Wishing Upon the Same Stars
Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman is a middle grade debut novel published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2022. This 368-page book follows Yasmeen Khoury, an Arab American girl who relocates to San Antonio with her family. As she navigates the challenges of fitting in at her new school, Yasmeen grapples with feelings of isolation and the complexities of friendship in a diverse environment.
Readers will find Yasmeen’s journey as she develops a bond with her neighbor, Ayelet Cohen, a first-generation Israeli American. Together, they confront the realities of their cultural backgrounds and the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on their lives. This narrative explores themes of family, identity, and the meaning of home, offering insights into the experiences of girls and women from different backgrounds. Wishing Upon the Same Stars presents a thoughtful exploration of connection and understanding amidst cultural differences.
Official synopsis Publisher
This powerful and poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut novel follows an Arab American girl named Yasmeen as she moves to San Antonio with her family and navigates finding friendship–and herself. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home, Front Desk, and American as Paneer Pie.
When twelve-year-old Yasmeen Khoury moves with her family to San Antonio, all she wants to do is fit in. But her classmates in Texas are nothing like her friends in the predominantly Arab neighborhood back in Detroit where she grew up. Almost immediately, Yasmeen feels like the odd girl out, and as she faces middle school mean girls and tries to make new friends, she feels more alone than ever before.
Then Yasmeen meets her neighbor, Ayelet Cohen, a first-generation Israeli American. As the two girls grow closer, Yasmeen is grateful to know someone who understands what it feels like when your parents’ idea of home is half a world away.
But when Yasmeen’s grandmother moves in after her home in Jerusalem is destroyed, Yasmeen and Ayelet must grapple with how much closer the events of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are than they’d realized. As Yasmeen begins to develop her own understandings of home, heritage, and most importantly, herself, can the two girls learn there’s more that brings them together than might tear them apart . . . and that peace begins with them
A 2023 BANK STREET BOOKS BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR!
A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION!
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