A charming, heartwarming, hug of a middle grade book featuring a rag tag group of young Muslim kids who get stuck at an airport during a storm and band together to help find a missing cat. I absolutely loved all five of these characters. Each one is dealing with some heavy family issues that were so relatable and well written. Young readers are going to cheer as the group thwarts airport security and solves the case. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital copy of this unique, multi-authored book you don't want to miss!

Over the years I've read to a lot of kids, with a lot of kids, discussed books in classrooms, and in book clubs, so when reviewing I often share what kids think or what I imagine kids will think, and I usually acknowledge when I'm being overly critical as a reviewer, but this book I will tell you, I did not read through the intended middle grade lens, I read it as a 42 year old seasoned reader.  I know this because I cried during the entire second half, and the book is not sad.  It is fast paced, joyful and adventure filled.  I cried at the ownership of identity, the pureness of friendship, the acceptance of the flaws and strengths of those closest to us, the love of family and that this book is written by four incredible Muslim women authors for Muslim kids to be seen and for non Muslims to see Muslim kids in action in a fantastic, non preachy, authentic, powerful engaging story.  In short I loved it.  I love that the voices are different, but polished and seamless in conveying a fictional story with universal themes through a variety of Muslim characters without talking down or over explaining anything. From the maps to the crossover character Hanna from S.K. Ali books, the poetry from they young lyricist to the representation and discussions of Muslims not being a monolith, and the sprinkling of a Hadith or Quranic ayat here and there (I wish there was more), the book tugged at my heart strings.  For kids third grade and up, some of those themes might resonate, or it might just be a book about a lost cat in an airport and a hodgepodge group of strangers, turning friends, stranded in an airport searching for her while dodging security and exasperated parents. 

SYNOPSIS:

The end of the MONA  (Muslims of North America) Conference has lots of families at the fictional Zora Neale Hurston heading home.  Tired parents and restless kids lead Feek's little sister Ruqi to go missing and Feek to blame.  As he searches for his little sister he meets Hanna, a girl looking for a lost cat, not her lost cat, just one she has heard about from her animal activist group that is missing at the airport.  As they search for Ruqi, Sami gets dragged along even though he'd rather be mentally keeping his anxiety in check as he prepares for the Karate competition he is heading to.  Luckily Nora, Congresswoman Najjar's daughter, finds Ruqi and the five strangers are brought together.  When all flights are grounded because of weather, the group goes in search of the missing cat, Snickerdoodle, finding leads, security, secret corridors, self confidence, friendship, and skills along the way.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I knew the book would be good with the authors' names on the cover and their ability to tell a good story, but I was still blown away by how real the characters were fleshed out and their "problems" articulated.  The emotional connection to each character facing their insecurities and supporting one another's' vulnerabilities was reflective and insightful. I love the diverse inclusion of showing Muslims that don't speak Arabic or don't know if they are Muslim enough, of Black Muslims and Black culture, of being an only children and struggling with siblings, understanding parental expectation and finding your voice to speak up to those you love.  The surface story is paced well and entertaining and sufficient, but the details and the story beneath the surface, really is powerful.

Again with the reviewer lens- I did wish in the middle there was a tiny bit more inclusion of a Bismillah when following a lead or an AstugfirAllah when breaking a rule or a quick prayer when running from authorities, the beginning and end was Islamically rooted, but as an Islamic School Librarian, I must admit I'd like a few more mentions during the "adventure" parts.

FLAGS:

The kids are dishonest, they break rules (possibly laws), they lie, and do some damage, they sneak and kind of talk back to their parents, nothing is normalized or accepted though and they are called to account.  There is a birthday that is celebrated with everyone singing, and possible triggers of talking about a deceased parent.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Even though the book is meant for middle grades, I think younger middle school readers would enjoy the book and find plenty to discuss as they see themselves and others in the characters, imagine what they would do in such a situation, and get swept up in the ride.

One way to avoid the "single-story" issue is to blend multiple points of view into one story, and these 4 Muslim authors have done just that in this collaborative story of four kids waiting out a storm in an airport. Each has their own agenda and hidden struggles, which unfold in layers as the story is told from alternating POVs. Drawn together at first in the search for Feek's little sister, Feek, Hanna, Nora, and Sami are soon pulled into a hunt for a cat who went missing in the airport. Through their search, these four kids learn hidden truths about themselves and each other, and the importance of human connection.
Fantastic story of intersectionality, empathy, and diversity within a community.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced galley.

I really enjoyed this book! For some reason, I thought it was going to be a collection of connected short stories due to the four amazing authors collaborating on this project, so it was delightful to discover this was a full-length novel. It flowed between the POVs so seamlessly and the story was so fast paced, that I would never have guessed that this was a collaboration if I hadn't known it ahead of time! Really well written, really great characters, and really wonderful themes and lessons.

This book was full of heart, mystery, friendship, family, finding yourself, and so much more. The story was terrific. All 4 of the main characters were well fleshed out, and had their own things that they were dealing with and sorting through. It was amazing to see how their friendship with each other developed one night in the airport as they worked together to find a missing cat.

Great representation and thrilled to see Muslim kids starring in this one. I've read some YA novels featuring Muslim voices and will be sure to check out more from each of these incredible authors.

