The Magical Reality of Nadia

January 4, 2021
In this entertaining story by comedian Youseff and author Daly (the Flower Girls series), fact-loving Nadia Youssef, who’s Egyptian American, eagerly begins sixth grade wearing a necklace she bought during her summer trip to Cairo. When an animated man shows up in her notebook, though, Nadia discovers that the necklace’s antique hippo amulet has for 2,000 years imprisoned quirky teacher Titi. The duo realizes that he can only be freed if he assists Nadia seven times; via magical adventures to ancient Egypt rendered in Holgate’s (the Last Kids on Earth series) comiclike illustrations, Titi supports Nadia through the turbulence of her first weeks at school. Tensions rise between Nadia and her friends as they take on an immigration-related project, and she struggles to deal with a school bully, who makes ignorant, increasingly pointed jokes about her culture. Smart, confident Nadia is guided by a strong sense of right and wrong; aided by Titi’s lessons and wisdom from her parents, she faces these challenges with bravery, resilience, and compassion. In this heartfelt tale, Youseff and Daly strike a solid balance between magical worldbuilding, witty humor, and a unifying anti-xenophobic theme. Ages 8–12.

Lameece Issaq's youthful narration captures the first in a series featuring sixth grader Nadia. She returns from Egypt to reunite with her "Nerd Crew" of like-minded, culturally diverse friends who join forces to put together a museum project. At the story's center are Nadia's changing emotions--her incomprehension of a classmate's bullying, the comfort she finds from friends, and the hurt of experiencing microaggressions and learning that her peers have problems with her leadership style. Issaq adopts an accent when portraying Titi, a magical figure who emerges from Nadia's amulet to aid her problem solving. While the story's transitions between magical and realistic elements sometimes seem abrupt, the novel's depictions of prejudice and issues of identity will avidly engage listeners. Egyptian comedian and coauthor Bassem Youssef narrates several small bits. S.W. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine