Dear Librarian friend,
Hope you're doing well. I'm reaching out today to ask about your 
library's plans for Summer Reading this year. If you're planning on 
book clubs, please consider my MG novel A Thousand Questions (Quill 
Tree Books/HarperCollins 2020). It's a perfect summer read because 
it's set during summer break, and involves travel to another country 
and continent. It's perfect for a children's book club, or a family 
club where everyone reads together.

About the book:
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.

“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

- 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

About the ATQ Summer Book Club:
If you include A Thousand Questions in your Summer Reading Program as 
a book club read, you'll receive:
- a short welcome video introducing the book
- instructions for activities and crafts related to the story
- recipes for a few of the items mentioned in the book
- a list of discussion questions
- a free 30 minute virtual Q&A

 Complete the the short Google form by MAY 28th to get more 
information about the summer book club for A Thousand Questions: 
https://forms.gle/jCTthDpzCqq4h6ob7