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May 31, 2007

Kate Hastings rated it:

A Muslim girl from Bangladesh has her life turned upside-down after 9/11 when all Muslim men from certain middle-eastern countries are required to register with the US government and show valid IDs.

Her family has long out-stayed their travel visa, and have been living successful, if illegal, lives in the United States. Her father works in a restaurant and her older sister has been nominated to be her high school's valedictorian.

But now all of that success is in peril. Her More...

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Nov 18, 2010

Haley rated it:

I thought this book was very good. I never realized the grief that immigrants get from other Americans until I read this book. Immigrants are not treated as well as they could be. After 9/11, all Muslim immigrants were suspected terrorists. I think this is very wrong because not all Muslims hate the United States. Most, if not all, of them just want a new start. This is all that Nadira and her family wanted. After these events took place in 2001, Muslims were faced with a difficult situation lik More...

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Jul 23, 2008

Sophie rated it:

I think this is a great book and I loved it. Nadira and her family is trying to get used to their new life and I was thinking so much how hard it should've been to try to do their best every moment but one thing that they couldn't get away from was their own country, Bangladesh. Aisha is a brave girl in this book and she is an A+ girl but one thing that she is not good at was that she was afraid of her country, where she's from - she wants to be invisible not standing out in front of a lot of pe More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 05, 2007

Lucy rated it:

Nadira’s family emigrated to the US from Bandgladesh a few years ago. Now, they are living in New York City on expired visas, hoping to realize their dream of becoming legal US citizens. But 9/11 changes everything. Suddenly, being Muslim, looking different, and speaking with an accent means that you are a suspected terrorist.

When Nadira’s father is arrested at the US/Canadian border, Nadira and her college-bound, motivated and smart sister Aisha are told to continue on as if noth More...

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Aug 29, 2007

Jan rated it:

This is an extraordinarily moving book about a young girl named Nadira whose family has emigrated from Bangladesh and are now living in the United States...illegally. The book explores the increase in suspicion towards Muslim minorities since 9/11 and the terror of trying to make it in America while disguising the fact that you are there illegally. Nadira's father is ultimately arrested when the family attempts to enter Canada and ask for asylum. He is detained even longer when the INS makes More...

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Jan 28, 2012

Miranda rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was quite interesting. At first I did not think that I would like it very much. I am glad that I gave it a chance. I feel bad that life had to change for immigrants after 9-11. They weren’t safe and everybody thought that any immigrant was out to get you or kill you. I have a lot of respect for Nadira in the story. She had to deal with so much stuff. She had to figure out how to help her mother and father. She also had to figure out how to keep her More...

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Dec 17, 2008

Heather rated it:

This story is told in first person from the point of view of a young girl in the ninth grade, Nadira. her family came to the US from Bangladesh on a tourist visa and ended up staying illegally after the visa expired. The family did try to become legal and met with some problems and then just let it go and stayed in the US anyways. The novel tells the story of their attempt to seek asylum in Canada and what happens when they are sent back to the US and the father is detained as an illegal alien. More...

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Jun 16, 2011

Becky rated it:

I thought this book was great because it hits pretty close to home and it’s very meaningful. It was easier to see that Nadira and her sister were just regular teenagers like we were, or like the students that we will be teaching, and their friends. They got used to thinking of themselves as Americans, with Aisha believing she can even go to college. As a reader, I found it easier to imagine myself in Nadira’s place than some other multicultural books I have read.

I think this would be More...

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Jul 18, 2010

S10_tommccormack rated it:

Ages: 13 - 17

"Ask Me No Questions" tells the story of Nadira, a Bangladeshi-American high schooler who lives in the shadow of her more attractive, outgoing older sister. Nadira's family is undocumented and Muslim, so, after September 11th, as the United States government aggressively investigates potential "terrorists," her father is worried that they will be discovered and deported (or worse).

To escape persecution, the family drives to Canada to seek More...

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Jul 15, 2011

Jackie rated it:

Nadira, just 14, and her family are illegal aliens. Ma, Abba, and her sister Aisha came to the United States from their homeland, Bangladesh, with a visitor's passport. Through a series of mix-ups and blunders, their permanent status was never achieved, although the authorities didn't really seem to care or take much notice...that is, until September 11, 2001 changed everything. Now, all illegal aliens, especially Muslims were being dragged into jail, deported, and questioned about supposed susp More...

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May 26, 2011

Lori rated it:

This book was terrible. I HATE saying that. Looking at my reviews, it's clear that I'm not typically an extremely critical reviewer. But this book is awful. And it's a shame, because the topic it dealt with seems so important.

There were a lot of inconsistencies within the book. The narrator is 14 year old Nadira, and it really felt like a 14 year old wrote this book. I had no idea what the time span of the book was: sometimes events that should have happened a few weeks ago wer More...

