Category: Reviews by Sarah

Smile (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: A perfect example of why book screening is really important in today’s day and age, Smile looks innocuous with it’s brace-faced smile emoji. What readers might not be aware of is how crushes are a central theme of this book, and therefore one that I didn’t feel comfortable keeping in my library.

Advisories: name-calling/teasing, romantic interests/crushes (major theme), mixed gender interactions (i.e. school dance, parties), cruel pranks, kissing, and more

Details:

I feel like Raina Telgemeier books are hit-or-miss when it comes to being appropriate for our readers. I love that she has made several books on real-life struggles that she had growing up. Many readers will be able to relate with the challenges of middle school and beyond. I can imagine so many readers find resonance and healing by reading her words. Unfortunately, many of her books however contain themes that many in our community feel are not appropriate such as a heavy emphasis on romantic interests/crushes as well as the introduction of LGBTQ+ characters and romance.

In this instance, this is a book that I couldn’t deem appropriate for our readers. While I love all that Telgemeier shares about her experience with a life-altering dental injury, I couldn’t justify recommending this book considering the other major theme: crushes/romantic interests. Page after page discusses different character’s romantic interests, their dreams of their first kiss, and even depicts a scene of playing “Spin the Bottle” at a mixed-gender party.

It’s a shame because there are some good elements here. I really appreciated how Telgemeier portrays the impacts of school bullies, even those who claim to be “friends.” I love how in the end, main character Raina stands up for herself and finds a new circle of friends, who actually build her up rather than tearing her down and making her the victim of their cruel pranks. Middle school and the beginning of high school are such trying times for so many. I think that readers will definitely empathize with Raina’s experience and hopefully take away that they would never want to be responsible for someone else feeling how she did.

Despite the benefits here, the crushes/romantic elements were too much for me and I didn’t feel like I could justify recommending this book to others, or encouraging my middle schooler to read it.

Things I Liked:

  • depicting the harms of bullying/teasing
  • sharing the feelings related to having an injury that impacts your physical appearance
  • standing up to bullies (p. 191)
  • finding your own way and friends, instead of trying to fit in with the crowd (p. 206-7)

Detailed Advisories:

  • reference to Easter (p. 4)
  • blood depicted (p. 9)
  • mild crude language– jerk (p. 27)
  • name-calling (p. 29, 53)
  • girls expressing desire to hang out with boys (p. 51)
  • main character expressing that she wishes boys liked her (p. 52)
  • romantic interests/crushes (recurring) (p. 60-1, 79, 83, 131-2, 135)
  • teasing (p. 83, 185)
  • discussion about the tooth fair (p. 99-101)
  • dating/girlfriends-boyfriends (p. 112, 114, 155
  • gender interactions – school dance, parties (p. 119-20, 158-62, 209-12)
  • kissing (p. 132, 158-9)
  • cruel pranks (p. 136-139, 186-7)
  • bare midrift & “tube top” (p. 138)
  • flirting (p. 156)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

*Note: While we do not recommend this book, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle School.

Only She Came Back

Novel by Margot Harrison

Recommended Audience*: None.

* Marketed to High School

Opinion: Strongly Do NOT Recommend

Synopsis: Geared towards high school students, this suspenseful novel portrays college-aged characters involved in the sudden disappearance of Callum Massey. While many suspect his girlfriend Kiri Dunsmore is responsible, main character Sam is determined to get to the bottom of the case. Sam becomes romantically interested in her old classmate Kiri, and will go to great lengths to protect her, even if she might be guilty. Nearly every box of “inappropriate content” is checked with this one. As such, this book is strongly NOT recommended.

Advisories: R-Rated language throughout, LGBTQ+ characters and romantic/sexual encounters, alcohol and drug use, glorification of casual sex, the list goes on…

Details:

This book caught my eye as it was a 2025 TAYSHA Reading List nominee on the shelf at my local library. As a lover of suspense and true-crime, I decided to give this book a read. Typically, I’m already on high alert when I see a book that is written for high school students but portrays college-aged students. This typically means that we’re exposing underage readers to adult situations and behaviors, and that rang true in this book as well.

