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    The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan

    Author Salma Hussain
    Look inside
    Paperback
    $8.99 US
    Tundra | Tundra Books
    5.56"W x 8.26"H x 0.79"D   (14.1 x 21.0 x 2.0 cm) | 10 oz (272 g) | 24 per carton
    On sale May 02, 2023 | 296 Pages | 9780735271517
    Age 10-14 years | Grades 5-9
    Reading Level: Lexile 910L
    Sales rights: US, Canada, Open Mkt
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    Mona learns to find her voice over the course of a year that sees her immigrating from Dubai to Canada in this novel for fans of Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Now in paperback!

    Mona Hasan is a young Muslim girl growing up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the first Gulf War breaks out in 1991. The war isn't what she expects — "We didn’t even get any days off school! Just my luck" — especially when the ground offensive is over so quickly and her family peels the masking tape off their windows. Her parents, however, fear there is no peace in the region, and it sparks a major change in their lives.
     
    Over the course of one year, Mona falls in love, speaks up to protect her younger sister, loses her best friend to the new girl at school, has summer adventures with her cousins in Pakistan, immigrates to Canada, and pursues her ambition to be a feminist and a poet. 
    • SHORTLIST | 2023
      Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
    A Quill & Quire 2022 Book of the Year
    One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2022)
    One of Kids Committee List's 2024 Silver Birch Fiction Readers Books

    "An ambitious novel that is both heartfelt and tongue-in-cheek." —Kirkus Reviews

    "Mona’s voice is good-humored, and her diary entries—comprising lists, poems, and letters from supporting characters—amalgamate into a wise and introspective debut." —Publishers Weekly

    "Upper elementary and middle grade readers will identify with this spunky, thoughtful, 12-year-old heroine . . . the short vignettes of this book are perfect for reluctant readers and may spark conversations about war, Operation Desert Storm, immigration, international affairs, the Muslim religion, and school equality for girls." —School Library Journal

