The Strongest Heart

From beloved middle grade author Saadia Faruqi comes a poignant exploration of the impact of mental illness on families--and the love and hope that it takes to begin telling a different tale. Mo is used to his father´s fits of rage. When Abbu´s moods shake the house, Mo is safe inside his head, with his cherished folktales: The best way to respond is not to engage. Apparently, his mama knows that too--which is why she took a job on the other side of the world, leaving Mo alone with Abbu. With Mama gone, the two move to Texas to live with Mo´s aunt and cousin, Rayyan. The two boys could not be more different. Rayyan is achievement-driven and factual; Mo is a "bad kid." Still, there is a lot to like about living in Texas. Sundays at the mosque are better than he´d expected. And Rayyan and his aunt become a real family to Mo. But even in a warm home and school where he begins to see a future for himself, Mo knows that the monster within his father can break out and destroy their fragile peace at any moment...