Does My Head Look Big in This

I have some mixed feelings on certain aspects of this book, but overall, I enjoyed my time reading it!<br /><br />I was really anticipating reading <i> Does My Head Look Big In This? </i> after being recommended to me as a great book with a Muslim protagonist. I have to say, hearing about Amal's faith was by far my favorite part of the novel! I get so happy watching others speak about things they are passionate about, and Amal's dedication to her religion was absolutely wonderful to read about! It's very rare we find YA protagonists that are open about practicing their faith so this book was unbelievably refreshing. Amal's response to prejudice and discrimination while never backing down from her beliefs was honestly inspiring and I feel so many teens would be impacted by her story! I think my favorite quote of the novel was near the end where Amal says, <i>"Putting on the hijab isn’t the end of the journey. It’s just the beginning of it."</i> (I literally got chills) Amal was the first Muslim protagonist I've read about and I was not disappointed. I would read so many more books about her if it meant experiencing her story!<br /><br />Another great aspect of this book is that within Amal's group of close family friends who happen to also either be Muslim and/or Arab, there were so many different experiences to read about! Amal has Muslim friends that choose to wear the hijab full time, and others that don't. There are people who are deeply involved with their faith and others who reject their culture in favor of conforming to Australian norms. I thought the expression of different Muslim experiences was really well rounded and it made for a satisfying reading experience. I think I took away so much more because we had so many different individuals to learn about!<br /><br />I also really loved how supportive virtually all the people in Amal's life are of her decision to wear the hijab! Are there bullies who are definitely Islamophobic? Yes (so be cautious of expressions of prejudice if you're interested in reading this novel) but there are SO MANY positive reactions to Amal's faith! Her principal is accepting, her friends and classmates are excited to learn about her religion and the practices of her faith. For the most part, they don't judge her like she is fearing but show true interest in brocading their horizons. Despite the fact that Amal does encounter some discrimination throughout the course of the story, I was so happy to see so much positivity for the majority of the novel.<br /><br />Another minor piece of the story I enjoyed was learning about Amal's neighbor who is an elderly Greek woman. I really loved seeing their relationship grow, it was something special and unique. What I loved most though, was hearing her story of immigrating to Australia. It was very powerful and something I found to be very valuable! (TW for miscarriages in this particular scene) but overall, it was a surprise to enjoy a minor character so much. Definitely a fabulous character addition!<br /><br />That being said, there were a few things I was not a huge fan of. Primarily, the writing was not the best. It's not "bad" per say, but I definitely found myself picking at the parts that irked me more than I l like to while reading. I also felt the dialogue made the characters seem younger (13-14ish) compared to their actual ages (17). I want to be clear in saying I have considered the fact that "maturity" is a western concept and how I feel a 17 year old acts like may very well be different from what a 17 year old who has grown up in a Palestinian household is ACTUALLY like. I've definitely kept that in mind, but it was consistent with all the characters in the book, regardless of their background. They use phrases and react in ways I find more often in middle grade books (and in my personal experience in the junior high years) which made it hard to not be a little exasperated at times. (Another factor could also be that the author is Palestinian/Egyptian herself which may account for differences as well!!) Then again, this also was not a book written for me, it was written for teens so take this critique as lightly as you'd like; I'm just stating my personal reading experience. The perceived immaturity &amp; underdeveloped writing were two aspects of the book I really didn't enjoy, but it didn't impact my enjoyment that harshly.<br /><br />The final thing I disliked about DMHLBIT is the portrayal of body image. One of Amal's best friends is extremely unhappy with her body which leads to a lot of problematic phrases and actions throughout the story. I don't think there is a scene she is in where she does not mention her issues with body image and weight loss which made it feel like this character had no development OTHER than her self image issues (which I find to be a problem). So often, phrases are thrown around so carelessly like <i>"I WISH I could be anorexic"</i> or <i>"I've tried the bulimia THING"</i> (hearing someone call a life-threatening eating disorder a "thing" as if it's a diet or choice boiled my blood, let me tell you). I found this to be horrendously insensitive and harmful to people who may struggle with their own body image or live with eating disorders; It really trivialized these issues in my opinion and made them seem so much less important than they are. When this character is fat-shamed by bullies, Amal and her friends respond by skinny shaming, making further derogatory comments that were equally as bad in my opinion. (Wouldn't it have been so much more productive to lift up your friend and standing against body-shaming than putting down another's body?) She also takes to unhealthy habits to propel her weight loss that could further put her in danger and they are never discussed as being unhealthy. It's a case of "it's my body I'll do what I want" and it's NEVER challenged. And at the end of the book, *spoilers* she's still unhappy with herself! The negative actions are never addressed, there is no story arc of accepting yourself, she's still trying diets in the last chapter, which makes it feel like all this harm was for nothing. I really really despised this portion of the book. If they had cut this character's really insensitive plot line, I probably would have given this book 4 or 4.5 stars but it was the detrimental to my reading experience.<br /><br />The reason I picked up DMHLBIT was to experience the story of a Muslim teen, and that's what I got. I was really really satisfied with what I entered this book looking for and that's the most important thing to me!