    "Mona is a well-developed, believable protagonist. . . . An important story, delivered with a light touch." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
    SALMA HUSSAIN grew up in the U.A.E. and immigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years old. She has a B.A. (Hon.) in English Literature, with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Calgary, a law degree from the University of Calgary, and a Master's in Law from McGill University. Her poetry and prose have been widely published in various literary magazines. Her chapbook of poetry, What If Maybe and other poems, was published by Baseline Press. She co-hosts a global podcast with Upasna Kakroo on South Asian children's literature called Zubaani. Her first novel, The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan, was a Quill & Quire Book of the Year. Salma writes witty, warm, voice-driven fiction about the surprising ways we grow when life veers off-script. She lives with her family in Toronto. View titles by Salma Hussain
    Available for sale exclusive:
    •     Canada
    •     Guam
    •     Minor Outl.Ins.
    •     North Mariana
    •     Philippines
    •     Puerto Rico
    •     Samoa,American
    •     US Virgin Is.
    •     USA
    Available for sale non-exclusive:
    •     Afghanistan
    •     Aland Islands
    •     Albania
    •     Algeria
    •     Andorra
    •     Angola
    •     Anguilla
    •     Antarctica
    •     Argentina
    •     Armenia
    •     Aruba
    •     Austria
    •     Azerbaijan
    •     Bahrain
    •     Belarus
    •     Belgium
    •     Benin
    •     Bhutan
    •     Bolivia
    •     Bonaire, Saba
    •     Bosnia Herzeg.
    •     Bouvet Island
    •     Brazil
    •     Bulgaria
    •     Burkina Faso
    •     Burundi
    •     Cambodia
    •     Cameroon
    •     Cape Verde
    •     Centr.Afr.Rep.
    •     Chad
    •     Chile
    •     China
    •     Colombia
    •     Comoro Is.
    •     Congo
    •     Cook Islands
    •     Costa Rica
    •     Croatia
    •     Cuba
    •     Curacao
    •     Czech Republic
    •     Dem. Rep. Congo
    •     Denmark
    •     Djibouti
    •     Dominican Rep.
    •     Ecuador
    •     Egypt
    •     El Salvador
    •     Equatorial Gui.
    •     Eritrea
    •     Estonia
    •     Ethiopia
    •     Faroe Islands
    •     Finland
    •     France
    •     Fren.Polynesia
    •     French Guinea
    •     Gabon
    •     Georgia
    •     Germany
    •     Greece
    •     Greenland
    •     Guadeloupe
    •     Guatemala
    •     Guinea Republic
    •     Guinea-Bissau
    •     Haiti
    •     Heard/McDon.Isl
    •     Honduras
    •     Hong Kong
    •     Hungary
    •     Iceland
    •     Indonesia
    •     Iran
    •     Iraq
    •     Israel
    •     Italy
    •     Ivory Coast
    •     Japan
    •     Jordan
    •     Kazakhstan
    •     Kuwait
    •     Kyrgyzstan
    •     Laos
    •     Latvia
    •     Lebanon
    •     Liberia
    •     Libya
    •     Liechtenstein
    •     Lithuania
    •     Luxembourg
    •     Macau
    •     Macedonia
    •     Madagascar
    •     Maldives
    •     Mali
    •     Marshall island
    •     Martinique
    •     Mauritania
    •     Mayotte
    •     Mexico
    •     Micronesia
    •     Moldavia
    •     Monaco
    •     Mongolia
    •     Montenegro
    •     Morocco
    •     Myanmar
    •     Nepal
    •     Netherlands
    •     New Caledonia
    •     Nicaragua
    •     Niger
    •     Niue
    •     Norfolk Island
    •     North Korea
    •     Norway
    •     Oman
    •     Palau
    •     Palestinian Ter
    •     Panama
    •     Paraguay
    •     Peru
    •     Poland
    •     Portugal
    •     Qatar
    •     Reunion Island
    •     Romania
    •     Russian Fed.
    •     Rwanda
    •     Saint Martin
    •     San Marino
    •     SaoTome Princip
    •     Saudi Arabia
    •     Senegal
    •     Serbia
    •     Singapore
    •     Sint Maarten
    •     Slovakia
    •     Slovenia
    •     South Korea
    •     South Sudan
    •     Spain
    •     St Barthelemy
    •     St.Pier,Miquel.
    •     Sth Terr. Franc
    •     Sudan
    •     Suriname
    •     Svalbard
    •     Sweden
    •     Switzerland
    •     Syria
    •     Tadschikistan
    •     Taiwan
    •     Thailand
    •     Timor-Leste
    •     Togo
    •     Tokelau Islands
    •     Tunisia
    •     Turkey
    •     Turkmenistan
    •     Ukraine
    •     Unit.Arab Emir.
    •     Uruguay
    •     Uzbekistan
    •     Vatican City
    •     Venezuela
    •     Vietnam
    •     Wallis,Futuna
    •     West Saharan
    •     Western Samoa
    •     Yemen
    Not available for sale:
    •     Antigua/Barbuda
    •     Australia
    •     Bahamas
    •     Bangladesh
    •     Barbados
    •     Belize
    •     Bermuda
    •     Botswana
    •     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
    •     Brit.Virgin Is.
    •     Brunei
    •     Cayman Islands
    •     Christmas Islnd
    •     Cocos Islands
    •     Cyprus
    •     Dominica
    •     Falkland Islnds
    •     Fiji
    •     Gambia
    •     Ghana
    •     Gibraltar
    •     Grenada
    •     Guernsey
    •     Guyana
    •     India
    •     Ireland
    •     Isle of Man
    •     Jamaica
    •     Jersey
    •     Kenya
    •     Kiribati
    •     Lesotho
    •     Malawi
    •     Malaysia
    •     Malta
    •     Mauritius
    •     Montserrat
    •     Mozambique
    •     Namibia
    •     Nauru
    •     New Zealand
    •     Nigeria
    •     Pakistan
    •     PapuaNewGuinea
    •     Pitcairn Islnds
    •     S. Sandwich Ins
    •     Seychelles
    •     Sierra Leone
    •     Solomon Islands
    •     Somalia
    •     South Africa
    •     Sri Lanka
    •     St. Helena
    •     St. Lucia
    •     St. Vincent
    •     St.Chr.,Nevis
    •     Swaziland
    •     Tanzania
    •     Tonga
    •     Trinidad,Tobago
    •     Turks&Caicos Is
    •     Tuvalu
    •     Uganda
    •     United Kingdom
    •     Vanuatu
    •     Zambia
    •     Zimbabwe

    About

    Mona learns to find her voice over the course of a year that sees her immigrating from Dubai to Canada in this novel for fans of Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Now in paperback!

