Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship

by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Aaliya Jaleel (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Amina Banana! She’s a determined and clever third grader, and star of a new chapter book series with a STEM twist. Perfect for readers of The Questioneers and Junie B. Jones!

Amina loves bananas, science, and all things yellow! Her family recently arrived from Syria to Indiana, and she's starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new country. She’s excited but also nervous, especially about making friends! But she develops the perfect formula to get everything just right:

Speak English + wear a perfect outfit + be a good student + eat American food = Make American Friends!

When the first few days are harder than Amina imagined, she’s left worrying: why doesn't her formula add up?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593699225
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/20/2025
Series:	Amina Banana , #1
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

SHIFA SALTAGI SAFADI is the author of Kareem Between and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, teaches ELA at a local middle school, and reviews Muslim books on her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog. Shifa was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents as a young girl. She lives near Chicago with her husband and four children. Visit Shifa online at shifasafadi.com.

Find Shifa on Instagram! @muslimmommyblog

AALIYA JALEEL is a Sri-Lankan American illustrator based in Dallas, Texas, who loves illustrating bright, bold color palettes, Islamic and South-Asian inspired patterns, and floral motifs. Some of her past works include the books Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. In addition to being an illustrator, Aaliya also works as a designer for animation. Visit Aaliya online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Find Aaliya on Instagram! @aaliyamj