Farah Rocks Fifth Grade Read online

  Remove your hummus and spread it onto a flat plate. Drizzle the olive oil over it and sprinkle with paprika to decorate.

  Eat with pita bread, crackers, or veggies! Sometimes Samir and I put it in a sandwich (like peanut butter) and enjoy it that way!

  Glossary

  academic (ak-uh-DEM-ik)—

  having to do with learning

  achievement (uh-CHEEV-ment)—

  a thing done successfully

  annoyance (uh-NOI-yuhns)—

  the feeling of being irritated

  apologize (uh-PAH-luh-jize)—

  to say that you’re sorry for something

  cemetery (SEM-i-tair-ee)—

  a place where dead people are buried

  cerebral palsy (seh-REE-bruhl PALL-see)—

  a condition that is caused by damage to the brain around the time of birth

  chopsticks (CHAHP-stiks)—

  a pair of thin sticks used for handling food

  confident (KAHN-fi-duhnt)—

  having a strong belief in your own abilities

  Gospel (GAHS-puhl)—

  one of the four books in the New Testament of the Bible, which tell the story of Jesus’s life and his teachings

  mythology (mi-THAH-luh-jee)—

  a group of stories that belong to a particular culture or religion

  occupational therapist (ahk-yuh-PAY-shuhn-uhl THER-uh-pist)—

  a trained professional who helps people learn to do the activities of daily life

  offset (awf-SET)—

  to make up for

  pharaoh (FAIR-oh)—

  the title given to kings in ancient Egypt

  quarry (KWOR-ee)—

  a place where stone or sand is dug from the ground

  stonecutter (STONE-kuht-er)—

  a person who cuts stone from a quarry

  sushi (SOO-shee)—

  a Japanese dish made of small cakes of rice with raw fish or vegetables, wrapped in seaweed

  tattle (TAT-uhl)—

  to tell someone in charge that someone else is doing something wrong

  Glossary of Arabic Words

  ahmar—

  red

  al-madrasa—

  school

  aziza—

  dear

  biddee—

  I want

  bintkoum—

  your daughter

  bsoura’h—

  quickly

  farah—

  joy

  habibi—

  my love (to a boy)

  habibti—

  my love (to a girl)

  hajjar—

  rocks

  hilou—

  pretty

  imshee—

  walk

  inshallah—

  God willing, or I hope so

  koosa mahshi—

  stuffed squash

  mean—

  who

  samir—

  a person who’s fun to be around

  y’Allah—

  slang for “hurry up” or “let’s go”

  About the Author

  Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning author of more than ten books, including two short story collections. She is an associate professor of English at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland, and she also teaches creative writing at Johns Hopkins University and Fairfield University. A native Philadelphian, Susan currently lives in Baltimore. She loves books, coffee, and baseball, and she’s mildly obsessed with stationery supplies.

  About the Illustrator

  Illustrator and graphic designer Ruaida Mannaa completed her undergraduate studies at the Universidad del Norte in her hometown in Colombia. She went on to pursue a Master’s degree in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She grew up in a multicultural family, surrounded by different languages, loud parties, and delicious food, and she finds great inspiration for her art in culture and cultural exchange.

  Farah Rocks is published by Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone.

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Text copyright © 2020 by Susan Muaddi Darraj. Illustrations copyright © 2020 by Capstone.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-8339-0 (hardcover)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-8344-4 (eBook PDF)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-9957-5 (eBook)

  Summary: Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah’s world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah’s little brother, Samir, Farah begins to second-guess her choice to leave him behind at Harbortown Elementary/Middle School. Determined to handle it on her own, Farah comes up with a plan—a plan that involves misleading those closest to her. Will her lies catch up with her, or can Farah find a way to defeat the bully and rock fifth grade?

  Designed by Hilary Wacholz