    Mona Hasan is a young Muslim girl growing up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the first Gulf War breaks out in 1991. The war isn't what she expects — "We didn’t even get any days off school! Just my luck" — especially when the ground offensive is over so quickly and her family peels the masking tape off their windows. Her parents, however, fear there is no peace in the region, and it sparks a major change in their lives.
     
    Over the course of one year, Mona falls in love, speaks up to protect her younger sister, loses her best friend to the new girl at school, has summer adventures with her cousins in Pakistan, immigrates to Canada, and pursues her ambition to be a feminist and a poet. 

    Awards

    • SHORTLIST | 2023
      Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

    Praise

    A Quill & Quire 2022 Book of the Year
    One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2022)
    One of Kids Committee List's 2024 Silver Birch Fiction Readers Books

    "An ambitious novel that is both heartfelt and tongue-in-cheek." —Kirkus Reviews

    "Mona’s voice is good-humored, and her diary entries—comprising lists, poems, and letters from supporting characters—amalgamate into a wise and introspective debut." —Publishers Weekly

    "Upper elementary and middle grade readers will identify with this spunky, thoughtful, 12-year-old heroine . . . the short vignettes of this book are perfect for reluctant readers and may spark conversations about war, Operation Desert Storm, immigration, international affairs, the Muslim religion, and school equality for girls." —School Library Journal

    "Mona is a well-developed, believable protagonist. . . . An important story, delivered with a light touch." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

    Author

    SALMA HUSSAIN grew up in the U.A.E. and immigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years old. She has a B.A. (Hon.) in English Literature, with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Calgary, a law degree from the University of Calgary, and a Master's in Law from McGill University. Her poetry and prose have been widely published in various literary magazines. Her chapbook of poetry, What If Maybe and other poems, was published by Baseline Press. She co-hosts a global podcast with Upasna Kakroo on South Asian children's literature called Zubaani. Her first novel, The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan, was a Quill & Quire Book of the Year. Salma writes witty, warm, voice-driven fiction about the surprising ways we grow when life veers off-script. She lives with her family in Toronto. View titles by Salma Hussain

