Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s tender and honest middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kind hearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.

Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal. The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score —but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen? Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most.

Project LIT 2022 selection

South Asia Book Award Honor 2021

Gold House Book Club spring selection 2022

Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club Pick 2021

Best Children’s Books of the Year 2021, Bank Street College of Education

NBC’s Notable Books by Asian American Authors 2021

Junior Library Guild selection 2021

Bookriot’s Best Middle Grade Audio Books March 2021

Booktrust UK’s Books We Love February 2021

New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2020

A Mighty Girl’s 2020 Books of the Year

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award nominee

Bluestem Award nominee

High-res cover Excerpt Resource Packet

 

PRAISE FOR A THOUSAND QUESTIONS

“Rich with sensory detail… a thoughtful portrait of friendship across class lines in modern Pakistan.” Kirkus Reviews

“Faruqi deftly explores Pakistani culture.” Publisher’s Weekly

“Faruqi threads issues of privilege, poverty, democracy, and the meaning of family throughout the book.” Horn Book

“The inviting book-jacket image suggests the story’s distinctive setting, the girls’ backgrounds, and their relationship, three fundamental elements of this engaging chapter book.” Booklist

“A compelling tale, which paints a vivid picture of the poverty and privilege of Karachi life.” BookTrust UK

“A Thousand Questions is infused with the author’s abiding love for Pakistan and the cultural milieu of the country of her birth; the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Karachi are brought alive with affection, authenticity, and attention to detail. And at the core of this story is an unlikely friendship that crosses boundaries and breaks barriers, the kind of friendship that will lift readers’ hearts and leave them smiling.” Padma Venkatraman, author of The Bridge Home, winner of the Walter Award for Young Readers

“With a big heart and a gentle touch, A Thousand Questions shows us how good friends can lend courage to each other, and how the right friendship at the right time can change your life. This is a beautiful book.” Anne Ursu, author of Breadcrumbs

“Atmospheric and tender, this delightful story about the life-changing power of friendship is sure to capture the heart of many readers.” Jasmine Warga, author of Other Words For Home, a Newberry Honor book.

Publisher: HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books
ISBN: 978-0062943200
Publication: 10/6/2020
Cover image: Aaliya Jaleel
Formats: hardcover; audiobook; paperback; e-book