Does My Head Look Big in This?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. 2008. DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 978-0439922333

PLOT SUMMARY

Amal is an 11^th grader who has decided to make a bold move. She has decided to wear her hijab full time to show her commitment to her Muslim faith. She knows she will face stares and hurtful comments from her classmates, but she decides she is ready…she thinks.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

There are many cultural markers found in this novel and they do not seem to be forced but are seamlessly integrated. The most prominent one is the wearing of the hijab. There are those called “part-timers” who only wear the hijab when they are at a mosque or an Islamic school. The “full-timers” wear the hijab whenever they are in the presence of men who aren’t immediate family.  There is some language throughout the book such as "Yallah" which means hurry up and "Assalamu Alaykom" which is a greeting that means "peace be upon you."

Another cultural marker is the Muslim religious practices that Amal and her family participate in. They pray five times a day and this involves waking up at dawn for "morning fajr or prayer." Every time they pray they have to perform the "wuduh" which involves wetting their hands, face, arms, feet and top of their head. One of Amal's teachers, Mrs. Pearse, lets her use his office to pray during the day. They also participate in Ramadan. Although it is hard to not eat or drink from sun-up to sun-down Amal enjoys participating in Ramadan. She says, "I always feel a little sad and nostalgic at Eid breakfast. Ramadan sure is hard but I really do love the whole atmosphere of it."

As with any religion this book shows us the differences exist among Muslims. Leila’s family thinks she doesn't need an education; they are "more interested in her getting a marriage license than a high school diploma."  They are very old-school and stuck with the culture from their village. The other extreme is Amal’s Uncle Ismail and Aunt Aysha who have changed their names to assimilate better with the Australian culture. To them “foreign is the f-word” and they go over the top to fit in and not stick out. They do not practice Muslim traditions such as praying five times a day and fasting during Ramadan. But they bring up cultural Muslim cultural expectations when they think their daughter is sleeping with her boyfriend.

Amal had to face prejudices and stereotypes when she decided to wear the hijab to school. Students questioned her saying “Did your parents force you?” and “Will you ever cover yours [face]?” I’m not sure that students would be as interested in learning about her as the students in this book. But, it is great to see students learning about each other’s differences.  She is also turned down for a job at a fast food restaurant because of her hijab. She is told "we sell an image up front," and "it's not hygienic and it just don't look good up at the front of the shop."

The setting mainly takes place at Amal’s school and her home. The setting of her school is important because she is the only person at her school wearing the hijab. Wearing the hijab wouldn’t be as novel if she was still at her Islamic school, Hidaya. When she first decides to wear the hijab she talks to the principal who is quite shocked and asks her if her parent's forced her to wear it. After meeting with her parents she call Amal back into her office and tell her, "I've put you down as an agenda item in tonight's staff meeting so that your situation can be explained to the teachers." This just reinforces the fact that Amal sticks out like a sore thumb at McCleans Preparatory School.

Amal and her family are portrayed as modern day Muslims. Although she is wearing the hijab, Amal is still very concerned with her clothes. She makes sure her hijab matches her clothes and that she is still stylish. This is a contrast to how women wearing the hijab are normally shown wearing long skirts that do not look very stylish. Amal describes her mother as "wearing a hijab and Gucci sunnies, and drives a car with an ‘Islam means peace’ bumper sticker."

Although there are quite a few cultural markers found in this book, readers from all cultures will be able to relate to the different storylines. Worrying about your appearance, arguing with your parents and struggling with peer pressure are things that teenagers from every culture deal with. Teenagers will also connect with Simone as she struggles with her weight, Amal as she obsess about her crush on Adam, and everyone as they deal with the snobby Tia. Muslim students will be able to relate to Amal as she struggles to deal with the effects of her decision to wear the hijab. Other students will benefit from this book by learning more about the Islamic faith.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Australian 11th-grader Amal is smart, funny, outspoken, a good student, and a loyal friend. She is also a devout Muslim who decides to wear the hijab, or head covering, full-time. The story tells of her emotional and spiritual journey as she copes with a mad crush on a boy, befriends an elderly Greek neighbor, tries to help a friend who aspires to be a lawyer but whose well-intentioned mother is trying to force her to leave school and get married. Amal is also battling the misconceptions of non-Muslims about her religion and culture”

BOOKLIST Starred Review: “At 16, she loves shopping, watches Sex and the City, and IMs her friends about her crush on a classmate. She also wants to wear the hijab, to be strong enough to show a badge of her deeply held faith, even if she confronts insults from some at her snotty prep school, and she is refused a part-time job in the food court (she is "not hygienic"). Without heavy preaching, the issues of faith and culture are part of the story, from fasting at Ramadan to refusing sex before marriage. More than the usual story of the immigrant teen's conflict with her traditional parents, the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere.

CONNECTIONS
-Have students write about a time when they felt judged by other people.

Other books about Muslim teenagers:
Budhos, Marina. ASK ME NO QUESTIONS. ISBN 9781416949206
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT ME. ISBN 9780545050562