Review Detail

Amina is excited for the upcoming science fair as she can show off her skills and impress her grandmother. Unfortunately for Amina, she got paired with someone she doesn’t want to work with, and now that her grandmother is visiting from Syria, it seems that Amina got left out of getting a gift. Amina is finding things unfair, will she be able to come up with a project for the science fair on time? Will Amina be able to find a way to work with this partner?

What I Liked: While this book is part of a series, it can stand on its own and doesn’t create a problem if this is your first introduction to Amina Banana. In fact, after reading this book you’ll want to go out and read more about Amina, her family, and her friends.

Throughout this book there are fun moments that Amina shares with her friends and family as well as tense moments. The tension is broken through conversation in which we see the characters empathize with one another. We also see how important communication is so that misunderstandings don’t occur as well as to share your feelings so others can help navigate tough situations.

This book contains some simple black and white illustrations that assist in bringing the story to life. Each of the chapters in this book are short and help keep the pacing quick and even. Young readers will enjoy the breaking up of text with images and the size of the font making for a quick read.

Final Verdict: Amina Banana and The Formula for Fairness is a great early chapter book for children ages 6 and up to learn about working with others, and having empathy for others. This early chapter book is perfect for children who like science, want to learn more about being Muslim, friendship, and how to ensure that we include everyone in activities.