backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
There is nothing like the comfort that comes from knowing that the character you have just met in a book will be back in subsequent books. One of our favorite series is the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream trilogy by Hena Khan. These three chapter books are wonderful sports stories that are ideal for kids ready to move on from easy readers to longer, more complex stories, or even for reluctant early middle school readers. They are clearly written, narrated in the first person by the protagonist, the issues are age appropriate, and they are diverse. Yes, the Pakistani American Saleems - Baba, Mama, older sister Zara, Naano (grandmother), Nana Abu (grandfather), and Jamal Mamoo (uncle) - are a Muslim family, but this is also a basketball story. The Saleem's culture and religion are a big part of Zayd's family life, and readers are given a nice window into what that is like, but most of the conflicts and challenges he faces are the kind that any kid might be confronted with at that age, both within the family and in the outside world.
In Book 3, Adam’s talk really helped boost Zayd's confidence and he's on fire on the court, thanks also to the new basketball hoop he and his parents went halfsies paying for. Maybe, just maybe Coach Wheeler will name Zayd team captain now. But as the team approaches the end of the season and looks forward to the playoffs and hoped-for-championship, Zayd has an accident on the court and ends up with a severely sprained ankle and no basketball for four weeks. Already feeling sorry for himself, he begins to feel jealous as he watches teammate Sam take over his spot and do a great job. When he starts skipping practice, Baba finally convinces him to start going again. Sitting on the bench, he can see exactly what the team does right and what it does wrong, especially Sam. Can Zayd put team over jealousy and say something to Sam? Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo's wedding approaches and it is truly a family affair. But when Nana Abu has a heart attack, and falls into self-pity, it takes clever thinking by Zayd and sister Zara to get him up and moving again in time for the wedding. Jamal Mamoo's wedding offers a great introduction to Muslim festivities and traditions surrounding his pending marriage, and shows a family happily involved (maybe too much for Mamoo and Nadia Auntie, his fiancée) in all the preparations and the big day.
I loved this trilogy and was sorry to say goodbye to Zayd and his family. Khan did a great job of seamlessly weaving in so many details about Zayd's life as a member of a Muslim family, while also showing that other aspects of their lives are similar to all families. I especially like how Zayd's budding maturity over the three books was depicted by his ability to incorporate the lessons he learned about good sportsmanship into his life off the court.
In Book 3, Adam’s talk really helped boost Zayd's confidence and he's on fire on the court, thanks also to the new basketball hoop he and his parents went halfsies paying for. Maybe, just maybe Coach Wheeler will name Zayd team captain now. But as the team approaches the end of the season and looks forward to the playoffs and hoped-for-championship, Zayd has an accident on the court and ends up with a severely sprained ankle and no basketball for four weeks. Already feeling sorry for himself, he begins to feel jealous as he watches teammate Sam take over his spot and do a great job. When he starts skipping practice, Baba finally convinces him to start going again. Sitting on the bench, he can see exactly what the team does right and what it does wrong, especially Sam. Can Zayd put team over jealousy and say something to Sam? Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo's wedding approaches and it is truly a family affair. But when Nana Abu has a heart attack, and falls into self-pity, it takes clever thinking by Zayd and sister Zara to get him up and moving again in time for the wedding. Jamal Mamoo's wedding offers a great introduction to Muslim festivities and traditions surrounding his pending marriage, and shows a family happily involved (maybe too much for Mamoo and Nadia Auntie, his fiancée) in all the preparations and the big day.
I loved this trilogy and was sorry to say goodbye to Zayd and his family. Khan did a great job of seamlessly weaving in so many details about Zayd's life as a member of a Muslim family, while also showing that other aspects of their lives are similar to all families. I especially like how Zayd's budding maturity over the three books was depicted by his ability to incorporate the lessons he learned about good sportsmanship into his life off the court.
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