Ok. I see what the author was trying to do. She gets props for writing a novel with an Arab, Muslim main character that's not escaping an abusive husband or some other sort of oppression, as many books with Muslim women love to do. I appreciate that she added some much needed diversity to the YA market. Still, as a Palestinian-American Muslim hijabi, I was thoroughly disappointed.<br /><br />I went into this book so excited that the MC was so similar to me and thinking that I could really relate to her. That didn't happen, sadly. The problem with this book is that it is WAY too dramatic and unrealistic. Abdel-Fattah attempts to portray Amal and her friends as realistic and relatable, but what she ends up doing is showing two girls from two extremely different sides of the spectrum. Most Muslim girls' lives are not like Amal's or Leila's, but are somewhere in between.<br /><br />Allow me to explain. Amal's family is very, very, very liberal, to the point where they let their daughter go to an unsupervised party at a boy's house, where there is bound to be alcohol and where she is bound to be put in an undesirable situation with a boy. Of course, both of these things occur. Most practicing Muslim girls, particularly ones that wear hijab, wouldn't put themselves in this situation. <br /><br />On the other side of the spectrum, we have Leila's family. Her mother is extremely strict. She wants to marry Leila off as soon as possible and doesn't want her to pursue an education and a career because that's "improper" for a girl. My friends, I assure you, this is something that is so, so rare in modern times. Only in SOME remote, extremist, parts of the world do SOME ignorant families treat their daughters this way. <br /><br />Another thing that bothered me was the sheer melodrama of this book. When Amal decides to don the hijab, WAY too many people give her a hard time about it. I mean, in America, I've rarely been bothered because of my hijab. Most people completely ignore it, and many ask me questions about the hijab and about my faith out of honest, respectful curiosity. Every once in a while, I meet a hateful ignoramus, but thankfully these sort of people are in the minority. I'm sure the situation is similar in Australia. This is why I find it hard to believe all the hate that Amal has to endure.<br /><br />All in all, I appreciate Miss Abdel-Fattah's attempt to write about the life of a young, Muslim, hijabi girl in a non-Muslim country. However, I have to say that most of this book is grossly inaccurate and improbable.<br />

This was a random buy, picked up mostly because, flipping through it, the word <i>Tasmania</i> caught my eye - and then I read that the author is Australian. For purely nostalgic reasons I just had to read it. <br /><br />Amal is a year 11 student in her third term at a posh private school in Melbourne. She's also Muslim. An only child, her parents are health-care professionals, she has a large extended family and friends from all backgrounds and religions. Before third term begins, she decides she's ready to wear the hijab "full-time". She doesn't come to this decision lightly - okay, so an episode of Friends helped - but she's sixteen and there are some serious repercussions to her decision. Like, the stereotyping and insults she'll get at school, and trouble finding a job. It's 2001, before the attack on the Twin Towers, but prejudice has been a part of her life for a long time already.<br /><br />Her friends Eileen and Simone stick by her and don't see her any differently, and after a few days, the boy she has a crush on, Adam, starts talking to her again. Her friends from the Islamic school she used to go to, Leila and Yasmeen, are different kinds of Muslim again - Leila is incredibly smart and wants to be a lawyer, but her mother is uneducated and comes from a traditional background, and keeps bringing eligible men over for Leila to marry, while Yasmeen has no intention of wearing the hijab at all. <br /><br />A great many stereotypes and misconceptions are confronted, questioned and explored in this humorous book. Amal's voice is natural and believable, and her story is an open window onto what many young Muslims deal with - and others. Her elderly neighbour, Mrs Vaselli, has estranged herself from her only child when he converted to Jehovah's Witness; Josh has certain Jewish traditions to contend with; Adam's mother left when he was young without so much as a word - all he gets are postcards on his birthday. Eileen's Japanese parents have their own expectations of her, and Simone's mum constantly tells her she has to lose weight if she ever wants boys to notice her. There's a whole gamut of what teens go through and put up with in this book, and it may sound like it would be crowded, but it's not. It may seem kinda pushy and too in-your-face, too, but it's handled with both delicacy and Amal's flair which gives things a very fresh look. <br /><br />Aside from teen issues, the racial and religious prejudices are equally visible, appearing in many subtle and overt ways. I particularly loved the conversation between Amal and the school president, Lara, after 9/11 - Lara wants her to give a speech on the topic of Islam and terrorism, mistakingly making the connection, as many did/do, that since she's Muslim Amal must therefore understand why they did what they did. Her response was excellent:<br /><br /><i>"You're Christian, right?"