"Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero" by Saadia Faruqi follows the story of a twelve-year-old Muslim boy named Yusuf who is navigating his identity and beliefs in a post-9/11 America. When a hate crime occurs in his community, Yusuf struggles with feelings of anger and confusion about his place in the world. Inspired by his grandmother's tales of bravery, he grapples with complex questions of heroism, friendship, and justice. As he embarks on a journey to stand up against prejudice, Yusuf learns the importance of standing up for what is right, ultimately discovering that real courage comes from within. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is aimed at children at US 3rd grade-7th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

This book was published in 2021 by HarperCollins .

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American writer, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes for a number of publications including the Huffington Post, and is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose. Her adult short story collection Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan was published in 2015. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children. Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in multiple publications worldwide. He currently lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. When he is not dipping cookies in a cup of tea or staring at blank pieces of paper, he is usually drawing books. One of the books he illustrated is The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz, which won a Newbery Honor and other awards despite Hatem's drawings of a farting dragon, a two-headed cat, and stinky cheese.