“Zia (Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji) has deep insight into adolescent Muslim life and capably handles diversity within American Islam.” ― Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“The novel is at its best when depicting Aliya’s interactions with her grandmother and great-grandmother as well as comic incidents such as a halal turkey mix-up at Thanksgiving dinner. This would be a good addition for libraries serving Muslim populations; it also might be of interest to non-Muslim readers wanting to find out more about the religion’s everyday life and practices.” ― School Library Journal
“Zia’s gentle message—that Muslims come from many cultures whose observances differ, while the long shadow of 9/11 hovers over all—is timely and beautifully conveyed.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“The complexities of race relations are also delicately handled: Aliya faces some clearly racist attacks when she is called a terrorist, but the author also includes instances of well-intentioned people saying the wrong, and often ignorant, thing… The bones here are comfortably familiar, adding to the resonance of this accessible story about fitting in [with]in a global world.” ― Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Author Farhana Zia creates a nice balance of universality and more culturally specific issues, opening a door into a world that is less familiar to many Americans… This is a relatable book well suited to starting dialogue between Middle Eastern and Western readers.” ― Parents’ Choice
“A thoughtful coming-of-age story.” ― Bristol Herald Courier
Parents’ Choice Recommended Award ― Parents’ Choice Foundation, 2013
Best Children’s Books of the Year ― Bank Street College of Education, 2014
Social Justice Literature Award ― Literacy and Social Justice Special Interest Group, International Reading Association, 2014
South Asia Book Award (Honor Book) ― South Asia National Outreach Consortium, 2014
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards (Honor Book, Language Arts Grades K-6 Novels) ― Society of School Librarians International, 2013
For more reviews see the Goodreads page!