<br />"...Yeah... what's that got to do with anything?"<br />"OK, well I'll give the speech if you give a speech about the Ku Klux Klan."</i> (p256)<br /><br />That Abdel-Fattah had an agenda in writing this book is obvious, and quite welcome too. It's a book that needed to be written. Some of it shocked me - the misconceptions and attitudes, I couldn't believe Australians - anyone - would think, say and do those things. But of course they do. It's a balanced approach, though - Leila's family shows that there are some who fulfill negative expectations, though the emphasis is made on the difference between Islamic teachings and cultural traditions, which are often confused by some Muslims themselves, like Leila's mother. Amal's parents are always encouraging her to see other people's perspectives and understand them better, where they are coming from and why they say and think as they do. <br /><br />It's a quick read, and entertaining, and Amal is a great character. It's written well, over the space of a few months, and really engages you to think, question yourself, and react. A great book for teens and adults alike - and one Rosalind Wiseman should definitely add to her glossary of books to read at the back of <i>Queen Bees &amp; Wannabes</i>.<br /><br />I have only two issues: firstly, this edition. There's a reason why I don't like Scholastic books. Namely, they're cheaply put together, the pages are crinkled and they start to fall out. If you can get hold of a different edition, you should get it instead.<br /><br />The second is the translation. You've heard me rant and rage about this before, but here's a prime example of Americanising a text until it's virtually unrecognisable. Even though there were familiar place names like Bridge Road and Luna Park (I used to live not far from St. Kilda, in Elwood - beautiful suburb!), so much had been changed I often forgot it was set in Melbourne at all. If something can be depersonalised, this book has been de-place-ised! It was so jarring I actually wrote the changes down - and the words that hadn't been changed, which was sometimes even stranger.<br /><br /><b>Aussie word: --- Changed to:</b><br />serviette --- napkin<br />primary school --- elementary school<br />tram --- streetcar<br />kilograms --- pounds<br />ABC/SBS --- PBS (not available in Australia)<br />biscuit --- cookie<br />grade/year 11 --- eleventh grade<br />rubbish bin --- trash can<br />milk bar/corner shop --- convenience store<br />mum --- mom<br />maths --- math<br />roundabout --- traffic circle<br />university/uni --- college<br />car park --- parking lot<br />pedestrian crossing --- crosswalk<br />000 --- 911<br />fringe --- bangs<br />plait --- braid<br />take away --- take-out<br />mobile (phone) --- cell phone<br />nappy --- diaper<br />4WD/four-wheel-drive --- SUV<br />thongs --- flip-flops<br />chilli --- chilli pepper<br />rubbish --- garbage<br /><br />I don't want to know what would happen if a tourist, needing urgent help, was to dial 911 in Australia, but changing it in books is not doing anyone any favours. I actually think it's irresponsible and dangerous - and who couldn't figure out, at least from context, what was meant by "000"?? Also, changing "ABC documentary" (or SBS) to PBS really jolted me - I'd never even heard of PBS before moving to Canada; we certainly don't get any US channels! <br /><br />Also, they put in some brand names we don't have, like Chips Ahoy, Q-Tips (which are commonly called ear buds or cotton buds) - I'm sure they would have changed "Vegemite" if they could have! They put in "medical school" and "pre-law" instead of ... whatever they replaced - in Australia, both law and medicine are offered as undergrad degrees, medicine is an 8-year degree, law 4. In short, I don't think you'd actually learn anything much about Australia from this book.<br /><br />Curiously enough, there were some words they didn't change, including:<br />four-wheel-drive (they used this once, and in another place changed it to "SUV" - a slip?)<br />doughnuts<br />beanie<br />mince<br />wuss (maybe not as Aussie as I thought?)<br />veggies<br />lollipop lady<br />fish and chips<br /><br />Plus a couple of cultural references, such as Luna Park, <i>Women's Weekly</i> and <i>Home and Away</i>. Having been dislocated from the country itself by all the other changes, seeing these words made me even more confused. I wish they'd just leave well enough alone!!<br /><br />

Brace yourselves because I'll probably be talking about this book for the next 20000 years.<br /><br />Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:<br />- 36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation

