A cute and cultural middle grade story about Farah Hajjar (rocks), a smart girl who wants nothing more than the best for her family.

READ IF YOU…

• Enjoy multicultural books
• Want a cute, middle grade read
• Want a book about growing up Arab-American

Title: Farah Rocks Fifth Grade | Author: Susan Muaddi Darraj, Ruaida Mannaa (Illustrator) | Rating: 4/5

A cute read I wish I had growing up. The book follows Farah Hajjar, or Farah “Rocks” as she is called, because hajjar in Arabic means “rocks.” I LOVED how Farah’s Palestinian family is portrayed – exactly how my family is. it’s a true testament to how growing up in an Arab-American immigrant family is like, and likely similar to growing up in another immigrant groups to the US.

I especially loved how Arabic was interwoven in the writing. It wasn’t overt, wasn’t confusing, and instead added color and dimension to the story. I enjoyed how Farah’s parents’ accents weren’t ridiculed, but instead, seen as part of the norm and was playfully described. This is the kind of book you want your child, whether they come from an immigrant background or not, to read and be exposed to.

Though the book is middle grade and I zipped through it in likely less than an hour, I plan on reading the other books in the series.