The Partition Project

by Saadia Faruqi (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

In this engaging and moving middle grade novel, Saadia Faruqi writes about a contemporary Pakistani American girl whose passion for journalism starts a conversation about her grandmother's experience of the Partition of India and Pakistan--and the bond that the two form as she helps Dadi tell her story.

When her grandmother comes off the airplane in Houston from Pakistan, Mahnoor knows that having Dadi move in is going to disrupt everything about her life. She doesn't have time to be Dadi's unofficial babysitter--her journalism teacher has announced that their big assignment will be to film a documentary, which feels more like storytelling than what Maha would call "journalism."

As Dadi starts to settle into life in Houston and Maha scrambles for a subject for her documentary, the two of them start talking. About Dadi's childhood in northern India--and about the Partition that forced her to leave her home and relocate to the newly created Pakistan.

As details of Dadi's life are revealed, Dadi's personal story feels a lot more like the breaking news that Maha loves so much. And before she knows it, she has the subject of her documentary.

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Starred Review

Powerful and timely.

ALA/Booklist

A fast-paced page-turner of a novel.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 3-7--Maha is a future journalist, obsessed with everything about the news. What's new in her life is the arrival of her dadi who has just moved from Pakistan and into Maha's bedroom. Along with her new room and new job as her grandmother's "babysitter," Maha has a school documentary project taking up her time. Slowly, stubborn and grumpy Dadi begins to soften and bond with Maha through sharing memories from her childhood, in particular the events surrounding the 1947 partition of India. When Maha confronts her own lack of knowledge surrounding her family's past, she begins to see the importance of history to the present moment. Diving full force into an exploration of the partition for her documentary tests Maha's stamina, patience, and relationships. Maha navigates her school project and new friendships while collecting interviews and recollections of the partition. Readers will discover along with Maha how our separate histories connect to our shared future, and the importance of archiving and protecting the personal stories of collective moments. VERDICT A heartwarming exploration of history through personal stories perfect for middle grade readers.--Hayley Morgenstern

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Only the facts matter to 12-year-old aspiring journalist Mahnoor Raheem, so when she partners on a study project for English class with best friend Kim Hoang, Maha finds herself largely uninterested in the fiction books Kim suggests they read. Maha instead focuses on her media studies assignment for which she must create a short documentary with a storytelling hook. Her unlikely subject is Dadi, her gruff Pakistani grandmother, who lives with Maha and her parents following a permanent move to Sugar Land, Tex. Initially resentful of Dadi's sudden arrival, Maha is soon drawn to her grandmother's childhood stories, especially as Maha's busy parents have imparted little of their Pakistani heritage. Through Dadi, Maha learns of the Partition, the violent severing of British India into Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India, as well as the horrors her grandmother witnessed as a young refugee. Meanwhile, Kim views Maha's preoccupation with Dadi's stories as interfering with their English project, and their friendship fractures. In this vivid rendering of how growing cultural awareness and identity exploration can shape one's adolescence, Faruqi (Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero) presents an empowering story of family that will bolster tweens negotiating blended identities. Supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kari Sutherland, KT Literary. (Feb.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Hornbook

Readers are rewarded with a deeply immersive and moving story as Maha experiences a shift in understanding of her hyphenated identities and connects her family's history to other immigrant experiences. 

Review quotes

Replete with food-related memories, heart-wrenching stories, and warm tales of friendship, this is a riveting read. Maha confronts her own prejudices about the value of stories and what constitutes newsworthiness. In the process, she personally unravels her history and heritage (in ways that resonate with her American classmates who are also made to feel that they look like they're "'from somewhere else'") and forges a new understanding of herself and her relationships. Powerful and timely. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Maha's conflicts with friends, a nascent crush and Dadi's brief disappearance are swiftly resolved. But it's Rafia Raheem's journey that will keep readers riveted. Transcripts of Maha's raw footage punctuate the text, their tone in stark contrast to Maha's first-person, contemporary narrative. These interludes are full of love, pathos and unforgettable memories. — New York Times

Saadia Faruqi
Saadia Faruqi was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States when she was 22 years old. She writes the Yasmin series and popular middle-grade novels such as Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero. Besides writing books for kids, she also loves reading, binge-watching her favorite shows, and taking naps. She lives in Houston with her family. Ani Bushry graduated from the University of West England with a background in graphic design and illustration. She grew up listening to stories her mom used to tell her and always wanted to tell her own. She lives in the Maldives with her husband and cat, Lilo, whom she loves to spoil.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063115811
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Quill Tree Books
Publication date
February 27, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV023000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | City & Town Life
Library of Congress categories
History
Grandmothers
Schools
Grandparent and child
India
Houston (Tex.)
Pakistani Americans
Documentary films
Granddaughters
Partition, 1947

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!