title: Bestest. Ramadan. Ever

author: Medeia Sharif

date: Flux; 2011

main character: Almira Abdul

It’s hard to see how Almira is having the bestest Ramadan ever. Boys at her school continue to make passes at her mom, her grandfather annoys everyone in the family with his old-fashioned views on life and it looks like she’s going to lose the boy she really likes to her best friend. That probably shouldn’t matter because her parents don’t want her to date anyway.

These issues are common to most teenagers but Almira is fasting for Ramadan and everything bothers her that much more. Her complaining becomes a bit annoying and unfounded at times but through it all, we see a young girl beginning to view this month of fasting as a religious, reflective time and an opportunity to grow up. This becomes her best Ramadan because of the meaning Almira is able to take from it, not because of the fun she’s having.

Bestest. Ramadan.Ever. introduces readers to Muslim culture as part of a contemporary teen’s life. While Ramadan is a very important part of the book, it is a very subtle part of the book. Readers see how much all teens have in common.