Highly recommend for ages 9+, I think this will be a crowd pleaser in classrooms and home libraries. What a delightful read this was!

There is great energy and bonding between these four kids (and one little sister.)
Thank you Abrams Kids and Amulet Books for the digital review copy!

This story is such a beautiful, happy story. The characters and their development are phenomenal, their personalities are unique, and the friendship between all four protagonists is beautiful. One of the best parts of this book is how each of the main characters is Muslim, and each of them practice differently or think about it differently. The different perspectives brought by each of the authors provided a great understanding of how Islam is not a monolith. Also, as a Love From A to Z fan, I was so happy to see Hanna's point of view and see more development from her as a character outside of being Adam's sister. Overall, this story is full of self-discovery, animal love, and friendship.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital ARC of this wonderful book!

What a fantastically warm and fuzzy book! I loved it. Now, I need to go learn more about the different Muslim prayers. Thanks for the delightful and educational experience!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are relatable, and their airport adventure is very entertaining. I like how each character's story connects with the others and how each of them finds their voice.

I truly enjoyed this middle grade fiction. Crazy timing to read this book as so many fights were being canceled and people were stranded. It made the story even more real. I have my 12 year old reading the story now and he is captivated and able to read it as if it was happening to him.

Grounded was incredible! A group of kids on their way home from a Muslim conference end up meeting at an airport- in search of a missing cat, avoiding talk with dad, annoyed at little sister, etc - and end up finding a lot more. Relatable, poignant.

Grounded is a fun book about making friends in unexpected places. I love that the four different characters were written by four different authors. I look forward to adding it to my classroom library and using it for mini lessons on character.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Grounded. Grounded is a story of four young Muslim kids, Nora, Feek, Hanna, and Sami when they are all stranded at an airport for a few hours. Hanna knows about a cat that has been missing at the airport and is determined to find it. She manages to rope the others into helping her. The search results in a lot of twists and turns. I truly enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. The stories of four young Muslim kids going on adventures and saving animals in an airport was funny and surprisingly meaningful. The themes of family, friendship, and speaking up for oneself all ring true. I was happy there wasn't any Islamaphobia in this book, for a change, having read many of the authors' previous works. While the characters aren't Muslim, this isn't a religious book, and even non-Muslim youth can enjoy the adventures. I appreciate that this is a clean book, with strong women, diverse characters, and positive representations. I will definitely keep a copy on my classroom shelves. Thanks for a happy ending!

Grounded is a delightful middle-grades novel about a group of Muslim kids who find each other at an airport and end up on a wild adventure to find a lost cat. The adventure leads them all over an international airport and lands them in places they never imagined themselves. They have to use their quick-wits, unique talents, and bond quickly as friends to overcome challenges including facing themselves.

I found myself wanting to read more to get to the end of the story, then I wanted just a little more. A fun book I hope many kids and adults will want to read.

This was a hilarious and cute middle grade book! I loved Hanna in Love from A to Z and it was great to see her get her own story in Grounded. She’s definitely my favorite but the others eventually grew on me too!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley fir letting me review this book. The inventive candy bar flavors were a nice touch. It started as a regular flight but then things get crazy! I like how the kids work together. I liked how they all stayed friends after the crazy adventure they had.

-Grounded, by four Muslim kidlit powerhouses is so much fun!
-The plot was a little overwhelming at first, but I eventually just rolled with the chaos of it all. I like that it didn't actually get too dark.
-I thought keeping track of four kids' viewpoints would be a bit of a handful, but they each had distinctive voices and their own unique families and outlooks.

-There obviously isn't a plentitude of Black + Muslim characters anywhere, but Feek was the most realistic one I've come across so far. His love and care for his little sister was super cute and his frustration of being the promoted-to-parent eldest was real.
-I loved seeing the absolutely infectious Hanna Chen again. (I will always love S.K Ali's crossover characters in all her books). Passionate characters are always so entertaining. I have an inordinate amount of love for glasses-wearing main characters, so I hope she gets her glasses in the finalized cover!
-The characters are diverse in culture and background - Chinese + Finnish who lives in Qatar, Lebanese American, Black American, and South Asian. There's also diversity in levels of faith: some are quicker to remember Allah and make dua, others less so, one unsure of the label of Muslim because her family isn't practicing.

-I had only a single quibble about the Muslim rep at the very end of the book. I was kinda unhappy for it to end with a singing and dancing birthday party since many Muslims (like me) don't celebrate them.

It's a solid middle grade in that it has a zany plot (kids running around an airport when all the flights are grounded in order to find a cat that's been missing for a week in the airport) and humor but the positivity of friendships that develop and the deepened connections with family that endures once the kids have the courage to lean on one another and step up against their family.

All told: one is kind of ignored by her Congresswoman mother, another is trying to live up to a dad that raps, one is trying to get over their dad looking for a new wife at the Muslims of North America conference that they were all just attending and what it means to be one (though that's not even really mentioned more than a few times), one is going to miss out on a karate tournament, one is disappointed in not visiting Chocolate World to gain more followers on social media, one has to apologize for being a bad friend once she returns home, one is on a quest for justice for animals being tranquilized unknowingly before being put on flights. It's all just a bit *too much* yet provides the humor, adventure, and heart that's at the core of any fast-paced middle grade.