Yusuf Azeem is excited to be starting his first year at Frey Middle School and to be joining the Robotics club with his best friend, Danial. His small town of Frey has always been home to his family and the larger Muslim community that he is part of. However, with the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, tensions begin to rise in Frey with the influence of a hate group, the Patriot Sons, whose goal is to rid Frey of any "outsiders." With the help of his friends and other community members, Yusuf attempts to reclaim his home and his town. Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero will surely help spark many conversations about Islamophobia and xenophobia, as well as how much things have changed (or not) in the past 20 years. Faruqi's emotional story will resonate with older readers who lived through the events many years ago, and younger readers will gain insight on the lasting effects that the 9/11 attacks had on Americans and why they are an important part of history.

Twelve-year-old Yusuf Azeem is excited to start sixth grade until he finds hostile and racist notes in his locker.Pakistani American Yusuf lives in the small town of Frey, Texas, with his father, who owns the A to Z Dollar Store; his mom, a freelance journalist and editor; and his younger sister. Yusuf has a feeling that 2021 will be a great year; he's especially looking forward to participating in a robotics competition. Then he runs into bully Ethan Grant, a White boy whose father belongs to a nationalist group opposing the construction of a local mosque. With the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Yusuf's social studies teacher has made it the subject of an assignment. Uncle Rahman gives Yusuf his journal from 2001-when he was 12-and through it Yusuf learns about how his uncle and other American Muslims were affected by Islamophobia and why 9/11 still matters today. Yusuf endures a life-changing incident when Ethan makes an accusation that publicly terrifies and humiliates him. Faruqi seamlessly interweaves Uncle Rahman's journal entries into the story and realistically portrays the relationships and dynamics of the town's small Muslim population. Yusuf's character is well developed; surrounded by a loving family and tightknit community, he slowly finds his voice and the strength to stand up for what's right even if it is scary.A timely, emotional story full of hope and love even in the face of discrimination and prejudice. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)