Say Something, Poupeh Babaee!

By Haleh Massey, Ghazal Qadri (Illustrator)

A mute girl must find her voice to reunite her family against immigration odds.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 67 ratings

176 pages

$24.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In a new country, Iranian girl Poupeh faces a daunting challenge: selective mutism. With her parents barred by a travel ban, she must speak up at an embassy interview to reunite her family. Can Poupeh overcome her silence and the pressures of a foreign land? This heartwarming tale explores the power of friendship, therapy, and resilience in the face of adversity.

From the publisher

Poupeh needs to speak up for her parents at an embassy interview-the problem is that she’s been rendered mute! Smile meets New Kid in this funny, heartwarming, poignant graphic novel about the toll immigrating to the United States takes on a kid’s mental health. Poupeh Babaee is an Iranian girl sent to live with her relatives in the United States. Although Poupeh understands and speaks English, the stress of entering a new school in a foreign land renders her mute, and she is diagnosed with selective mutism. Worse yet, a travel ban–which labels Iran a “dangerous country”–has barred her parents from entering the US! Poupeh must now overcome her selective mutism to advocate for her parents during an interview with an embassy consular officer if she ever wants to see them again. Uplifting and engaging, Say Something, Poupeh Babaee! depicts the healing power of therapy, friendship, and familial bonds. This is a message of hope to all the awkward, overwhelmed immigrant children struggling to find acceptance.

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