Golden Girl

Written by Reem Faruqi

Narrated by Ariana Delawari

From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah’s Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what’s right isn’t always easy.

For fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Clean Getaway, this is a heartfelt, soul-searching story with laughter, hope, and lessons learned.

Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her—she’s drawn to pretty things and can’t help but occasionally “borrow” them.

But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn’t committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan.

But what if her plan means giving in to her bad habit, the one she’s been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family but finds that maybe her plan isn’t so perfect after all. . .

A Bank Street Books Best Children's Book of the Year for ages 12-14 in Family/School/Community Fiction (2023)

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063044784

Reem Faruqi

Reem Faruqi is the acclaimed author of Do You Even Know Me?, Call Me Adnan, Milloo's Mind, Anisa's International Day, Golden Girl, and Unsettled, which is loosely based on Reem’s own story. She is also the author of ALA Notable Books Lailah’s Lunchbox and Amira’s Picture Day and the award-winning I Can Help. Of Pakistani descent, Reem immigrated to Peachtree City, Georgia, in the United States from the United Arab Emirates when she was thirteen years old. Reem is also a teacher and photographer who loves to doodle. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three daughters. Visit her online at reemfaruqi.com.

Reviews for Golden Girl

[jennifer_long-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reem Faruqi is gifted at creating complex, slightly flawed characters that endear themselves to the reader. This is true of Aafiyah in Golden Girl, the story of a middle schooler with sticky fingers. The verse format keeps this story right on pace where you don't want to put it down. Middle schoolers and upper elementary students will enjoy the drama that unfolds. I went through many feelings about Aafiyah from rooting for her, feeling sympathy for her, undergoing disappointment, and ultimately sharing in her relief and satisfaction. This would be a wonderful book for a book club as it gives so much to discuss. As in her book Unsettled, Reem Faruqi also includes a Pakastani recipe at the back of the book.