I have a massive amount of respect for Randa Abdel-Fattah for at least <i>attempting</i> to show that Muslims aren't these extremists that the media portrays us as, but instead just normal people. So props to her for her bravery.<br /><br />BUT, being a Muslim myself, I feel like the author did not do a very good job of representing Islam, and on top of that, provided unrealistic scenarios that are very <i>unlikely</i> to happen.<br /><br />Amal is <i>very</i> annoying. She is one of those stereotypical teen girls authors think they understand, but in reality, do not know ANYTHING about. The author tried WAY too hard to sound like a teenager, but she really made Amal sound like a shallow, whining 12-year-old. <br /><br />I appreciate the feminist ideals in this book, which I think were necessary, but the author did not do well in actually <i>integrating</i> these ideals into the novel. She provided unrealistic scenarios, as I mentioned before. For example, the main character's best friend has a daughter who wants to get her married at a young age, an arranged marriage. As much as I loathe arranged marriages. I for one find it hard to believe that these kind of people exist in Australia. I don't know, maybe they do, but I know TONS of Arabs families who do not make their daughters marry who they want them to marry, or even at a young age. Who is going to marry a teenage girl who hasn't even finished high school yet? <br /><br />The dialogue was <b>So. Annoying</b>. It was UNBEARABLE. No teenager repeatedly brings up religion in a normal conversation with her friends without being labeled as some preacher or overly-religious person.<br /><br />I also found it very far-fetched that the main character would go through so much racist comments and discrimination in the course of one story, which I believe was about half a year. Come on, I wear a Hijab (scarf) too, and the most discrimination I face is the occasional rude comment (VERY rare) or just curious stares. It just was not believable that so much discrimination would be directed at one person.<br /><br />The points that the author was trying to get across were so unsubtle and awkward. It felt like a teacher trying to shove everything in your mind all at once. In addition, she failed to explain what's the point in wearing a scarf. Duh, because of religion, but WHY do we have to wear it? What's the symbolism and what role does it play for a Muslim woman? Sadly, Abdel-Fattah doesn't answer any of these questions. <br /><br />To tell you the truth, I recommend this book to people who are completely ignorant about Islam and know nothing about it, rather than people who actually know about Islam and are actually <i>interested</i> in learning about.

update, june 2017:<br />i read and reviewed this book ten years ago. please keep that in mind if you choose to comment. i'm not interested in discussing it now because i don't really remember it. thanks!<br /><br />original review, september 2007:<br /><br />Amal decides, completely on her own and without pressure from her (also Muslim) parents, to wear a headscarf (hijab) "full-time." Why? She wants to make a statement of her faith, and it makes her feel close to God as well as brave, especially at her prep school where she is the only Muslim. She also points out what a relief it is not to have to worry about people judging her body and worrying about her hair (but she encounters frequent judging of the hijab itself, and frequently spends as much time arranging it as she did her hair.) <br /><br />My biggest problem was the preachiness. Instead of letting the story unfold naturally, the author adds numerous fake-feeling situations in which Amal defends her faith. I could list many, but the absolute cheesiest is when Amal is on a bus and the bus driver clearly hates her and her hijab. He turns up a radio show conveniently discussing "violent, terrible Muslims" until a kindly old woman next to Amal makes him turn it down. She then tells Amal about how she used to work with Muslim women and how she loved their hijabs and food. The scene was sappy and contrived, with crap dialogue to boot, and unfortunately the book is full of these.<br /><br />Second biggest problem? Although the author clearly wrote this book partially for those who don't know a lot about Islam (has Amal explaining some basics of prayer and holidays to her non-Muslim friends, etc) she never gets into the meat of the hijab issue. Namely, WHY the headscarf is the chosen symbol of faith. Where does it come from? What's the history here? Or why, for example, Muslim women wear their symbol of faith on their heads, and not Muslim men. The narrator does make a reference to "hard-core feminists who don't get that this is me exercising my right to choose" but she never really explains WHY she made her decision, except that she just felt ready.<br /><br />In summary, (in case you want to skip all of my above ranting) Abdel-Fattah spends too much time defending Islam to the obviously ignorant characters in the book, and not enough time explaining the faith of Muslims to her very intelligent readers who want to know.<br /><br />Oh, if you have any recommendations for quality teen lit about Islam, PLEASE let me know!!

