She Wore Red Trainers

October 6, 2014
Eighteen-year-old Muslim neighbors Ali and Amirah surprise themselves and each other by falling in love at first sight. After Ali's mother dies unexpectedly and his father's business falters, the family moves from Hertfordshire in the British countryside to a council flat in South London. Still grieving, Ali turns to Islam for comfort and guidance; he feels lost and concerned about taking a "gap year" instead of studying law. Amirah faces similar problems: her mother's depression has taken hold after her husband abandons the family, leaving Amirah to care for her younger siblings. While Amirah is expected to study business or get married, her passion is drawing. These teens try to navigate what in their daily lives is halal (permissible) and what is haram (forbidden) in this thoughtful look at contemporary, urban Muslim life. Alternating between Amirah and Ali's perspectives, Robert (Black Sheep) teases out the subtleties of young romance and the confounding pull of mutual attraction. While the story takes some melodramatic turns, it speaks vividly to conflicts of freedom, temptation, and faith. Ages 14âup.

November 15, 2014
Grades 7-10 After Ali's mother died, he found great comfort in his Muslim faith, and moving to a mostly Muslim South London neighborhood helps invigorate his faith even more, particularly when he spots Amirah and immediately feels drawn to her. Amirah also strives to stick to her deen, or righteous path, but she doesn't want to be just another cookie-cutter Muslim wifeshe loves art and wants adventure, and though Ali has a bad reputation, he is the only one for her. Robert has painted a rich, varied picture of contemporary practicing Muslim teens in England, and while some passages come off a bit didactic, she succeeds in demonstrating the myriad ways many teens can live how they want while keeping halal. Alternating between Ali and Amirah's first-person narratives, Robert writes sensitively about their struggles to be true to themselves while making their families happya recognizable experience in any religious tradition. Though some Briticisms in this sweet halal romance may be unfamiliar to American readers, Robert includes a helpful glossary of Arabic words and phrases.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)