Fit in/Stand Out

A Tale of Bravery and Belonging

“Bravery grows in your mind./But its roots are in your heart./Water the roots for the right reasons, and bravery will grow./Exactly when you need it.”

Many reviewers judge a book by how it is covered. So far, The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community has received a star from Kirkus and accolades from The School Library Journal. The creators of this bold title are no strangers to stars and medals. While Ibtihaj Muhammed has taken home an Olympic bronze, S.K. Ali and Hatem Aly have built trail-blazing careers. In so many ways, The Boldest White is a great title to feature first in a review blog that’s inspired by stargazing.

In a clear dark sky, untouched by artificial light, a stargazer wonders at the generations of stars gracing our galaxy. Each is part of crowd. Each stands out. All inspire. Likewise, every story has a vein of inspiration. Some bold. Some slight. Obscured by the limits of our own points of view, we experience the reverence of other voices. Of other souls couched between words and phrases. It may be a timid soul, reluctant to reveal itself openly. Or a daring soul that blazes. Uncommon and common inspirations abound in children’s literature, so what stands out in The Boldest White?

A lot that I’ve already snuck into the descriptions above. But also…

A unique outlook on bravery.

Faizah loves being part of a crowd. Fitting in. Adorning the same cloth, be it hijab or fencing mask. She belongs to a family, a faith, and a future. Her social systems provide leadership and support, but Faizah is used to following. Does she have the courage to stand out from the crowd and be a star fencer like her sister Asiyah?

As an emotional skill, bravery is often associated with individualistic character traits. You take the road less travelled. You defy society and its expectations. You break the mould. But for children, social structure is very important. Would they benefit from a less divisive more wholesome trope about bravery? Probably yes, and The Boldest White provides a nice counterbalance. In this title, standing out does not mean standing alone. It means being together with those who support you and also those who will need you.

Faizah overcomes her fear of stepping into the spotlight by drawing from the helpful leadership of those around her.

The theme was presented beautifully in the social parallelism between the mosque and the fencing club. Part poetic, part prosy, the language has a nice versatility that is matched by the art. Hatem Aly captures emotional vulnerability in an image of a multifold self collapsing inward under pressure. Yet right around the corner is the determined fun and confidence of his classic illustrative style. His work adds so much spirit to the text.

The Boldest White releases on September 24th, 2024. Preorder now.

Thank you Edelwiess for the advanced reading copy.

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