About the Author

Hena Khan is the author of many books for children, notably the middle grade book Amina’s Voice. She is Pakistani-American and Muslim, was born in Maryland, and enjoys writing books that share her culture and religion. She writes many kinds of stories, including adventure, space travel, and spy books. Her favorite animals are penguins and peacocks, and her favorite dessert is ice cream. She also loves to talk about her books with the kids who read them! You can learn more about Hena at henakhan.com.

NOLS Book Talk

Read-Alikes

Accidental Trouble Magnet
by Zanib Mian

Elle of the Ball
by Elena Delle Donne

Ghost
by Jason Reynolds

Nikki on the Line
by Barbara Carroll Roberts

The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander

Additional Activities

Check out Hena Khan’s Activities and Resources for Kids!

Visit the author’s website henakhan.com/for-kids to find writing prompts, an art project, and a recipe for mango lassi to make at home! On this page, you can also find interviews with the author.

Try Some of these Basketball Games

Check out the website activekids.com to try 11 different basketball games to practice your shooting accuracy and game endurance.

Prioritizing

Sometimes, it’s hard to decide how to spend your time. Zayd really wants to get better at basketball, but with school, violin, friends, and family, he’s having a hard time.

How do you want to be spending your time?

Make a list of all the things you have to do (your responsibilities) and all the things you want to do. Then spend some time thinking about how you can get your responsibilities done while still making time for the things you love. Are there other things you are willing to give up or do less often?

About Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books is a book group for 4th graders, offered by NOLS in collaboration with schools in Clallam County. Students, including homeschool students, can sign up through their teachers to participate and receive a free copy of each book. From November through March, Library staff will hold book discussions with participating classrooms.