Farah Rocks: Fifth Grade

Farah Rocks: Fifth Grade
Susan Muaddi Darraj
Capstone, 2020 134 pages
Grades 2-5
Realistic Fiction
Farah Rocks series #1

Farah Rocks loves to learn and is in the accelerated program in her elementary school. Mathematical figures dance around in her head and she always makes straight A's. That is until new girl Dana walks on the bus. Farah's parents are Palestinian immigrants and must work very hard to keep the family afloat, leaving Farah's little brother, Samir, often in her charge. Now Dana hops on the bus and begins to tease Samir in a mean manner. Farah catches Dana further bothering younger students on the playground. It has always been Farah's dream to go to the magnet STEM middle school. Now she is afraid to leave her neighborhood school and abandon Samir to the mercy of Dana. When two adults in whom she confides do not help, Farah takes matters into her own hands and purposely gets poor grades in order to not be accepted by her dream school. This plan, naturally, backfires and leads to a meeting with the principal and Farah's parents. Will she be in trouble forever? Are her parents disappointed in her? What will happen to her academic ambitions?

Darraj makes her debut with a series that ticks a lot of boxes. Farah is a dynamic and interesting character who many kids will relate to. She is special in that she loves math and science, which is just now starting to be a "thing" in books with female protagonists. As an Arab-American she offers diversity featuring an underserved population in children's literature. Another unusual feature about this character is that we see her taking responsibility for chores around the house and care for her brother. Lastly, Farah's family, though Arabic, are Christian and church is part of their lives in a natural and non-recruiting way. It is who her family is and what they do. Farah, for all of her wonderful character traits, is flawed like all of us, and tries to solve her own problem. She learns by book’s end to get help when needed and to make a mends when you blow it. Readers get to experience the power of forgiveness and second chances through Farah as she corrects her mistakes. The reading level and subject matter are perfect for both advanced second graders and struggling older elementary readers. Placing Farah in fifth grade will make older kids feel less embarrassed about reading below level and the plot is not too mature for advanced younger readers. Black and white illustrations, contributed by Ruaida Mannaa, will help to keep readers engaged. A glossary of both Arabic words and tricky terms is included at the back and a recipe for hummus (Farah's favorite) is the cherry on top. Perfect for both school use and recreational reading, this one is a winner!