WISHING UPON THE SAME STARS

Narrator Ariana Delawari excels at catching the ups and downs of 12-year-old Yasmeen Khoury, who unwillingly leaves Detroit to move with her parents to San Antonio. Having been embraced by an Arab-American community in Michigan, Yasmeen faces a Texas suburban community in which all the houses and most of the people look the same. Delawari's narration runs an emotional gamut: joy at finding a first friend, shame and confusion at being bullied by mean girls; triumphing in math class; and floundering in a dance group. Yasmeen also feels the confusion and frustration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a faraway crisis that is brought close to home in this story. Delawari's portrayal of Yasmeen captures what it means to own your heritage while also finding a place to belong. S.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]