Nadia Islam, on the record

While on a trip to Bangladesh, a tween journalist uncovers new facets of her cultural heritage in this socially conscious novel. Rising fourth grader Nadia Islam plans to spend the summer writing an article that she hopes will win her a spot on the school newspaper staff; she's also for the first time fasting during Ramadan. When she learns that she and her family will additionally be visiting relatives in Bangladesh, Nadia is downcast until she realizes that her journalist aunt, Khalamoni, will be visiting, too, and intending to write about the effects of climate change in Bangladesh. Nadia is eager to help her aunt, believing the experience will teach her how to craft the best piece ever. But she struggles to endure the heat and humidity and her own lack of energy from fasting, made worse by her cousins' insistence that the children compete to see who can fast the longest. Still, Khalamoni allows the youth to accompany her on her research, which opens Nadia's eyes to how Bangladesh is uniquely threatened by climate change. Through Nadia's burgeoning understanding of the spiritual aspects of Ramadan, Jaigirdar (Rani Choudhury Must Die) deftly conveys one child's determination to be taken seriously. Detailed b&w illustrations by Dwivedi (Momo Sees the Sea) offer glimpses into Bangladeshi culture. Ages 8--12. Author's agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. Illustrator's agent: Shadra Strickland, Painted Words. (Jan.)

Eight-year-old Nadia and her family travel to Bangladesh over the summer. Nadia tries to convince her parents to postpone the trip so she can spend her first Ramadan fasting with her best friend, Yasmin. When that fails, she decides to try to turn her observations into a newsworthy article to bag the editor-in-chief role at Sweetside Elementary School's paper. When her favorite aunt, a journalist, accompanies the family to report on a story about flooding and climate change, Nadia's discontent turns into excitement. The family heads to Sylhet, where they meet her grandparents, uncle, aunt, and twin cousins. As they prepare for Ramadan, the kids get competitive about who can keep the most fasts. Nadia also accompanies her aunt on interviews; she learns from her aunt's mentoring and meets a dynamic changemaker who helps families displaced by the recent floods. Pages from Nadia's notebook containing facts and investigative questions and Dwivedi's endearing illustrations are interspersed throughout this story, which introduces Bangladesh's landscapes, foods, and environmental challenges. Though some repetition and a slow-moving plot weigh down the story, Jaigirdar's middle-grade debut brings nuance to the climate change discourse as she avoids sanitized approaches and examines the dangerous effects of rising sea levels on vulnerable populations. Readers learn about the spirit of Ramadan through scenes that show the characters learning about self-control, good intentions, and helping others. An immersive story about climate disasters and how faith, family, and community can bring about change.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.