    Rights

    Available for sale exclusive:
    •     Canada
    •     Guam
    •     Minor Outl.Ins.
    •     North Mariana
    •     Philippines
    •     Puerto Rico
    •     Samoa,American
    •     US Virgin Is.
    •     USA
    Available for sale non-exclusive:
    •     Afghanistan
    •     Aland Islands
    •     Albania
    •     Algeria
    •     Andorra
    •     Angola
    •     Anguilla
    •     Antarctica
    •     Argentina
    •     Armenia
    •     Aruba
    •     Austria
    •     Azerbaijan
    •     Bahrain
    •     Belarus
    •     Belgium
    •     Benin
    •     Bhutan
    •     Bolivia
    •     Bonaire, Saba
    •     Bosnia Herzeg.
    •     Bouvet Island
    •     Brazil
    •     Bulgaria
    •     Burkina Faso
    •     Burundi
    •     Cambodia
    •     Cameroon
    •     Cape Verde
    •     Centr.Afr.Rep.
    •     Chad
    •     Chile
    •     China
    •     Colombia
    •     Comoro Is.
    •     Congo
    •     Cook Islands
    •     Costa Rica
    •     Croatia
    •     Cuba
    •     Curacao
    •     Czech Republic
    •     Dem. Rep. Congo
    •     Denmark
    •     Djibouti
    •     Dominican Rep.
    •     Ecuador
    •     Egypt
    •     El Salvador
    •     Equatorial Gui.
    •     Eritrea
    •     Estonia
    •     Ethiopia
    •     Faroe Islands
    •     Finland
    •     France
    •     Fren.Polynesia
    •     French Guinea
    •     Gabon
    •     Georgia
    •     Germany
    •     Greece
    •     Greenland
    •     Guadeloupe
    •     Guatemala
    •     Guinea Republic
    •     Guinea-Bissau
    •     Haiti
    •     Heard/McDon.Isl
    •     Honduras
    •     Hong Kong
    •     Hungary
    •     Iceland
    •     Indonesia
    •     Iran
    •     Iraq
    •     Israel
    •     Italy
    •     Ivory Coast
    •     Japan
    •     Jordan
    •     Kazakhstan
    •     Kuwait
    •     Kyrgyzstan
    •     Laos
    •     Latvia
    •     Lebanon
    •     Liberia
    •     Libya
    •     Liechtenstein
    •     Lithuania
    •     Luxembourg
    •     Macau
    •     Macedonia
    •     Madagascar
    •     Maldives
    •     Mali
    •     Marshall island
    •     Martinique
    •     Mauritania
    •     Mayotte
    •     Mexico
    •     Micronesia
    •     Moldavia
    •     Monaco
    •     Mongolia
    •     Montenegro
    •     Morocco
    •     Myanmar
    •     Nepal
    •     Netherlands
    •     New Caledonia
    •     Nicaragua
    •     Niger
    •     Niue
    •     Norfolk Island
    •     North Korea
    •     Norway
    •     Oman
    •     Palau
    •     Palestinian Ter
    •     Panama
    •     Paraguay
    •     Peru
    •     Poland
    •     Portugal
    •     Qatar
    •     Reunion Island
    •     Romania
    •     Russian Fed.
    •     Rwanda
    •     Saint Martin
    •     San Marino
    •     SaoTome Princip
    •     Saudi Arabia
    •     Senegal
    •     Serbia
    •     Singapore
    •     Sint Maarten
    •     Slovakia
    •     Slovenia
    •     South Korea
    •     South Sudan
    •     Spain
    •     St Barthelemy
    •     St.Pier,Miquel.
    •     Sth Terr. Franc
    •     Sudan
    •     Suriname
    •     Svalbard
    •     Sweden
    •     Switzerland
    •     Syria
    •     Tadschikistan
    •     Taiwan
    •     Thailand
    •     Timor-Leste
    •     Togo
    •     Tokelau Islands
    •     Tunisia
    •     Turkey
    •     Turkmenistan
    •     Ukraine
    •     Unit.Arab Emir.
    •     Uruguay
    •     Uzbekistan
    •     Vatican City
    •     Venezuela
    •     Vietnam
    •     Wallis,Futuna
    •     West Saharan
    •     Western Samoa
    •     Yemen
    Not available for sale:
    •     Antigua/Barbuda
    •     Australia
    •     Bahamas
    •     Bangladesh
    •     Barbados
    •     Belize
    •     Bermuda
    •     Botswana
    •     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
    •     Brit.Virgin Is.
    •     Brunei
    •     Cayman Islands
    •     Christmas Islnd
    •     Cocos Islands
    •     Cyprus
    •     Dominica
    •     Falkland Islnds
    •     Fiji
    •     Gambia
    •     Ghana
    •     Gibraltar
    •     Grenada
    •     Guernsey
    •     Guyana
    •     India
    •     Ireland
    •     Isle of Man
    •     Jamaica
    •     Jersey
    •     Kenya
    •     Kiribati
    •     Lesotho
    •     Malawi
    •     Malaysia
    •     Malta
    •     Mauritius
    •     Montserrat
    •     Mozambique
    •     Namibia
    •     Nauru
    •     New Zealand
    •     Nigeria
    •     Pakistan
    •     PapuaNewGuinea
    •     Pitcairn Islnds
    •     S. Sandwich Ins
    •     Seychelles
    •     Sierra Leone
    •     Solomon Islands
    •     Somalia
    •     South Africa
    •     Sri Lanka
    •     St. Helena
    •     St. Lucia
    •     St. Vincent
    •     St.Chr.,Nevis
    •     Swaziland
    •     Tanzania
    •     Tonga
    •     Trinidad,Tobago
    •     Turks&Caicos Is
    •     Tuvalu
    •     Uganda
    •     United Kingdom
    •     Vanuatu
    •     Zambia
    •     Zimbabwe

    Additional formats

    Other Books by this Author

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