Review: "We Are Big Time" by Hena Khan

We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui
Published August 2024 via Knopf Books for Young Readers
★★★★

Aliya isn't thrilled about moving to Wisconsin—but there's one big draw, in the form of an official school basketball team. Suddenly she has an opportunity: to improve her game, to help her team win, and to help that team become a cohesive team in the first place. And as a bonus: When the local news spies a human interest story in the team, Aliya and her friends have an opportunity to broaden their community's understanding of what it means to be a Muslim American girl.

It's fantastic to see this sort of representation—not only is Aliya Muslim, but just about her entire circle in Wisconsin is. She goes to a Muslim high school, and though she's not sheltered from the outside world (at least, not more than anyone at, say, a Christian high school would be), for the most part she's able to just be. I would have liked to get to know more of Aliya's teammates better (we learn a little about one or two of them, but honestly, not much), but the art is pretty, and it's nice to see the variations in hijab styles (one of the distinguishing features for each girl).

Perhaps the best thing about this: It's based on a true story! It's worth reading a little about the inspiration for the story and the research Khan did—no better endorsement than the players say she got it right.