<a href="https://readasaurus.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1459070464i/18565492.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbeebooked/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/NeniaCampbell" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> || <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias/" rel="nofollow noopener">Facebook</a> || <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nenia-Campbell/e/B00AWVRKMS" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mightbeamisprin/" rel="nofollow noopener">Pinterest</a><br><br><br>I LOVED this! I've been wanting to read DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? ever since I found it on a Goodreads list a couple years ago. I was so intrigued by the fact that it was about a Muslim girl's decision to wear a hijab for the first time, and that it was published in 2007. It was so hard to find books published by and about PoCs in the aughts, especially for teen audiences, and I was really curious to see how the author would handle the subject.<br><br><br><br>A lot of aughts-era YA doesn't age well. It's rife with slut-shaming and outmoded (but very much the mindset of the times) ideas about gender roles; there are jokes that age badly and come across as offensive; and the shallow and superficial nature of raunch/party culture can make the teenager characters feel extra shallow and superficial. But that's the period I grew up in, so I sort of have a bitter nostalgia for it. I don't miss it and I would never go back to it, but reading about that time period makes me remember when I was young.<br><br><br><br>Amal is a great heroine. She's bratty and sarcastic, but she has a (mostly) good head on her shoulders. At her heart, she is kind and wants the best for her friends and the people she loves. Her parents are very liberal in their practicing of Islam and the decision to wear the hijab is her own decision because she wants to take her faith to the next level. In the beginning, she's hyper-conscious about the social ramifications of the decision though, especially with how her friends and schoolmates will respond to her now, in the post-9/11 climate (the book is set in 2002). Other conflicts involve dealing with romantic feelings when her religion doesn't really allow for premarital PDA and the different strictness with which some people adhere to religion (Amal's friend, Leila, has an incredibly strict mother who wants her to drop out of school and get married, asap).<br><br><br><br>The book is incredibly, wonderfully diverse. Amal and her family are Palestinian. Her friend, Leila, is Turkish. Her school friend, Eileen, is Japanese. Their white friend, Simone, is plus-size. Amal's sort-of love interest, Adam, is Jewish. Racism is discussed pretty heavily and I saw some younger readers saying that what Amal experiences feels unrealistic, but given when this is set, it really isn't. A lot of what people say online now, in the grossest parts of Twitter, they used to feel comfortable saying to your face. Post 9/11, there was a LOT of Islamophobia and it was incredibly toxic for Muslim people (just look at some of the FOX News articles from that time period, if you can stomach it). I also saw some people taking issue with the fatphobia that Simone has internalized and I'm sorry to say that that was pretty accurate, too. Body positivity was just a glimmer in feminism's eye in the aughts. It's part of the reason I can't read a lot of chick-lit published before 2010 anymore. Her hatred of her own body and the way she hurts herself to be skinny (in this case, smoking) was basically condoned by society, whether it was fashion magazines, women's fiction, or movies like <i>Bridget Jones</i>.<br><br><br><br>I really liked the book. I think it holds up well and has a good message. I loved the dated pop culture references, like MSN chat, Jessica Simpson, Craig David music, and Big Brother (the TV show). DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? has the same sort of humor as the Georgia Nicholson novels or old school Meg Cabot books. There are some problematic elements but for the most part, it still holds up, because it feels like such a raw and unflinching portrayal of what times were actually like back then, and also because the heroine is just so fully and unapologetically herself. I'll definitely have to read more from Ms. Abdel-Fattah because I love the voice she gave her heroine, and I kind of feel like it's probably hers, too.<br><br><br><br>4 to 4.5 stars

<b>3.5★<br>“I was ready to wear the hijab.<br>That’s right, Rachel from <i>’Friends’</i> inspired me. The sheikhs will be holding emergency conferences.”</b><br><br>This was written in 2005, so the pop references are out of date, sadly, but the story is as relevant as ever. The narrator is Amal, a 16-year-old Melbourne Muslim schoolgirl who lives in a happy household with a mother who wears the headscarf, but nobody expected that Amal would want to. She’s about to start Year 11 (Junior Year) in high school, and she wants to be proud of her faith. She does do her prayers during the day in a quiet place at school, so it’s not a fad.<br><br>When I was a girl, women never went into a church without a hat or head covering of some sort. When I visited Rome as a girl, all females were required to cover their heads and shoulders. The pope wears his cap, which looks remarkably like the caps Jewish men wear. Go figure. But I digress.