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msghani's review
5.0
This is a great continuation of the Zayd Saleem: Chasing the Dream series. I enjoyed reading about Zayd's story as he is now playing on the gold team. Hena Khan did a fantastic job of weaving plot points from the first book into the second one. It all felt very natural. Again, the school/family/sports life balance was just perfect, in my opinion. Can't wait to read the final book!
jennybeastie's review
4.0
I really enjoy these stories -- it was so nice to get to catch up with the Saleem family and hear more of their story. The wedding sounds like a wild ride, and it's interesting to see Zayd become a more confident basketball player.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
There is nothing like the comfort that comes from knowing that the character you have just met in a book will be back in subsequent books. One of our favorite series is the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream trilogy by Hena Khan. These three chapter books are wonderful sports stories that are ideal for kids ready to move on from easy readers to longer, more complex stories, or even for reluctant early middle school readers. They are clearly written, narrated in the first person by the protagonist, the issues are age appropriate, and they are diverse. Yes, the Pakistani American Saleems - Baba, Mama, older sister Zara, Naano (grandmother), Nana Abu (grandfather), and Jamal Mamoo (uncle) - are a Muslim family, but this is also a basketball story. The Saleem's culture and religion are a big part of Zayd's family life, and readers are given a nice window into what that is like, but most of the conflicts and challenges he faces are the kind that any kid might be confronted with at that age, both within the family and in the outside world.
In Book 2, Zayd does manage to get to the gold team tryouts and he's finally part of this winning basketball team. Except, they aren't such a winning team anymore - they've lost their first two games and now Zayd's best friend and teammate is starting to play football with some other guys. Zayd is afraid that Adam may be blaming him for the games the team has lost. When Adam stops coming to practice and playing on the team altogether, Zayd worries that Coach Wheeler will also think that's his fault. But then, Coach Wheeler has him play point guard, Adam's usual position. Not feeling particularly confident in his new position, the team loses yet again. Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo and the family are busy making wedding plans and Zayd is indeed feeling abandoned by his favorite uncle. These wedding plans offer readers a further window into Muslim culture and religion, but this time with lots of wonderful mouth-watering food descriptions thrown in (which means a trip to Sahadi's in Brooklyn for me). But when Adam has to stay over at Zayd's house, the two friends have a really serious talk. Can Adam help Zayd get past comparing himself on the court to Adam and become a great player in his own right?
I loved this trilogy and was sorry to say goodbye to Zayd and his family. Khan did a great job of seamlessly weaving in so many details about Zayd's life as a member of a Muslim family, while also showing that other aspects of their lives are similar to all families. I especially like how Zayd's budding maturity over the three books was depicted by his ability to incorporate the lessons he learned about good sportsmanship into his life off the court.
In Book 2, Zayd does manage to get to the gold team tryouts and he's finally part of this winning basketball team. Except, they aren't such a winning team anymore - they've lost their first two games and now Zayd's best friend and teammate is starting to play football with some other guys. Zayd is afraid that Adam may be blaming him for the games the team has lost. When Adam stops coming to practice and playing on the team altogether, Zayd worries that Coach Wheeler will also think that's his fault. But then, Coach Wheeler has him play point guard, Adam's usual position. Not feeling particularly confident in his new position, the team loses yet again. Meanwhile, Jamal Mamoo and the family are busy making wedding plans and Zayd is indeed feeling abandoned by his favorite uncle. These wedding plans offer readers a further window into Muslim culture and religion, but this time with lots of wonderful mouth-watering food descriptions thrown in (which means a trip to Sahadi's in Brooklyn for me). But when Adam has to stay over at Zayd's house, the two friends have a really serious talk. Can Adam help Zayd get past comparing himself on the court to Adam and become a great player in his own right?
I loved this trilogy and was sorry to say goodbye to Zayd and his family. Khan did a great job of seamlessly weaving in so many details about Zayd's life as a member of a Muslim family, while also showing that other aspects of their lives are similar to all families. I especially like how Zayd's budding maturity over the three books was depicted by his ability to incorporate the lessons he learned about good sportsmanship into his life off the court.
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