If this book was marketed towards adults, this would be a different review. However, simply as a parent, forget as a Muslim parent, as I read I kept screaming internally, “WHY WOULD YOU MARKET THIS TO MINORS??!! WHO WOULD WANT THEIR TEEN READING THIS??” One would hope that the normalization of underage drinking, illegal marijuana use, and casual sex would make most parents want their teenagers to steer clear of this book and personally I can’t help but question the ethics of publishers that are pushing such agendas on our youth.

Furthermore, so much of this book is antithetical to Islamic values that I really pray that it doesn’t fall into the hands of our readers. There are so many aspects of this book that makes it unsuitable, not the least of which is that the main character Sam develops romantic feelings for her old classmate Kiri Dunsmore which culminates in a lesbian kissing scene.

In terms of any “value” in this book, I would say that I appreciated the cautionary tale that was the toxic relationship portrayed between Callum and Kiri. True-crime fans will likely draw parallels as I did to the real-life Gabby Petito case. Aside from that, there’s no great takeaways and the entertainment value wasn’t that high for me besides, at best a 3/5.

Things I Liked:

  • true-crime element
  • cautionary tale of toxic romantic relationships

Detailed Advisories:

  • R-Rated language throughout (f***, b****, sh**, etc.)
  • references to suicide, overdoses
  • LGBTQ+ characters and romantic themes throughout, including a lesbian kissing scene
  • reflections on heterosexual and LGBTQ+ past sexual encounters
  • description of a “threesome” sexual encounter that nearly occurred
  • normalization of alcohol and drug (marijuana) use
  • normalization of casual non-committal relationships and sex
  • portrayals of toxic and emotionally abusive romantic relationships

Need I go on….?! I think I’ll stop here but the list could keep going…

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and does not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Sanity & Tallulah (Graphic Novel)

Book 1 of the Sanity & Tallulah Series* by Molly Brown

* This review is ONLY for the book described in this post, NOT the series in its entirety.

Recommended Audience: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Recommended w/ Advisories

Synopsis: This action-packed graphic novel would be a great find for science fiction lovers ages 10 years+. Readers tag along as best friends Tallulah and Sanity work to figure out who–or what–is wreaking havoc on their beloved space station. Could it be Sanity’s recently-escaped science experiment–a cuddly three-headed kitten–or something else? While there aren’t many overt moral lessons, the story is entertaining and enriching. If your reader enjoyed the cat-chasing antics of novel Grounded by Aisha Saeed, they’ll likely enjoy this book as well.

Advisories: lying, sneaking around, one LGBT+ inference, moderate crude language

Details:

This was a fun, engaging read filled with action and fun sci-fi STEM jargon. Sanity and Tallulah are best friends and partners-in-adventure living on a futuristic space station. When someone, or something, starts causing damage throughout the station, they suspect it might be Sanity’s latest science experiment: a three-headed kitten that has escaped from the lab! The two girls quest to find their fugitive furry friend without getting in to too much trouble along the way.

This was a captivating graphic novel that I would encourage my Middle Schooler to read. Engaging storytelling, strong female leads, STEM representation, and opportunities for critical thinking make this book of value for readers. I would recommend it for even younger grades if it weren’t for the moderate crude language (damn, hell, etc.) and higher-level sci-fi concepts and vocabulary that might leave them a bit lost. The illustrations’ limited color scheme and frequent transitions from dark to light palettes left something to be desired for me, however. If I were to put this on my shelf at home or in an Islamic school library, I’d censor the one LGBT+ inference found on p. 157.

