Omar Rising

Omar Rising

Aisha Saeed

Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2022

212 pages

Grades 5-8

Realistic Fiction

Omar becomes the hero of his small village when he receives a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school: Ghalib Academy. He is very poor with limited opportunities, so this education could change the course of his small family. Omar is particularly excited about the activities and sports offered by the school and looks forward to making new friends. A surprise awaits Omar and the other scholarship students: They have to do chores to earn their keep at the school, an A+ average is required to stay, and they are not allowed to participate in any of the offered activities their first year. It is impossible! Omar is already behind, having an inferior early elementary education, and even studying day and night he cannot manage the unrealistic grade requirement. To make matters worse, the stern headmaster is his English teacher and seems out to get him. Do Omar and his friends have any course to beat the system and stay in the school? Does anyone else seem to care about this injustice? Omar learns to find his confidence and his voice and to fight for himself in this contemporary novel set in Pakistan.

A companion to Saeed's award winning Amal Unbound, the author turns her attention to Amal's friend, young Omar. Omar is smart, determined, and a hard worker. He must find his way through the discrimination facing the lower classes in order to get the education most of his classmates take for granted. Though it is set in Pakistan, many American students of different races and socio-economic backgrounds may relate to the struggles and prejudices he experiences. Omar is a likable character and readers will applaud his struggles and victories. American students may come to appreciate the free education that we tend to take for granted, though there are still more opportunities in better funded districts and private schools. A great choice for schools and book discussion, the plot is fairly linear and straight forward with topics to discuss. The chapters are short and the book reads quickly, making it a good choice for reluctant readers. Students will see a culture beyond their own, all while connecting to some of the conflicts Omar faces.