Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero

Content Warning: As the novel centers on 9/11, it features trauma related to the attacks. The story also depicts anti-Muslim prejudice, bullying, and child abuse and includes a reference to antisemitism and the Holocaust.

Yusuf Azeem is 11 years old. He’s starting the sixth grade in the fall of 2021, and on his first day at Frey Middle School in Frey, Texas, he opens his locker to find a note that says, “You suck.” Yusuf thinks the note is a mistake. Trying to stay excited about middle school, Yusuf reminds himself that he already has a school email account. He also plans to participate in the Texas Robotics Competition (TRC).

The enthusiastic Principal Williamson leads the first-day assembly, and Yusuf sits next to his best friend, Danial Kahn. Danial’s parents are computer engineers for Exxon, so his mom can afford to buy new cars, and her most recent is a Jeep. Yusuf’s abba (father) is Mohammad Azeem, and he owns and operates the A to Z Dollar Store. Yusuf and Danial are Muslim, and LEGO robots and coding are their primary concerns.