan of reading, so I loved watching him — not become a book worm, but — develop a greater appreciation for books and stories. I also think the author did a great job of highlighting parental illness (and a serious one at that) without making things super sad. Readers get a glimpse at Indian culture and Muslim religion through Ahmed’s parents. I loved the narrative arc of Ahmed’s late uncle with who he discovers he shares a bond beyond physical resemblance.

Other things I enjoyed were the way the author resolves Ahmed’s bullying, his relationship with his precocious sister, the friendships he forms (and one with a boy in a wheelchair — good disability rep), and the satisfying resolution of the story overall. I started reading the eARC but finished the audiobook a couple of days after it was released. I would definitely recommend audio over reading it.

Overall: Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year

Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year is a realistic, moving middle grade coming-of-age story about moving to a new city, rediscovering your roots, and coping with parental illness. This book is perfect for fans of funny books with inventive teachers and stories about being the new kid. If you like books with Muslim protagonists, sweet sibling relationships, and stories centered around books and libraries, you’ll enjoy this one.


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Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year

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Posted In: Book Reviews, Middle-Grade · Tagged: books about books, bullying, disability-rep, friendships, moving to a new city, muslim, parental illness, siblings, unforgettable teachers

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If you love layered middle grade books that still If you love layered middle grade books that still manage to be fun and relatable and accessible to tweens, don’t miss this fall release! Sometimes I thought I was reading a book for adults! Especially with the tough issues Bishop explores during the Dad chapters, which are told in 3rd person (unlike the girls who narrate in first person)!

#sportsbooks #middlegradebooks #mglit
✨lifetime favorite✨ I’m not a big re-reader ✨lifetime favorite✨

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I love the way this book deflates stereotypes about the condition and shows just how much effort people with ADHD have to exert to function in a neurotypical world. With an unforgettable voice and strong themes of friendship, family, and crossing over from childhood to teenage years, Focused is a memorable read. 

I would strongly recommend this one for anyone curious about ADHD, chess lovers, and anyone who’s ever squabbled with a best friend.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

#adhd #bookstagram #mglit
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🥽 I loved the illustration style in this one and while I found the VR setting a bit disorienting, I appreciated the unique lens of the story. The graphic novel format works brilliantly for helping readers appreciate the power of VR. I think with text, it would have just been too much “world-building.” This is more engaging and exciting for kids.

🐢 Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction. Readers who enjoy VR will love this one, but as the Author's Note mentions, it will also be a fantastic introduction for those who, like me, aren't familiar with it. A fun summer read with hints of serious themes.

#mglit #middlegrade #bookstagram
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❤️ I loved this book way more than I thought I would (from the synopsis). Ginny has such a great voice and she isn’t always the most likable character but she’s always real. I loved watching her grow throughout the story.

📍This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter.

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#bookstagram #amreading #readersofinstagram
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❤️ This sweet graphic novel for fans of Telgemeier is an ode to middle school, family, and finding your people.

#graphicnovel #middleschoolbooks #kidlit
Do you like to hop on the “buzz train”? I find Do you like to hop on the “buzz train”? I find that buzzy books are often worth the hype. Even the few people who dislike them tend to have STRONG feelings about them 👀 which to me is a sign that the story got to you somehow. Of course, not every book is for every reader — hype or not. I share my tip for finding a hyped book that matches your reading tastes.

Which hyped books did you love? And which ones missed the mark for you?

#reader #bookstagram #unpopularopinions
✨a different kind of sunshine✨ I loved this g ✨a different kind of sunshine✨

I loved this graphic memoir about the author’s time as a counselor at a camp for kids with cancer. It was my first time reading anything by this author and I totally get the appeal.

This one didn’t end up being as sad as I thought it would be but it was very moving, especially because Krosoczka shares newspaper clippings and pictures of one the families with whom he forged a particularly close relationship even until his college years.

If you’re looking for an engaging graphic memoir for older kids ages 11+ this is a great choice.

#graphicnovel #kidlit #yareader
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