Huda and Me

 

H. Hayek's debut middle grade novel, Huda and Me, has earned some award short-listings lately, and rightfully so. It's another tale about sibling adventure (close to my heart after The January Stars!), this time centred on protective older brother Akeal and cheeky little sister Huda, who run away to find their parents in Lebanon when their minder, 'Aunty' Amel abuses her baby-sitting power and turns the whole family's life to misery. (Coincidentally, H. Hayek is herself named Huda, and is also the second-youngest of seven siblings. Hm...! The seven children in the story and their parents are also named after Hayek's real-life family members.)

The action switches between the peril of the aeroplane trip itself, and the back story of horrible Aunty Amel which has led them to this desperate solution. It's a simple story, but filled with warmth, family support, and lovely detail of Muslim Lebanese domestic life. Akeal frequently sends up prayers, Huda has a nasty moment when a fellow passenger tries to rip off her hijab, and when the children reach Beirut, they see sobering war damage in the streets, so it's not all sunshine and flowers. 

This is a gorgeous tale of adventure and courage, never really frightening, but exciting enough to appeal to younger readers. Funny, sweet and pacy, Huda and Me deserves all the praise it's earned so far.