Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, Book 1
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, by Samira Ahmed, tells the story of 12-year-old Muslim, Indian American Amira and her younger brother Hamza, who are who are the chosen ones destined to defeat an evil foe who wants to destroy the moon and release scary jinn, devs, and ghuls on earth. Even with those stakes, the siblings bicker, and Hamza constantly cracks jokes. It's not clear if he grasps the situation and the risks involved. He tends to take his curiosity to reckless levels, from wandering off alone to scaling walls without safety equipment. There are fight scenes with weapons. Characters bleed, and a beloved character dies from wounds.
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What's the Story?
In AMIRA AND HAMZA: THE WAR TO SAVE THE WORLDS, siblings Amira and Hamza attend an exhibition on Islamic astronomy in Chicago, where they'll get to view the super blue blood moon eclipse. There, Hamza wanders off and discovers the Box of the Moon, once believed to be broken, which the siblings fight over. Their fighting causes them to fall down with the box and somehow get the gears in the box to move. When Amira tries to tell an adult what's happened, they find that all of the adults have fallen into a deep sleep. To make matters worse, they look up to the moon to find that it's breaking into pieces. Soon, they meet Maqbool and Abdul Rahman who are jinn, creatures of smokeless fire. They reveal that Amira and Hamza are a part of a prophecy destined to defeat a great evil. They need to travel to mystical land of Qaf to do battle before the moon which turns out to be the barrier between realms, breaks completely an unleashes all types of evil creatures on earth. Will the siblings be able to stop bickering long enough to save the world?
Is It Any Good?
This fascinating Islamic folklore-inspired adventure has its flaws, but overall it's a fun read. Amira and Hamza meet all types of fantastical creatures that many readers may not be familiar with. The novel also introduces readers to figures from Islamic folklore and history. Science lovers like Amira will love how she finds the solution to the Chosen One challenge thanks to science.The story is as informative as it is fun.
While the book's diverse representation and STEM focus are valuable, the constant bickering and joking weaken the impact of many key scenes in Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds. Even when characters are in dangerous situations, they're cracking jokes or arguing with each other. Young readers may not notice or have it affect their reading, and they'll relate to arguing with their siblings.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the stories passed on in their families or culture. Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds was inspired by Islamic folklore and features many creatures from folklore. Why is it important to pass these stories down through generations? What stories do your family members tell?
In the first line of Amira and Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, Amira says, "I don't believe in wishes." What about you? Do you believe in wishing on stars? What would you wish for?
When a character meets Amira and her brother and finds out that they are the chosen ones, the character says, "You may be very small, but I have seen small humans accomplish many things." How much does age or how small you are matter when accomplishing things? What's been your proudest accomplishment? What are some awesome things your friends or people you know have done?
Book Details
- Author: Samira Ahmed
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: STEM, Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little Brown and Company
- Publication date: September 21, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 7, 2021
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