AMINA BANANA AND THE FORMULA FOR FRIENDSHIP , written by Shifa Saltagi Safada, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel, read by Shereen Lani Younes

Shifa Saltagi Safadi starts a new early reader series with AMINA BANANA AND THE FORMULA FOR FRIENDSHIP. The third-grade heroine, AAH-mina, not Am-Eena as per everyone’s mispronounciation, has recently come to the United States, a refugee from Syria. Nervous about attending school in America, Amina who is a scientist in her heart, comes up with four strategies for making friends. We are allowed to see each one fail. Her English is not perfect and everyone wears jeans, not dresses. What she discovers is that kindness is the true secret to friendship. The second in the series Amina takes on succeeding at a spelling bee in AMINA BANANA AND THE FORMULA FOR WINNING. Shereen Lani Younes reads the audio and gives perfect representation of Amina’s youth, hopes, confusion, and adaptions. You can find out more about this book and audio at the purchase link below.