Book Review: The Magical Reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef

The Magical Reality of Nadia

by Bassem Youssef (j Youssef)

 

Nadia Youssef loves bobble heads, fun facts, and her diverse Nerd Patrol group of friends. Nadia moved to the United States from Egypt when she was six, and has just returned from a vacation to Cairo. Now she is ready to tackle sixth grade and middle school.

 

Her first mission: to win a contest with her friends to design a new exhibit in their local museum. But middle school is not as easy as she anticipated. New classmates have prejudices. Old friendships are tested. She wonders if her family would have been happier staying in Egypt. But Nadia discovers she has acquired a secret magical “weapon” of sorts. During her trip to Egypt she purchased an ancient hippopotamus amulet. Inside is a “genie” called Titi. Instead of wishes, Titi (an Egyptian teacher in his earlier life) materializes on the pages of any book or paper close by to locate information from any date or time. All Nadia has to do is ask for help. But will Titi be enough to help her solve all her problems, or create new ones?

 

I found The Magical Reality of Nadia to be enjoyable for any student in third to fifth grade. It incorporates the occasional graphic comic to make the book a fun read. It also offers a timely viewpoint of how it feels to be bullied for having a different background, and offers a caring insight into how to bridge gaps of prejudice and stereotypes showing that we all have at least one thing we can share and that we aren’t so different after all.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan, the Planet Omar series by Zanib Mianor, or Dragons in a Bag by Zeta Elliott.]

[ publisher’s official The Magical Reality of Nadia web page ] | [ Wikipedia page for Bassem Youssef ]

 

Recommended by Cindy K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Services

 

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