"Fresh, funny, heartfelt story of an irrepressibly enthusiastic migrant trying to survive and thrive in her new scholarship school"
Boundlessly energetic Layla is over the moon when she’s offered a scholarship to a fancy school, but this exciting new chapter of her life gets off to the worst possible start when she stands up to a bully, who happens to be the son of a Very Important Person. Since Layla’s wise parents “had taught her to yell in the face of injustice,” she won’t remain silent when subjected to racism and islamophobia (“Get your towelhead face out of our school.
In fact, get out of our COUNTRY. You’re not welcome here”), but it’s Layla who ends up being suspended. Never one to quit, cut loose or bow out, Layla bounces back by throwing herself into a high profile inter-school robotics invention competition, with many hilarious and moving true-to-life moments along the way.
Throughout I adored Layla’s openness, her aptitude for shrugging off set-backs, taking suggestions on board and embracing change. As the You Must Be Layla title suggests, she’s a one-of-a-kind heroine, and this funny, thought-provoking novel - the first children’s book from inspirational Sudanese-born broadcaster, social advocate and mechanical engineer Yassmin Abdel-Magied - is a one-of-a-kind bundle of comedy and compassion.
'If you want to invent something nobody has ever thought of before, you need to read the things that others don't read, look in the spaces other people are not in...'
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'If you want to invent something nobody has ever thought of before, you need to read the things that others don't read, look in the spaces other people are not in...' Layla believes she was right to stand up for herself against a bully, but it's landed her a suspension - not the way she (or her parents) would have wished to begin her time at her fancy new school! This is just a setback though, and she's determined to prove that she does deserve her scholarship by making new friends and setting her sights on inventing something that could win the big robotics competition.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed You Must Be Layla and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
You Must Be Layla features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
You Must Be Layla was written by Yassmin Abdel-Magied and published by Puffin an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
You Must Be Layla has 290 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
