Farah Rocks Fifth Grade

by Susan Muaddi Darraj, Ruaida Mannaa (Illustrator)

Overview

Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah's world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah's little brother, Samir, Farah begins to second-guess her choice to leave him behind at Harbortown Elementary/Middle School. Determined to handle it on her own, Farah comes up with a plan—a plan that involves lying to those closest to her. Will her lies catch up with her, or can Farah find a way to defeat the bully and rock fifth grade?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496584298
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	01/01/2023
Series:	Farah Rocks
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	344,673
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning author of more than ten books, including two short story collections. She is an Associate Professor of English at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland, and she also teaches creative writing at Johns Hopkins University and Fairfield University. A native Philadelphian, she currently lives in Baltimore. She loves books, coffee, and baseball, and she’s mildly obsessed with stationery supplies.

Illustrator and graphic designer Ruaida Mannaa completed her undergraduate studies at the Universidad del Norte in her hometown in Colombia. She went on to pursue a Master’s degree in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She grew up in a multicultural family, surrounded by different languages, loud parties, and delicious food, and she finds great inspiration for her art in culture and cultural exchange.

Interviews

Fits a need for more diverse children's literature—there are very few books with Arab-American main characters;

Editorial Reviews

In her children’s book debut, Darraj introduces a sympathetic Arab American protagonist who will help fill a glaring hole in representation. . . .While the bullying story line presents a much gentler experience than the real world might offer, this work is more concerned with modeling good behavior than depicting brutal harassment. A useful window for early chapter book readers and a precious mirror for Arab American kids.

Booklist

A children's book about standing up to bullying compounded with the struggles of fitting into fifth-grade by Baltimore-based Susan Muaddi Darraj and Ruaida Mannaa.

The Baltimore Sun, "Beach Guide" - John-John Williams IV

Farah Rocks is a 4-book early reader chapter book series published by Capstone Books. Farah Hajjar, known as Farah Rocks to her friends, is a smart, funny, and brave Palestinian-American girl. She loves her little brother Samir, Greek mythology, and—yes—her rock collection! Farah faces all of life’s challenges: bullies, school drama, and even problems with her best friend.

We Need Diverse Books, "12 Children’s and YA Books by Palestinian Authors" - Hannah Moushabeck

This fun series of chapter books by award-winning writer Susan Muaddi Darraj is for readers aged 8-12. The books follows Farah Hajjar, known to her friends as “Farah Rocks”, for the literal translation of her last name. Farah is a smart, courageous Palestinian-American girl who faces common issues like bullies, fights with her best friend, and school anxiety, while also honouring her Palestinian identity - there’s even a hummus recipe at the end. This is a four-book series, and readers can find Farah in Farah Rocks Fifth Grade (2020), Farah Rocks Summer Break (2020), Farah Rocks New Beginnings (2021), and one more forthcoming Farah book from Capstone Publishing.

Middle East Eye, "17 new books by Palestinian writers that are worth reading" - M. Lynx Qualey

01/01/2020

Gr 3–5—Darraj introduces smart, courageous, and sensitive Farah Hajjar, a fifth-grader whose biggest concern should be deciding on a topic for her application essay at the Magnet Academy. Farah Rocks, as everyone calls her, and her Official Best Friend Allie Liu, are both in the gifted class at Harbortown Public School. Both are hoping to get into the super exclusive academy where they will be partners on every science fair project. However, when the new girl starts bullying Farah's little brother, Farah starts failing her classes on purpose so she won't leave him unprotected. When Farah tries getting adults to help, she isn't taken seriously and when she tries talking to Allie about it, they end up getting in a fight. Can Farah figure this out on her own? Darraj shines a light on sibling relationships, and the malicious, repetitive behaviors of bullies that often go unchecked.VERDICT Farah is a well-rounded character with ambitions and struggles; readers will identify with her challenges and root for her to succeed. A first purchase for upper elementary readers.—Christina Paolozzi, Bonaire Elementary School, GA

School Library Journal

2019-11-05
Farah is trying to navigate fifth grade and protect and care for her kindergartner brother, all without worrying her parents.

Farah lives in Harbortown with her parents and younger brother, Samir, who has special needs. Her friends call her Farah Rocks since her Arabic last name, Hajjar, means "rocks." Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are excited to apply to the Magnet Academy for middle school. Farah must keep her grades up and write an essay for the application, but she has a lot on her mind. Compounding her general anxiety about leaving Samir if she gets into the new school is a bullying new white student, whose cruelty to her little brother doesn't seem to bother Allie enough. When she tries to tell the adults at school, no one takes her seriously. Readers will ache as, acting out of care and love, Farah takes a risk when she attempts to take on the bully without the help of her parents. Darraj writes a strong character who must take on a lot as a fifth grader. Intimate cultural details—Farah's dad says "bancakes" because "in Arabic, the letters p and v don't exist"; the family has the surname Hajjar due to their Jerusalem stonecutter origins—add to the authenticity of the portrayal of the family's Palestinian ethnicity. Allie and her family are Chinese. A hummus recipe and glossaries of Arabic and select English words are included at the end.

Readers will be eager for this empathetic protagonist's next appearance. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews