Grounded

Authors: Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, and S.K. Ali

Publisher: Amulet/ Abrams Books (May 9, 2023)

ISBN: 9781419761751

Grounded

The Breakfast Club meets Hello Universe when four unlikely kids meet at the airport and their flights are grounded, changing their lives forever.

From the Author: Story Behind the Story

During the pandemic shutdown, four authors, including me, imagined what it would be like to be kids and go to an airport and have an adventure. We wrote a novel via Zoom and text messages.

Learn about our characters by clicking on the images below! I wrote Feek and Ruqi’s chapters. (Ruqi is riding on Feek’s back.)

Reviews

“I loved this thrilling airport adventure, complete with friendship, thunderstorms, chocolate, and a missing celebrity cat. I couldn’t put it down! Kids will love the comfort the book offers, as well as the adventure.” – Victoria Jamieson, author of Roller Girl, a Newbery Honor book

“I love this book! It’s the exact type of story I dreamed about finding as a kid—fun and funny with diverse Muslim representation. So charming and full of heart!” – Jasmine Warga, New York Times bestselling author of A Rover’s Story

“Saeed, Al-Marashi, Thompkins-Bigelow, and Ali write four relatable, well-developed characters from different backgrounds who represent the diversity of Muslim communities, seamlessly connecting their individual and collective stories into a single whole. A positive, engaging story centering Muslim kids.” – Kirkus Reviews

“In alternating points of view, the four authors—who collaborated on Once Upon an Eid (2020)—have crafted a book that, while it brims with unapologetic Muslim rep, is not about religion but friendship and adventure. Hand to readers seeking a quick escape.” – Booklist

“Spirited characters with distinctly wrought backgrounds prove both idealistic and realistic while emphasizing the importance of community and the idea that there is more than one way to honor Muslim identity.” – Publishers Weekly