<br><br>Her parents are migrants, a doctor and a dentist, and they all have friends from many backgrounds, so she’s not trying to meet anyone’s expectations. If anything, she’s preparing herself to face more snide remarks and bullying, but she’s a spunky girl and always up for a good debate.<br><br>She’s a girly girl. Loves makeup and shopping and fast food (not pork) and movies and TV. When Rachel from <i>‘Friends’</i> is brave enough to get up and dance in a hideous bridesmaid’s outfit, Amal decides she should be brave enough, too. It’s not as if nobody noticed she isn’t an Anglo.<br><br><b>“At this stage you should probably also know that my name is Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim. . . . The teachers labelled me slow in preschool because I was the last child to learn how to spell her name.”</b><br><br>There's plenty about parties, flirting after school, dating, boys, and curfews. Some things are universal about Western high schools almost no matter when you were born. Texting is included, but an updated version that includes more recent social media would be great.<br><br>It’s a cute book, although a bit too educational for me, full of little information dumps about history, different cultures, school issues. But for young (and very young) readers, I'm sure it needs to be spelled out.<br><br>Her parents are surprised and concerned about repercussions and whether or not she’s ready for it. Mum, who does wear the hijab, has a great idea.<br><br><b>“<i>‘‘So how about we go for a test run tonight?’</i> Mum asks me. <i>‘Let’s go to Chadstone.’</i><br>. . . <br>Chadstone means make-up, designer clothes, great hair. So basically I’ve got to replace great hair with great hijab in the equation and I’m all set.<br>. . . <br>But as I browse through the shops I realise how uncomfortable and irrational I’m acting because it feels like most people really couldn’t care less.”</b><br><br>There is a strong element in the story of the difference between religious beliefs and cultural traditions. One of her best friends, Leila, is being raised by a Muslim mother who was married very young and whose life is only at home, cooking and cleaning. She wants the same life for her 16-year-old daughter and keeps introducing prospective marriage partners. <br><br><b>“<i>‘Do you know my mum hasn’t even read the Koran? She goes on what her mum told her and what her mum’s mum told her. That’s her scripture!’</i> She gives me a grim smile. <i>‘It’s like talking to somebody from another planet. She’s the one offending Islam,’</i> she whispers. <i>‘Not me.’</i>”</b><br><br>Not only that, Leila’s mum is out of date back in Turkey as well.<br><br><b>“<i>‘My mum insists on wearing floral-print scarves with lace trimmings. My cousins gave her so much grief about them over in Turkey. They’re all wearing these gorgeous silk and satin materials with funky patterns and there’s my mum wearing what can pass off as a doily.’</i>”</b><br><br>We’re an ignorant bunch, Anglo-Europeans. People just smile if little girls wear crosses as earrings or on neck chains. But, boy! Wrap a scarf around your hair, and suddenly you’re either weird or a terrorist or both. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1548815024i/26988437.jpg" width="300" height="233" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><b>This is a head covering. Scary?</b><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1548815024i/26988438.jpg" width="300" height="421" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><b>Some may be scared of Her Majesty, but if her horses are running well, she’s happy.</b><br><br>We need to be exposed to more cultures and more history. Here’s one example I found of various styles.<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1548815024i/26988439._SY540_.jpg" width="500" height="610" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><b>Head coverings worn by women in different religions</b><br><br>Dr. <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/15461244.Susan_Carland" title="Susan Carland" rel="noopener">Susan Carland</a>, who wrote a book I reviewed earlier, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/34100196.Fighting_Hislam___Women__Faith_and_Sexism" title="Fighting Hislam - Women, Faith and Sexism by Susan Carland" rel="noopener">Fighting Hislam - Women, Faith and Sexism</a>, is a dinky-di Aussie girl,who converted from Baptist to Islam, much to the surprise of her parents. She later married university lecturer and lawyer, <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/2941728.Waleed_Aly" title="Waleed Aly" rel="noopener">Waleed Aly</a>, better known as a political commentator and TV host. She has got the whole bad hair taken care of perfectly!<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1548830765i/26989105.jpg" width="400" height="440" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><b>Dr Susan Carland, an Australian academic and public speaker, particularly on Muslim women’s affairs</b> <br><br>There are comparisons between Ramadan and Lent, and it’s an easy way to introduce the differences and similarities between cultures.<br><br>I think it’s suitable for older primary children, not just teens, and it would set them up well for high school, although none of them will know who Rachel from <i>‘Friends’</i> is, I guess.<br><br>(Read and reviewed January 2019. Goodreads seems to have the shelved date showing again.)<br><br>My review of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/34100196.Fighting_Hislam___Women__Faith_and_Sexism" title="Fighting Hislam - Women, Faith and Sexism by Susan Carland" rel="noopener">Fighting Hislam - Women, Faith and Sexism</a> is here:<br><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1983390636">https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...</a>

