Call Me Adnan

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Reem Faruqi, award-winning author of Unsettled and Golden Girl, has written her third novel in verse about a tween boy, Adnan, training for a big table tennis championship and dreaming of a fun-filled family trip to sunny Florida for the event. But when tragedy strikes, Adnan and his family must cope with a terrible loss and come together as one again. This is a poignant, inspirational story about a Pakistani American family learning to heal after the death of a loved one.

Adnan Zakir loves table tennis. One thing he doesn’t like is losing. He’s colorblind, left-handed, and has a fondness for the aviation alphabet. He's super close with his sister, Aaliyah, who is a great dancer and memorizer of the Quran, and he loves his little toddler brother, Rizwan, who only wants to grow up and play table tennis like his big brother. All Adnan dreams of is to make it to the Ultimate Table Tennis Championship in Florida, but first he must qualify at his local Atlanta playoffs. Adnan’s cousins live in Florida, and if he qualifies for the tournament, he knows he will get to spend the Eid holiday with his cousins. When Adnan qualifies, he can’t wait for the most epic Eid ever! But when the family travels to Florida for the tournament, an unthinkable tragedy strikes, and Adnan swears he'll never play table tennis ever again. Slowly, he and his family must learn to make peace and heal, as Adnan finds a way to move past what happened and find hope once more. Reem has written another poignant, heartfelt, and powerful middle grade novel about a Muslim family that must cope with a terrible loss and come together as one again.

About the Author

Reem Faruqi is the award-winning author of Unsettled, Golden Girl, and Anisa’s International Day. She is also the author of the ALA Notable picture books Lailah’s Lunchbox and Amira’s Picture Day as well as 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. Visit her online at reemfaruqi.com.