Things I Liked:

  • engaging, fast-paced storytelling
  • diverse cast of characters
  • STEM/sci-fi related themes and vocabulary
  • strong female friendship
  • fun adventure with an element of mystery

Detailed Advisories:

  • sneaking around/trespassing (recurring) (p. 25, 32, 119)
  • death of pets (p. 56-57)
  • lying (p. 59)
  • moderate crude language (heck, damn, jerk, hell) (p. 125, 130-1, 143, 145, 179, 222)
  • one LGBT+ inference — male character says he had a crush on another male character in grade school (p. 157)
  • dead animals (p. 166)

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Dear Rosie (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: The concept behind this graphic novel–learning to cope with the grief of a close friend passing away–had so much potential but ultimately did not deliver. The story line was weak and had just enough questionable content to push it from the “neutral” to the “do not recommend” category.

Advisories: mild crude language, engaging in dangerous/illegal behavior, reference to online boyfriend, etc.

Details:

While I was perusing books at the library, this one caught my eye; I was excited to see a book about coping with grief after losing a friend. The concept had so much potential. Unfortunately the book fell flat. Main character Millie desperately misses her late friend Rosie. When she finds a notebook that has a symbol she associates with Rosie, Millie tries to find out how the notebook is connected to her friend.

During this anticlimactic quest, Millie and her friends end up trespassing and vandalizing property (adding graffiti to an abandoned property). Later in the book, when Millie’s friend is feeling overwhelmed with grief, she attempts to runaway but chickens out. Honestly, the behaviors depicted were in my opinion dangerous, and I would not want my Middle Schooler to engage in anything similar. While I appreciated that this may truly depict how some tweens and teenagers cope with loss, I didn’t feel like it’s something readers would really benefit from, nor would I want them to emulate these behaviors.

Ultimately, there were very few takeaways that I felt would be beneficial for readers and too many negative behaviors portrayed. I didn’t feel like the storyline was particularly engaging or compelling either. While there’s not a ton of questionable content, the book just didn’t offer much and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Things I Liked:

  • portrayal of friendship
  • depiction of main character working in family business

Detailed Advisories:

  • toilet humor: farting (p. 5)
  • mild crude language: stupid, jerk (p. 36, 103, 179)
  • name-calling: loser (p.45)
  • belittling someone for their old/damaged phone (p. 51)
  • disrespect to authority figure (teacher) (p.101)
  • reference to online boyfriend (p. 113-5)
  • trespassing (p. 124, 152-4)
  • running away (p. 168)
  • vandalism (p. 183-4)

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

*Note: While we do not recommend this book to anyone, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle Grades.

Bounce Back (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: This graphic novel did not offer much in way of neither entertainment nor moral value. While the book does not contain egregiously questionable content, nor is it plentiful, the fact that the story itself was hardly engaging and the moral takeaways were minimal made this book a ‘pass’ for me.

Advisories: bullying/teasing, mild crude language, dating, kissing, and more

Note: I write this review with the caveat that I am far from a connoisseur when it comes to manga. I don’t read much of it, and I don’t particularly seek it out. A manga fan might have an entirely different opinion on this book.

Details:

This manga-style graphic novel has readers following along as Lilico, a middle school girl from Osaka who loves basketball, migrates from Japan to the United States. Lilico struggles to adjust to her new home and has to deal with harsh bullies as she tries to find her way. Lilico’s talent in basketball paves a path for her to gain popularity, but at what cost? Lilico must remind herself what it means to be a good friend and find ways to build bridges between peer groups.

This book fell flat for me. I found the melodrama of the book to be off-putting, but I recognize this can be a trait of manga. I felt that Lilico’s strategies to gain friends and repair relationships were weak at best and not strategies I would want my own children to employ. In order to win over her bully, Lilico basically proves herself on the basketball court and becomes a major asset to the girls basketball team. In order to build bridges between two rivals, she encourages Nala to design and create a team mascot costume for the school. I don’t like that in both scenarios, the characters had to offer some type of service/skill in order to curry favor with those who were treating them badly.

Sometimes if the moral takeaways and overall value of the book in one fashion or another is compelling enough, I can forgive some indiscretions in terms of questionable content. Ultimately, this book did not meet that threshold for me therefore I do not recommend it.

