Maysoon Zayid, the Girl Who Can Can (Muslim Mavericks)

Maysoon Zayid, The Girl Who Can Can focuses on a remarkable American actress and comedian while also shining a light on someone of the Muslim faith who has Cerebral Palsy. The font, language, chapter size, and illustrations throughout make this beginning chapter book biography perfect for newly independent readers.
Maysoon Zayid has been rejected many times in her life, starting in kindergarten when the school didn’t want to admit her without testing due to her cerebral palsy. Many people would have stayed small and chosen a smaller goal than to become an actress and comedian. However, with a supportive father and strong work ethic, she succeeded beyond anyone else’s expectations of her. As an adult reading the book, I found it especially poignant the number of well-meaning adults who said terrible, soul-crushing comments like, “Oh honey, you’re disabled,” or things like people were being nice to “let” her participate. Maysoon showed them, and it serves as a great point not to let your thoughts stop somebody else from reaching their full potential, especially the children in our care.
Overall, this chapter book biography for young readers delivers a success story and positive representation. The book mostly focuses on overcoming people’s diminished expectations due to her physical disability and her big dreams and iron determination to accomplish exactly what she dreamed of doing, making for an inspirational book.

Maysoon Zayid, author of the graphic novel Shiny Misfits, was born in 1974. Because of difficulties with her birth, she has lived with cerebral palsy. This manifests itself, in her case, by tremors that she can control sometimes. When she wanted to enroll in the same elementary school with her sisters, the principal said that she could not because of her disability, and sent her and her father to the superintendent. It was even mentioned that she should enroll in a school for children with Down Syndrome. This was before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. She made her case successfully, as was able to enroll. Her parents, who immigrated from Palestine, couldn't afford physical therapy, so her father worked with her for two hours a day at home. To help, she did enroll in dance classes. Since she was young, Mayson wanted to be a famous actress and appear on the television soap opera General Hospital, so she loved dancing. She attended Arizona State University to major in dance and drama. Despite a lot of negativity from teachers, she persevered. She took comedy classes as well, and eventually got an audition for her dream job, General Hospital, and won a role. She continues to perform and to serve as a good example for fighting through difficulties and not giving up on dreams.