Authors Bassem Youssef and Catherine R. Daly brought us a wonderful new twist on a genie-like story in The Magical Reality of Nadia. The prologue begins thousands of years ago in Egypt; then we fast forward to present-day U.S.A. The majority of the story takes place at a middle school where we meet a great group of friends. They’re from differing backgrounds but support each other’s differences. When a new guy joins the school, we see some race issues arise, mostly directed at the main character, Nadia. As one who typically sticks with facts more than fiction, she is surprised to find herself with a “magical helper” who can assist her with the difficulties she faces, including those created by the new student. Full of fun facts, both Egyptian-specific and more general, Nadia teaches us plenty throughout the pages. Additionally, the illustrator, Douglas Holgate, captures the story in a whimsical yet modern light. Those looking for a fun, enlightening read need to check out this five-star book.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Few (10) very brief incidents including a verbal threat in a story; reference to chopped off heads being on display many years ago; second-hand murder; reference to mummies and removing their organs; reference to AIDS; second-hand report of characters getting tortured and killed; reference to war; reference to the Great Hunger and people dying of starvation; reference to slavery.  

Sex/Nudity: One incident of character referencing mom getting married.

Mature Subject Matter:

A few incidents of rude/potty humor; racism; war; slavery; AIDS; death; murder.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None