You Must Be Layla
You Must Be Layla
SHIPPING INTERNATIONALLY
“With her long skirt and headscarf Layla certainly stands out at her new high school. Everyone thinks they know her, just from a glance. But do they? And does Layla really know herself?”
Layla's mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth – unfortunately her better judgement can take a while to catch up! Although she believes she was justified for doing what she did, a suspension certainly isn't the way she would have wished to begin her time at her fancy new high school. Despite the setback, Layla's determined to show everyone that she does deserve her scholarship and sets her sights on winning a big invention competition. But where to begin?
Looking outside and in, Layla will need to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be if she has any chance of succeeding.
Jam-packed with heart and humour You Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied reveals a powerful new voice in children’s writing. Touching on the migrant experience and exploring thought-provoking themes relevant to all teens, this book shows the strength required to be a Queen with a capital ‘Q’.
Reviews
You Must Be Layla is a heart-warming story that will give young readers insight into the lives of migrants to Australia and the struggles with racism and identity that they grapple with. It also explores the pressure that students can be under from their parents to perform at school and how this can play out in very detrimental ways. Layla is a wonderfully warm and vibrant character who will stay with you long after you have finished reading her story. A perfect book to get young readers thinking more about issues in the playground and to the bigger world beyond it. - Better Reading
This is a noble debut with a likeable protagonist who exudes the kind of confidence that young girls need in literary role models. Layla’s fast pace and triumphant narrative will keep eager readers engaged, as well as introduce progressive concepts that will shape their world view. - Books and Publishing