Things I Liked:

  • Lilico learned to stand up for herself against bullies but not in a particularly compelling way — she basically proved her value to them via her basketball talent
  • Lilico mended her friendship with Nala
  • Learning about Japanese culture (food, school experiences, clothing, beliefs, etc.)

Advisory Details:

  • references to being someone else in a “past life” (p. 15)
  • bullying, teasing (recurring)
  • mild crude language — shut up, crap
  • “guardian spirit” character that possesses a cat and assists Lilico (introduced on p. 50 and recurring thereafter)
  • boy and girls hanging out unsupervised in a character’s bedroom (p. 58)
  • eating pork (p. 85)
  • reference to a specific food believed to bring good luck (p.86)
  • boy and girls sleeping over together (p. 88)
  • reference to getting a boyfriend, crushes (p. 94, 139)
  • fan-girling over bands (p. 139)
  • dating (p. 176-7, 190-2)
  • boy-girl hugging (p. 218)
  • boy-girl kissing (p. 255)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Art Club (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Middle Grades (Ages 8 – 11) and Up

Opinion: Recommended!

Synopsis: This graphic novel by Rashad Doucet was a delightful read with so much to offer readers! It features Dale Donavan, a comic book and video game loving kid who dreams of a career making comic books of his own one day. Dale’s tenacity and passion for art are captivating as he founds an afterschool Art Club. Dale and his club mates prove that hard work, creativity, and a can-do attitude are a winning formula for success, even in the face of adversity. Respectful, resilient, and creative, Dale is a great role model for readers. Engaging and colorful graphics throughout will capture young and old audiences alike.

Advisories: mild crude language (sucks, blows, jerk, stupid), sneaking around behind parent’s back (w/ consequences and remorse), art creation including drawing human-like characters

Details:

I loved this book! Honestly, there was so much to love, it’s hard to even know where to start. There are so many strong qualities exhibited in this book that I would love for young readers to emulate: respect for authority/elders, empathy, integrity, grit, and so much more! In particular, I really appreciated how the author portrayed moments of resilience for multiple characters in the face of challenges and criticism. There were many incidences throughout the book wherein Dale and the other members of the Art Club need to stay strong in the face of many who question the benefit of an Art Club or a career in the arts. Club Advisor Miss Ja’nae helps the students navigate these tough times with words of comfort and wisdom. When Dale has to stand up to a harsh authority figure (Mr. Ruffins, the Vice Principal), he does so with respect and grace.

Dale’s relationships with his family and friends are incredibly endearing. He is a good friend who occasionally makes mistakes. He makes efforts to repair friendships that he has hurt. Readers learn that even though sometimes characters seem to “have it all,” they are dealing with their own struggles and emotions. Dale’s fond memories of his late grandmother, who was the first one to introduce him to comic books, warmed my heart. He has a loving relationship with his grandfather, who teaches him life lessons of hard-work and responsibility.

I would recommend this book for Middle Grades and up given that it’s an overall very clean read with accessible content for younger readers. I love that a diverse set of characters were portrayed including an articulate, well-rounded main character of color. Readers will walk away from this book with a lot to reflect upon when it comes to pursuing dreams while also ensuring that they can pay their bills in doing so! So many positive messages make this a book I definitely recommend.

Things I Liked:

  • Dale interacting lovingly and respectfully with his grandfather in his multi-generational household
  • portrayal of respect for authority and elders, even when they are unkind
  • information about art and art history presented in a tangible way for younger readers (p.139)
  • characters shown receiving criticism and feedback regarding their art pieces; readers will get to appreciate how this process works and how to receive feedback that is hard to hear

Advisories:

  • reference to Halloween (p. 18)
  • mild crude language (e.g. sucked, blows, stupid, jerk) (p. 55, 57, 96, 143, 173, 189, 197)
  • sneaking around behind parent’s back, consequences and remorse are presented for these actions however (p. 91, 135)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

The Breakaways (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: NONE

Opinion: NOT recommended.

