Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero

Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero is a middle grade novel by Saadia Faruqi. Faruqi is a Pakistani American activist and writer who has published several books for young readers that highlight Pakistani voices. In the novel, 11-year-old Yusuf and his Muslim community in Texas face anti-Muslim prejudice as the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), approaches. The novel explores The Personal Impact of 9/11, Countering Monolithic Representation, and Linking Language to Action.

The page numbers in the guide refer to the 2021 Quill Tree Books e-book edition.

Content Warning: As the novel centers on 9/11, it features trauma related to the attacks. The story also depicts anti-Muslim prejudice, bullying, and child abuse and includes a reference to antisemitism and the Holocaust.

Plot Summary

Yusuf Azeem is 11 years old. He’s Pakistani American and Muslim, and his main interests are coding and building robots. He’s excited to start sixth grade in Frey, Texas, and he plans to participate in the Texas Robotics Competition (TRC) in the winter. When Yusuf opens his locker on the first day of school, he finds a note that says, “You suck.” A few days later, he discovers another note, saying, “Go home.” The bigoted notes make Yusuf fearful of his locker, so he avoids using it.

Despite the notes, Yusuf remains positive about middle school, but his best friend, Danial Kahn, is wary. Danial and Yusuf don’t have any classes together, and Danial finds middle school inhospitable. Football preoccupies the town, but neither Danial nor Yusuf likes the sport. They’re excited to join the after-school robotics club, and they’re keen on finding six students who can meet on Saturdays so that Frey Middle School can participate in the TRC.

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 nears, Yusuf regularly sees the phrase “Never Forget” posted around town. Yusuf’s uncle Rahman is a research scientist, and he doesn’t believe people should forget history, as history shapes the present. Rahman was Yusuf’s age when 9/11 happened, and for English class, Rahman had to keep a journal, which he shares with Yusuf, so Yusuf reads about Rahman’s battle with anti-Muslim prejudice after the attacks. Yusuf also researches 9/11 for a school report, learning about the War on Terror and the Patriot Act.

Kamran Abdullah was friends with Yusuf and Danial, but he changed his first name to Cameron and started wearing baggy clothes and an earring. Now, Cameron is friends with Ethan Grant, who bullies the Muslim students. Danial doesn’t understand why Cameron acts “white.” Yusuf tries to withhold judgment about Cameron, but he suspects Cameron is behind the notes.

Yusuf’s abba (father) owns a popular dollar store, and people think he’s a hero because he once subdued a robber who might have had a gun. Abba is from Pakistan. Yusuf’s amma (mother) is a writer and an excellent cook. Yusuf’s parents and the rest of Frey’s Muslim community construct a new mosque near the train tracks and across from the New Horizons Church.

During school, Ethan smashes Yusuf with his backpack, and Yusuf apologizes. After realizing Ethan caused the collision, Yusuf retracts his apology. Later, in the locker room before gym class, Yusuf stands up to Ethan when Ethan hits a boy’s backside with a towel. The confrontation almost leads to a physical fight, and Ethan refers to Yusuf as “Osama.”

Ethan’s father, Trevor Grant, is the leader of the Patriot Sons, a xenophobic group. Ethan and his father used to live in West Virginia, but Ethan’s parents divorced, so Ethan and his father came to Frey to be closer to Ethan’s grandma, Mrs. Raymond. Jared, Ethan’s cousin, lives with Mrs. Raymond, and Jared’s mom serves overseas. Jared and Yusuf become friends, though Mr. Grant doesn’t want his nephew interacting with Yusuf.

The Patriot Sons protest the construction of the mosque but fail to revoke the zoning permit. They also vandalize Abba’s store, though the police can’t charge the group due to a lack of evidence. Mr. Grant is organizing Frey’s 20th-anniversary parade for 9/11, and he uses the ceremony to make a speech about eradicating “the enemy.”

At school, Ethan removes a Muslim girl’s hijab, and Yusuf confronts him again. For his birthday, Yusuf gets a micro:bit, which he turns into a virtual cat. During school, the micro:bit starts beeping (the cat is hungry), and Ethan accuses Yusuf of possessing a bomb. The fire alarm sounds, and Yusuf spends many hours in a police station. Yusuf and his family share his traumatic experience with the media, and the principal institutes a zero-tolerance bullying policy.

Cameron and three other students join the robotics club, so Yusuf and Danial can compete in the TRC. Cameron, Yusuf, and Danial become friends again. Jared and Yusuf stop being friends when Yusuf discovers Jared wrote the notes. Jared claims Ethan forced him, and after a third-place finish at the TRC, Yusuf forgives Jared, and they become friends again.

Jared attends the New Horizons Church, and he convinces his pastor to give a sermon about the importance of loving one’s neighbors. The pastor’s words motivate the churchgoers to align themselves with the Muslim community and stand up to Mr. Grant and the Patriot Sons.