امل، یک دختر 16 ساله ی مسلمان استرالیایی، تصمیم می گیرد یک محجبه ی تمام وقت شود. برای من که در یک کشور اسلامی به دنیا آمدم و بزرگ شدم، حس و حال امل باید عجیب باشد. اما نبود.<br />امل تنها محجبه ی جمع است؛ من خیلی وقت ها تنها چادری جمع بوده ام. به امل به خاطر حجابش متلک انداخته اند؛ به من به خاطر چادر. امل، از نظر اطرافیانش، نماینده ی تمام مسلمانان و عرب های دنیاست، هر مسلمانی هر کجای دنیا، هر اشتباهی کرده باشد، امل باید جواب پس بدهد؛ من در تاکسی و اتوبوس، سوپر مارکت و حتی سر کلاس، تبدیل می شوم به نماینده ی مذهبی ها و ولایت فقیه. هر کس گله و شکلایتی داشته باشد، خیلی راحت روانه می کند به طرف من.<br />حس و حال امل اصلا برای من غریبه نبود. کاملا درکش می کردم.<br />به نگاه های تمسخر آمیز و تحویل گرفته نشدن و اینها کاری ندارم:<br />تنها محجبه ی جمع بودن، یا تنها چادری جمع بودن مساوی ست با هجوم نگاه های تو به اینجا تعلق نداری. مهم نیست که باهوش باشی، خوش فکر، اهل مطالعه، "چادری" هستی. به اینجا تعلق نداری. یا حتی با صدای بلند: اینجا هم دست از سر ما بر نمی دارید؟<br />من خیلی زود تسلیم این طرز تفکر شدم. خواهرم به واسطه ی دانشجوی هنرهای زیبا بودن، مقاوم تر است. اما من، نه. کافه نمی روم. تئاتر هم. بعضی وقت ها حتی در کتاب فروشی هم راحت نیستم... اما تازگی ها اتفاقی افتاد که روی سینما هم خط کشیدم.<br />دختر خاله هایم را برده بودم رخ دیوانه، سینما آزادی، سالن اصلی. طبقه ی بالای بالا. فیلم که تمام شد، سفر طولانی پایین آمدن آن هفت طبقه با پله برقی آغاز شد. دختر و پسری از دور آمدند به سمت ما. انگار عجله داشتند. یک طرف ایستادم تا از کنارم رد شوند. اما نشدند. پسر دقیقا ایستاد پشت سر من و شروع کرد به صحبت کردن:<br />چه بوی بدی میاد!!! بوی پا میاد... بوی اینایی که مسجد می رن!!! <br />داشتم منفجر می شدم. اما تنها کاری که از دستم بر می آمد این بود که در اولین پاگرد پله ها، بایستم کنار تا با خنده از کنارم رد شوند. بعد با خودم فکر کنم سینما رفتن هم از لیست تفریحات حذف شد...

<a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439135.gif" width="500" height="230" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439136.gif" width="500" height="230" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br>With Sana Bakkoush - played by the effervescent Iman Meskini - recently announced as the main for <strong>Skam</strong> season four, as I’d so fervently hoped for back <a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com/2017/03/29/skam-book-tag-the-boy-squad-original/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">when I created my original Skam book tag</a>, I wanted to immerse myself in some much-needed fiction told from the point of view of a Muslim hijabi girl as the main character.<strong> Does My Head Look Big in This?</strong> seemed to be the perfect starting point.<br><br>Set in Melbourne, Amal is a 16-year-old Australian-Muslim-Palestinian teen with all the usual obsessions about boys, chocolate and Cosmo magazine. She's also struggling to honour the Islamic faith in a society that doesn't understand it. The story of her decision to "shawl up" is funny, surprising and touching by turns.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439137.gif" alt="636219512759788439178163785_tumblr_ohgtdtguew1sp02wlo1_500" width="500" height="226" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>(Fun fact: I started reading this right after having rewatched the above iconic episode in <strong>Skam</strong> season two, where the girls go to a remote cabin and Sana defies all their exceptions.)<br> <br>• <strong>Does My Head Look Big in This?</strong> started out incredible with following Amal's decision to wear a hijab <em>“</em>as a full-timer.” I particularly loved getting to read her thought process leading up to that moment:<br> <br><em>“I’m terrified. But at the same time I feel like my passion and conviction in Islam are bursting inside me and I want to prove to myself that I’m strong enough to wear a badge of my faith. I believe it will make me feel so close to God. Because it’s damn hard to walk around with people staring at your “nappy head” and not feel kind of pleased with yourself – if you manage to get through the stares and comments with your head held high. That’s when this warm feeling buzzes through you and you smile to yourself, knowing God’s watching you, knowing that He knows you’re trying to be strong to please Him. Like you’re both in on a private joke and something special and warm and extraordinary is happening and nobody in the world knows about it because it’s your own experience, your own personal friendship with your Creator. I guess when I’m not wearing the hijab I feel like I’m missing out. I feel cheated out of that special bond.”</em><br> <br>• However, I quickly came to notice a number of problematic phrases thrown in here that rubbed me the wrong way, like describing someone angry as "psychotic" and the like. And I especially detested how this next conversation was handled:<br> <br><em>“Anyway, back to your attempt to wear the hijab without the assistance of Revlon. I hate to disappoint you, but there are only a few women in this world who can get away with the natural look. Don’t you read New Weekly? “Stars without their make-up”, etc.? Hello? Do you have a big modelling contract you haven’t told me about? Are you co-starring in Brad Pitt’s next movie? If your answer to either of these questions is no, then go out and buy some cosmetic products this instant.”