Advisories: bullying, harassment, LGBT+ characters, LGBT+ romance, transgenderism

Details:

If you are someone who prioritizes mainstream Islamic values (which you likely are, since you’re on this website), this is not the book for you or your children. The overall plot offers nothing positive whatsoever. There is constant bullying and harassment between all the characters. They are all on a soccer team that they couldn’t care less about and ultimately decide that the best thing to do would be to completely abandon the team altogether mid-game. Not exactly the values I’m looking to instill in my kids.

Furthermore, there are very pro-LGBT+ messages conveyed in the book. A character comes out as trans (female to male) which the other characters affirm and support, and then said character proceeds to kiss another girl. Yet another character comes out as a lesbian and the other character is happy for her.

I was further shocked to learn the target audience for this book is middle grades (ages 8 – 11)! These seemed like really adult themes for young children! The only thing I liked about this book is the hijabi soccer player in the illustrations.

NOTE: As an observant Muslim book reviewer, it is important to me to uphold our Islamic values as it relates to many issues, including LGBT+ topics. However, these values are not to be misconstrued as hatred or condoning of disrespect, harassment, or violence to individuals associated with this demographic.

Guts (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Age: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Squeamishly Recommended

This book contains good messages such as the normalization of attending therapy, supporting peers when they’re ill, and learning coping strategies for anxiety. There’s hardly anything I would call morally questionable, however the constant mentioning of vomiting, going to the bathroom, and upset stomachs makes this reviewer a bit squeamish.

Advisories: cartoon portrayals of vomit, poop, and sitting on the toilet; name-calling and teasing, and a few other minor things

Details:

Guts is not going to be the book for everyone, especially if they’re a bit squeamish like me, but it is still a book I recommend. The overall theme of learning to navigate phobias and anxiety with the support of a therapist is a really important takeaway. I appreciate that more authors are bringing light to mental health issues such as this. Some readers will relate to the main character Raina and how her anxiety manifests in physical symptoms such as upset stomachs and needing to go the bathroom. Other readers will at least be able to learn more about these conditions and hopefully develop empathy and consideration for those who may be affected. This is a book I would keep on my shelf and would recommend to others (unless they’re really squeamish!).

Things I Like:

  • diversity of characters — Example: Raina’s good friend is Korean American and mentions of her food comes up more than once (ex: p. 95)
  • Raina learns different coping strategies from her therapist to deal with her phobias and anxiety (ex: p. 108, 153) and shares these with peers (p. 180-182)
  • classmates make a large get-well poster for an ill peer (p.192-193)
  • normalization of going to therapy (p. 200)

Advisories:

  • cartoon portrayal of vomit (p. 9)
  • Raina is depicted sitting on a toilet with her pants down (p. 30, 42)
  • name-calling and teasing (p. 10, 49, 92)
  • cartoon portrayal of a fecal sample [eww…] (p. 167)
  • discussion about periods (p. 197) — while there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, some parents may not be ready to introduce this idea to their reader
  • character mentions her father gets drunk sometimes and yells (p. 198)

Belly Up

Book #1 of the FunJungle Series by Stuart Gibbs

Recommended Audience: 5th Grade +

Opinion: Neutral w/ Advisories

While this action-packed mystery novel has some benefits such as teaching readers about animals and conservation, opportunities to think critically, and developing courage and resilience, it does contain some moderate foul language and other questionable content that may make this a “pass” for some families. There is definitely entertainment value here, but if you’re looking for a squeaky clean book that will greatly develop the moral character of your reader, this isn’t it.

Advisories: moderate foul language (a**, da**, cr**, pi**ed off, etc.), lying, doing unethical/illegal things to serve a “greater good” (with consequences), an underwear-clad swimming scene, boy-girl friendships, mild gore/gross-out scenes, etc. (See below for details.)

