Marya Khan and the Disastrous Class Project — Saadia Faruqi

Perfect for fans of Ivy & Bean and Stella Diaz, this charming chapter book series by the author of the successful Yasmin series follows a Pakistani American third-grader whose plans may backfire but whose persistence and heart are inspiringWhen new kid Waleed joins the class, Marya is excited to get to work with him on a class project. Every pair of students gets a country to research and, since both Marya and Waleed are from Pakistan, that’s the country Ms. Piccolo assigns them. Much to Marya’s dismay, she has two problems: She doesn’t know much about her grandparents’ country, and Waleed is very shy and doesn’t like to talk. Never one to be discouraged, Marya embarks on Operation Make a Friend. Surely Marya can befriend Waleed, and together they’ll make the best project ever. Can Waleed and Marya work together to share their Pakistan presentation with the class? Can Marya help Waleed get over his shyness, even if he doesn’t seem interested in her help? This group project is shaping up to be Marya’s biggest challenge yet!