Saadia Faruqi

On a rainy day at recess, second grader Ali Tahir teaches his classmates to make and fly paper airplanes, but when they have a contest to see whose plane can fly farthest, Ali is disappointed by the results of his throw. Includes instructions of making paper airplanes.

In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.

"In this collection of four stories, Yasmin takes charge of some sticky situations! At home, at school, or out and about, Yasmin faces challenges head on with creativity and quick thinking. Whether she's creating a new recipe, finding a way to rescue a stuck toy for a little friend, or calming down monkeys (and classmates!), a clever solution to any problem is just around the corner!"--Amazon.com.

When spring arrives, Yasmin and her Baba plant a garden but Yasmin's flower seedling keeps wilting until her Nani sits in the sun, revealing to Yasmin what the plant needs.

"It's hard enough being a kid without being teased for a funny sounding name or wearing a hijab. It's even harder when you're constantly fighting your sibling--and Zara and Zeeshan really can't stand each other. During a family trip to Florida, when the bickering, shoving, and insults reach new heights of chaos, their parents sentence them to the worst possible fate--each other's company! But when the twins find an ailing turtle, it presents a rare...

Must Love Pets has a new job: pet sitting three adorable kittens. What Imaan, London, and Olivia don't expect is all the trouble these tiny creatures can get into, from climbing the curtains, to crawling on kitchen counters, and spilling baking supplies everywhere. To get out of the house--and out of Mama's hair--the girls take the kittens to a local farmers' market. There, they meet the world's cutest goat, and the kittens have a ball. At the end...

Yasmin struggles with Ms. Alex's assignment to write an essay about her hero until she realizes that her hero is someone very close to her.

Yasmin is not sure she is cut out to be an astronaut, but a class trip to the space museum, and a tour of the mission control exhibit gives her another idea about how she could still be involved in the space program.

Told in two voices, eleven-year-olds Mimi, who is visiting her wealthy grandparents in Karachi, Pakistan, for the first time and Sakina, daughter of the grandparents' cook, form an unexpected friendship.

Yasmin is thrilled about her school's new recycling program, but getting her friends to pitch in is no easy task.