We Are Big Time
CCBC Review:
Aliya is none too pleased about moving from Tampa to Milwaukee, where everything feels different and disorienting (and a lot colder). At her Islamic high school, Peace Academy, she joins the basketball team, hoping the familiarity of her favorite sport will help her to feel more settled. Her new team leaves something to be desired, but the newly hired Coach Jess (Puerto Rican) is determined to turn things around. To help unite old and new leadership, Coach appoints Aliya co-captain along with prickly Noura, a senior who’s not keen on sharing the role or the spotlight. Coach Jess stresses teamwork and practice, and she urges them to embrace their individual motivations for joining the team. As the team begins to turn its season around, they draw the attention of local news outlets—but the team quickly realizes that interviewers seem to be more interested in the girls’ hijabs than in their athleticism. Navigating this, too, requires team solidarity. While the overall tone of this sports-centered graphic novel is lighthearted, the story is not without depth. In the end, Aliya and her team emerge triumphant in the face of microaggressions, interpersonal drama, and challenging team dynamics. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
Competitiveness
Indians and Indian Americans
Islamophobia
Journalism and Media
Muslim People
Pakistanis and Pakistani Americans
School
Sports
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Multicultural General
Muslim
Publishers:
Knopf, Random House
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 229
ISBN: 9780593430484
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Khan