With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks putting his family on edge, Yusuf Azeem, who wants to participate in the regional robotics competition, must stand up to the bullies with understanding, justice and love. 35,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

"Yusuf is excited to start middle school in his small Texas town, but with the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks coming up, suddenly it feels like the country's same anger and grief is all focused on his Muslim community"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

At a time when we are all asking questions about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the author of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who love Hena Khan and Varian Johnson—or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S. history and how it still affects us today.  

Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey, Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in the regional robotics competition, which he just knows he can win.

Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought. Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge.

With “Never Forget” banners everywhere and a hostile group of townspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s anger from two decades ago hasn’t gone away. Can he hold onto his joy—and his friendships—in the face of heartache and prejudice?

Booklist Reviews

Yusuf Azeem is excited to be starting his first year at Frey Middle School and to be joining the Robotics club with his best friend, Danial. His small town of Frey has always been home to his family and the larger Muslim community that he is part of. However, with the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, tensions begin to rise in Frey with the influence of a hate group, the Patriot Sons, whose goal is to rid Frey of any "outsiders." With the help of his friends and other community members, Yusuf attempts to reclaim his home and his town. Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero will surely help spark many conversations about Islamophobia and xenophobia, as well as how much things have changed (or not) in the past 20 years. Faruqi's emotional story will resonate with older readers who lived through the events many years ago, and younger readers will gain insight on the lasting effects that the 9/11 attacks had on Americans and why they are an important part of history. Grades 3-7. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Twelve-year-old Yusuf Azeem is excited to start sixth grade until he finds hostile and racist notes in his locker. Pakistani American Yusuf lives in the small town of Frey, Texas, with his father, who owns the A to Z Dollar Store; his mom, a freelance journalist and editor; and his younger sister. Yusuf has a feeling that 2021 will be a great year; he's especially looking forward to participating in a robotics competition. Then he runs into bully Ethan Grant, a White boy whose father belongs to a nationalist group opposing the construction of a local mosque. With the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Yusuf's social studies teacher has made it the subject of an assignment. Uncle Rahman gives Yusuf his journal from 2001—when he was 12—and through it Yusuf learns about how his uncle and other American Muslims were affected by Islamophobia and why 9/11 still matters today. Yusuf endures a life-changing incident when Ethan makes an accusation that publicly terrifies and humiliates him. Faruqi seamlessly interweaves Uncle Rahman's journal entries into the story and realistically portrays the relationships and dynamics of the town's small Muslim population. Yusuf's character is well developed; surrounded by a loving family and tightknit community, he slowly finds his voice and the strength to stand up for what's right even if it is scary. A timely, emotional story full of hope and love even in the face of discrimination and prejudice. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

PW Annex Reviews

Quiet, bespectacled, robot-loving Pakistani American Yusuf Azeem, who is almost 12, is excited to start the sixth grade—until a series of ominous notes appears in his locker. Yusuf's family is one of 11 Muslim families in the small town of Frey, Tex., and the Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism the family has faced have only intensified in the weeks leading up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Ethan Grant is Yusuf's nemesis: he's a vicious bully and the son of a white nationalist who opposes the construction of a town mosque. Yusuf tries to keep his head down, but when Ethan accuses him of carrying a bomb in his backpack—actually a micro:bit "virtual cat"—and Yusuf suffers repercussions, he gathers his friends to take on Ethan and his hateful father. Faruqi (A Thousand Questions) effectively intersperses Yusuf's narrative with his maternal uncle's journal entries from 2001; these epistolary interludes, written when Yusuf's uncle was 12, are particularly powerful, capturing the raw emotions of American Muslims at the time and serving to reinforce the importance of learning unwhitewashed histories in this timely, hopeful middle grade novel. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kari Sutherland, Bradford Literary.(Sept.)