- Title:
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Does My Head Look Big in This?
- Written by:
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Randa Abdel-Fattah
- Read by:
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Rebecca Macauley
- Format:
-
Unabridged CD Audio Book
- Number of CDs:
-
8
- Duration:
-
9 hours 2 minutes
- Published:
-
December 01 2006
- Available Date:
-
December 01 2006
- Age Category:
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Young Adult (13+)
- ISBN:
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1741635985
- APN / ISBN-13:
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9781741635980
- Genres:
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Fiction; Australian Fiction; Contemporary Fiction; Humorous Fiction; Islam; Young Adult Fiction
- Publisher:
-
Bolinda audio
Qty
Format
Price
Bolinda price
Bestseller
International bestseller
Winner Australian Book Industry Award / Book of the Year for Older Children 2006
"This is a superb first novel with clever, entertaining dialogue, language and characters."
Good Reading Magazine
"[A] witty, sensitive debut..."
People Magazine
High school is tough enough without throwing a hijab into the mix...
The slide opened and I heard a gentle, kind voice: What is your confession, my child? I was stuffed. The Priest would declare me a heretic; my parents would call me a traitor... The Priest asked me again: What is your confession, my child? I'm Muslim, I whispered.
Welcome to my world. I'm Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens. It's hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group. Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bum's-up position at lunchtime and you know you're in for a tough time at school. Luckily my friends support me, although they've got a few troubles of their own. Simone, blonde, gorgeous and overweight - she's got serious image issues, and Leila's really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate than her high school certificate! And I thought I had problems.
"Using a winning mix of humor and sensitivity, Abdel-Fattah ably demonstrates that her heroine is, at heart, a teen like any other. This debut should speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider for any reason."
Publishers Weekly
"More than the usual story of the immigrant teen's conflict with her traditional parents, the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere."
Booklist
"Determined to prove she's strong enough to 'wear a badge of my faith,' Amal faces ostracism and ridicule as she dons her hijab with both good humor and trepidation... Abdel-Fattah's fine first novel offers a world of insight to post-9/11 readers."
Kirkus Reviews
Amal's decision to wear the traditional Muslim veil full-time (including school) takes some guts. Can she cope with the prejudice, keep her friends, and attract the cutest boy in school?
The Guardian
"Amal Abdel-Hakim is a 17-year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim who's asking the same question all teens ask: How do I fit into my world?. She's bright, pretty, popular, and she's just decided to wear the hijab – the headscarf – full time. How this changes Amal's life is recounted in serious and hilarious detail and narrated with authenticity by Rebecca Macauley, who manages both teen angst and adult tones with equal aplomb. While the Australian slang may sometimes mystify American teens, the story's universal appeal and Macaulay's gifted narration will keep listeners fully engaged in Amal's struggle to be an observant Muslim while still maintaining an ordinary teenager's life."
AudioFile Magazine