</em><br><br>I feel like Lilly Singh said it best when she talked about said topic:<br><br><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439138.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439139.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439140.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439141.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439142.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439143.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439144.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439145.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439146.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1491712892ra/22439147.gif" width="250" height="140" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br>• Plus, I couldn't for the life of me why understand why Amal was so infatuated with Adam Keane. To borrow <a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/review-one-day-well-all-be-dead-and-none-of-this-will-matter-by-scaachi-koul/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Scaachi Koul’s superb phrasing</a>, this boy was the epitome of “forgettable, something that even now makes me think of warm, soggy bread, or crackers with the salt brushed off.” So when the book focused on those vapid white boys more than I liked, I was gone.<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1491712892i/22439148.jpg" alt="5f6019a45220e3a2ffaa1497c1cc7852_if-i-could-be-a-meme-it-would-meme-guy-disappearing_540-538" width="412" height="410" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>• Another thing I want to mention is that I feel like the author had this great opportunity of discussing body-image and taking care of oneself with Simone's character, who's described as: <em>“incredibly self-conscious about her body. She doesn’t understand that it’s all in her mind. OK, so she’s not a size eight, can’t feel her ribcage and doesn’t have toothpicks for legs. She’s about a size fourteen and really voluptuous and curvy and gorgeous with big blue eyes, creamy, radiant skin and lips that look like she has permanent red lipstick on.”</em> But that lesson of accepting yourself never really came... The only thing that came out of it was a lot of harmful and triggering sayings spewed, such as this next paragraph that made my head spin:<br><br><em>“Or I see all these model shoots of gorgeous beach babes with their bones poking into my hand when I turn the pages and I think, what’s the point? Even if I lost ten kilos and was in my weight–height ratio, people would still consider me fat. I wish I could become anorexic. How sick is that, huh? But I don’t have the self-control to live off a lettuce leaf a day. And I’ve tried the whole bulimia thing but I can’t even throw up. I’m just pathetic! Abnormal!”</em><br><br>... How is this in the final version of the book??? This ignorance and insensitivity consequently led to a lot of girl-on-girl hate while comparing herself to others. Speaking of which, those "mean girls" were never really given any characterization, so that blew off as well for me.<br><br>After all that I really tried giving this book multiple tries to impress me again, but I just kept getting disappointed time and again. So in the end I decided to give myself a break, in particular after reading this next horrible thing spit out of Amal's mouth about her friend's mom, who wouldn't let her daughter leave the house to go shopping:<br><br><em>“I’m just about ready to report Leila’s mum to immigration.</em><br><em>Grounds for deportation: stupidity.</em><br><em>Alternative country: none. No nationality deserves her. Send her to Mars.”</em><br><br>I just... how do you rollback from that???<br><br>So unfortunately <strong>Does My Head Look Big in This?</strong> was a DNF around the half-way point for me.<br>In the meantime, however, you can catch me rewatching <a href="https://twitter.com/ISAKxEVEN/status/850288960773509121" rel="nofollow noopener">these</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SiwRenateS/status/850292817696104449" rel="nofollow noopener">two</a> recently released <strong>Skam</strong> clips until season four is out there in the world.<br>(I'm still amazed by the usage of the song.)<br><br><strong>no rating</strong><br><br><i> <em>Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying</em> </i> <strong>Does My Head Look Big in This?</strong>, <i>just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!</i><br><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1407148117/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1407148117&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=natalie013-20&amp;linkId=8e636f1e9e975e7c92f7df4a833e6c7a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ASIN=1407148117&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;tag=natalie013-20" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><br><a href="https://bookspoils.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener">This review and more can be found on my blog.</a>