Details:

Stuart Gibbs is a prolific writer with several series supposedly geared towards middle grades. I personally feel that his writing is generally better suited for fifth grade and up. One reason is that unfortunately Gibbs often uses some moderate crude language throughout his writing, which is a shame because I really don’t feel that it’s necessary. It doesn’t add value to the book and makes the books less appropriate for our readers. I’ve read that he cleans up the language a bit in the subsequent books of this series, but I can’t personally attest to that at this point.

Belly Up is the first book in the FunJungle series of books. It is the tale of twelve-year-old Teddy Fitzroy who lives just outside a large zoo / amusement park. When the beloved park mascot, Henry Hippo, abruptly dies, Teddy suspects there’s more to the story. His sleuthing takes him on a suspenseful adventure filled with a whodunit mystery, harrowing close-calls, and more.

The entertainment value of this book is high; my middle schooler can’t get enough. For my taste, the questionable content is just barely palatable. Do I wish the author didn’t include the swear words and the underwear swimming scene? ABSOLUTELY. Would I ban my middle schooler from reading this book because of these things? No. Therefore, I gave this a “neutral w/ advisories” rating. I might have to use some white-out before sticking this one on the shelf.

Things I Liked:

  • animal facts and information about conservation efforts throughout
  • occasional utilization of higher level vocabulary (e.g. deign, groused, rube, segued, glibness, dirge, officious)
  • Teddy is determined to get to the truth and hold those responsible to account — admirable traits
  • suspenseful mystery keeps readers guessing until the end; great for critical thinking
  • humorous and entertaining; held my picky middle school reader’s attention
  • unethical actions have consequences
  • a close and loving relationship is portrayed between Teddy and his parents

Advisory Details:

  • moderate crude language (screwed, pissed off, bastard, idiot, jerk, crap, damn, ass)
  • practical jokes reference (p. 7)
  • fat-shaming/disrespect to an adult/authority figure (p.17)
  • sneaking around/ disobeying authority (p. 38, p. 145)
  • reference to possible suicide (of an animal) (p. 43)
  • a scene where Teddy and Summer go swimming in their underwear (p.95)
  • lying (a few separate incidences to avoid getting in trouble) (p. 103, 106)
  • glorification/justification of lying as a means towards an end (p. 107)
  • mild crush inferences (p. 115, p. 294)
  • reference to evolution, specifically reptiles being the ancestors of birds (p. 117)
  • reference to herpes without any further details, not specific to a type of herpes (p. 133)
  • reference to someone who ‘reeked of marijuana’ (p. 155)
  • describes autopsy of a dead hippo
  • gory scene where hippo guts get all over the audience (p. 251)

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Nayra and the Djinn (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: None.

Opinion: DO NOT RECOMMEND.

The conflation of what is theologically sound info about jinn and what is the author’s fantasy writing can cause confusion for young Muslim readers, even teens. Overall plot isn’t great anyways.

Details:

While I loved that the Muslim characters of this book are shown observing religious practices such as fasting and prayer, I feel that the liberties taken regarding jinn mixed with accurate info about jinn could be confusing for our Muslim readers. As an adult, albeit not extremely well versed in matters of the Jinn, there were times that I had to do some research to see if what was being portrayed in the book is actually a part of our faith or not; I would hate for a young Muslim reader to have to navigate that same space. For example, there is a section that talks about the nature of the universe and it being placed on the back of a whale. (See picture.) That struck me as odd and when I did research on it, it’s based on a fabricated hadith. See Sapience Institute’s video regarding this fabricated hadith here if you’re interested.

Furthermore, the storyline is honestly not that great. The main character Nayra has an extremely clingy friend named Rami who is upset with her for not spending enough time together. Nayra is constantly called ‘baba ganoush’ by a bully and wants to switch schools. There’s not a lot of depth to the overall plot and readers won’t take away much in regards to lessons learned after reading this book.

Lastly, some families may also take issue with the fact that the author Iasmin Omar Ata identifies as non-binary. In the book it is stated that jinn do not have gender and the main jinn character also is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I personally focus more on the content of books, rather than the author’s identity but I can appreciate how others would consider this when selecting books.