American Heart

Gr 8 Up—In a near-future that harkens back to the Japanese internment during World War II, "Get 'Em Outta Here" is a T-shirt slogan, and Muslims are required to live in "security zones," aka detention centers, supposedly for their own safety. Sarah-Mary, who lives with her religious aunt in rural Missouri, hasn't given much thought to the containment rules until her little brother is aided by an Iranian woman. Sarah-Mary agrees to help the woman make her way to the Canadian border and they concoct a story about Sarah-Mary's Portuguese aunt, who speaks no English. Hitchhiking is cold and dangerous, despite their sign: "Needing Ride… Help a Sister Out!" Adding complications is the large reward for Sadaf Behzadi's apprehension. As they travel, Sarah-Mary comes to realize that Sadaf (who taught electrical engineering in college, before the political changes) is not threatening, although she does need to find the proper direction in hotel rooms, to kneel for her prayers. The story centers on the logistics of the road trip, with little depth to Sadaf and Muslim culture. For more nuanced insights, consider Omar Saif Ghobash's Letters to a Young Muslim, a nonfiction book written for adults but accessible to teens, or Gretchen Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel comics, starring a Pakistani American teenage Muslim superhero.