The Partition Project

January 29, 2024
Only the facts matter to 12-year-old aspiring journalist Mahnoor Raheem, so when she partners on a study project for English class with best friend Kim Hoang, Maha finds herself largely uninterested in the fiction books Kim suggests they read. Maha instead focuses on her media studies assignment for which she must create a short documentary with a storytelling hook. Her unlikely subject is Dadi, her gruff Pakistani grandmother, who lives with Maha and her parents following a permanent move to Sugar Land, Tex. Initially resentful of Dadi’s sudden arrival, Maha is soon drawn to her grandmother’s childhood stories, especially as Maha’s busy parents have imparted little of their Pakistani heritage. Through Dadi, Maha learns of the Partition, the violent severing of British India into Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India, as well as the horrors her grandmother witnessed as a young refugee. Meanwhile, Kim views Maha’s preoccupation with Dadi’s stories as interfering with their English project, and their friendship fractures. In this vivid rendering of how growing cultural awareness and identity exploration can shape one’s adolescence, Faruqi (Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero) presents an empowering story of family that will bolster tweens negotiating blended identities. Supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kari Sutherland, KT Literary.

Starred review from January 1, 2024

Gr 3-7-Maha is a future journalist, obsessed with everything about the news. What's new in her life is the arrival of her dadi who has just moved from Pakistan and into Maha's bedroom. Along with her new room and new job as her grandmother's "babysitter," Maha has a school documentary project taking up her time. Slowly, stubborn and grumpy Dadi begins to soften and bond with Maha through sharing memories from her childhood, in particular the events surrounding the 1947 partition of India. When Maha confronts her own lack of knowledge surrounding her family's past, she begins to see the importance of history to the present moment. Diving full force into an exploration of the partition for her documentary tests Maha's stamina, patience, and relationships. Maha navigates her school project and new friendships while collecting interviews and recollections of the partition. Readers will discover along with Maha how our separate histories connect to our shared future, and the importance of archiving and protecting the personal stories of collective moments. VERDICT A heartwarming exploration of history through personal stories perfect for middle grade readers.-Hayley Morgenstern

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2023
Borders and roots take on new meaning in this coming-of-age story. Pakistani American seventh grader Mahnoor Raheem, an aspiring journalist, and Talha, her older brother, are instructed by Abba to greet their grandmother with "happy faces"--Dadi is leaving Lahore to live with them in Sugar Land, Texas. But smiling is hard for Maha. She's had to give up her bedroom for Dadi and move into the attic, and she even has to take care of her after school. She's excited about media studies, her new elective, but even that goes awry when they're assigned to make documentary films, something Maha believes isn't real journalism. Meanwhile, she meets Ahmad, a new student from Pakistan, and her best friend, Kim Hoang, unsuccessfully tries to interest her in their book report project. But she's immersed in conversations with Dadi about the Partition, something Maha knew nothing about. The Partition forced Dadi to leave her home in the Punjab and settle as a refugee in the newly created Pakistan. Replete with food-related memories, heart-wrenching stories, and warm tales of friendship, this is a riveting read. Maha confronts her own prejudices about the value of stories and what constitutes newsworthiness. In the process, she personally unravels her history and heritage (in ways that resonate with her American classmates who are also made to feel that they look like they're "'from somewhere else'") and forges a new understanding of herself and her relationships. Powerful and timely. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-14)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
Seventh grader Mahnoor Raheem is less than thrilled when her Pakistani grandmother, Dadi, comes to live with them in Texas. Not only does Maha have to give up her bedroom, but her father also expects her to "babysit" his mother while he and Maha's mom work long hours at the hospital. Although her home life is disrupted, Maha is excited about her media studies elective; she sees the class as a steppingstone to pursuing her dream of becoming a journalist. A class project -- making "a documentary on a topic that's newsworthy" -- gives Maha the opportunity to learn more about Dadi's life and an appreciation for what history can teach us about the present. By spending time with her grandmother prepping meals, participating in her first Ramadan fast, and playing board games, she learns a great deal about the 1947 Partition of British India into India and Pakistan. Faruqi introduces readers to the Partition, the largest mass migration in history, through relatable characters experiencing recognizable middle-school dynamics. The conversational style of the historical retelling offsets some of the heavier issues of rampant violence, refugee resettlement, and trauma. Readers are rewarded with a deeply immersive and moving story as Maha experiences a shift in understanding of her hyphenated identities and connects her family's history to other immigrant experiences. Sadaf Siddique

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 15, 2024
Grades 4-6 Twelve-year-old Maha Raheem is confident, smart, and singularly convinced that nothing matters but facts and journalism. Her comfortable life is turned awry when her Dadi comes from Pakistan to live with her family. Maha has to give up her room and is charged with "babysitting" her grandmother, but this inconvenience soon turns into an opportunity. Dadi's memories of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 spark Maha's interest and turn into a documentary project for her media studies class. Dadi opens up Maha's world to Pakistani cooking, the rituals of Ramzan, and a descriptive picture of her childhood in Ludhiana. The Partition Project packs multiple plot lines, credible character development, and a heap of information about Pakistani Muslim culture and traditions of which Maha had little knowledge. Through Dadi and other South Asian immigrants in the community, Maha learns about her identity and heritage. Meanwhile, she must also learn to be a better friend, sister, and less judgmental classmate. A fast-paced page-turner of a novel.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
Seventh grader Mahnoor Raheem is less than thrilled when her Pakistani grandmother, Dadi, comes to live with them in Texas. Not only does Maha have to give up her bedroom, but her father also expects her to "babysit" his mother while he and Maha's mom work long hours at the hospital. Although her home life is disrupted, Maha is excited about her media studies elective; she sees the class as a steppingstone to pursuing her dream of becoming a journalist. A class project -- making "a documentary on a topic that's newsworthy" -- gives Maha the opportunity to learn more about Dadi's life and an appreciation for what history can teach us about the present. By spending time with her grandmother prepping meals, participating in her first Ramadan fast, and playing board games, she learns a great deal about the 1947 Partition of British India into India and Pakistan. Faruqi introduces readers to the Partition, the largest mass migration in history, through relatable characters experiencing recognizable middle-school dynamics. The conversational style of the historical retelling offsets some of the heavier issues of rampant violence, refugee resettlement, and trauma. Readers are rewarded with a deeply immersive and moving story as Maha experiences a shift in understanding of her hyphenated identities and connects her family's history to other immigrant experiences.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)