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Mar 07, 2010

Ch_robyn rated it:

After September 11, the U.S. government began cracking down on illegal immigrants in the country, in particular – Muslims. Muslims with expired tourist visas were targeted and found themselves at constant risk of deportation. Ask Me No Questions tells the story of one such family. The narrator is a 14-year-old girl originally from Bangladesh. She and her family have been living comfortably in New York for years. Her older sister Aisha is even the school’s valedictorian and Harvard-bound. Bu More...

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Nov 09, 2009

Tara rated it:

Nadira Hossain ‘s life falls apart when, after 9/11, all Muslim men are required to register with the government. Nadira and her family are immigrants from Bangladesh who have been living in New York for years on expired visas. When the new regulations are passed, Nadira’s father hastily tries to leave the U.S. for Canada but is arrested at the border. Nadira and her older sister, Aisha must try to find a way to get their father released.
This book raises a lot of questions a More...

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Sep 30, 2009

(NS) Lisa rated it:

What is it like to be an illegal alien living in New York following the 9/11 tragedy? Nadira, 14, and her family leave Bangladesh to find a better life in the United States. They have entered the country on a tourist visa, and stay long after the visa has expired. Their illegal status is discovered, and they seek asylum in Canada. Her father is detained in Canada because his passport is no longer valid. Nadira and her sister return to New York and must go on with life as nothing has happene More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 25, 2009

Daisy rated it:

Many things occurred in this certain story that related to my life.For example there came a time where this girl and her older and younger siblings along with their mother were in the border of Canada..trying to live a normal life and live happily with their family. Sometimes they felt as if they were aliens and they did not fit in in to this country. They have been moving all their lives and never found a place to be happy. Most of the time the family would be scared of crossing thinking that t More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Blair rated it:

This is a great book about a young girl name Nadira who came to America with her family from Bangladesh. After 9/11 her life changes completely. Nadira's family is living in the United States of America with their outdated travel visas. Her family has done their best at not being noticed. Her father, Abba, works in a restaurant, her mother doesn't know much English but learns from cooking shows, and her sister, Aisha, has been nominated for class valedictorian. Her father decides that his family More...

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Nov 15, 2010

Whitney rated it:

This book was very interesting. You get to see how immigrants struggle with jobs and living in different places. To us Americans it seems weird that so many people are trying to get into the United State when we have lived here our whole lives. We didn’t have to struggle to live here. I’m sure there are a lot of people who wonder why they just can’t come and live in this country. This is so many people’s dream. In my opinion I think people should live here if they want to, they shouldn’t have to More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Slizzards rated it:

This book is about a Muslim girl from Bangladesh named Nadira. Her family has long out-stayed their travel visa and have been living illegally in the United States for a long time. Suddenly, it seems like her family has two choices - to drive to Canada and ask for asylum, or continue to live illegally and risk serious consequences if ever caught. When they decide to go to Canada, her family is turned away and her dad is sent to jail. Soon after, everything falls apart, and it's up to Nadira to b More...

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Nov 17, 2010

Brooke rated it:

This book was a very good book. It made me learn many things about immigrants that I didn't know before I read this book. I thought this family was a very strong family, I would’ve never of been to deal with what they all went through. Nadira’s family came from Bangladesh to America hoping to become legal citizens. After 9/11 everything changed for their family because they were Muslim. Nadira’s father was arrested at the US/Canadian Border. Nadira and her sister Aisha went on with their lives a More...

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Dec 09, 2011

Jenni rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 25, 2010

Alee rated it:

This YA novel tells the story of two sisters, Nadira and Aisha. They immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh as young girls, and grew up with their hardworking family in New York. When the book begins they are high school students trying to navigate the changes in post-9/11 America.

Aisha is a straight A student with hopes of a college education. Nadira is an average student who feels overshadowed by her sister's accomplishments. As their family faces possible deportation because of More...

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Dec 17, 2009

maria rated it:

YA or not, this is a lovely and poignant tale of a family of illegal immigrants living in post-9/11 new york, told from the perspective of a 14-year old girl.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 01, 2011

Renata rated it:

Oh hai, Julia Alvarez (Return to Sender), here is how you can write a YA book about undocumented immigrants without being patronizing to teenagers. Compelling and realistic (without being TOO much of a downer) and manages to tackle some pretty weighty issues regarding Muslims in America after 9/11 without being too preachy or unbelievable. The two sisters, Nadira and Aisha, cope with the stress of their father's arrest and possible deportment in different ways--Aisha starts shutting down and ski More...

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Jan 02, 2012

Olivia rated it:

"Ask Me No Questions" deals with the subject matter of world post-9/11 from the point of view of the Muslim community that Americans are disclosed from. When young Nadira's father is arrested at the U.S-Canadian border because he is Muslim, Nadira and her older sister Aisha are instructed to go about their lives as normal. But when Aisha falls apart and Nadira's family is no consolation, it's up to Nadira to bring her family back together again. This novel is moving and thought-provoki More...

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Jan 23, 2011

Dotty rated it:

Nadira and her family are illegal aliens fromm Bangladesh and life is really ok until 9/11. Now they are in danger of being deported. When they seek assylum in Canada they are refused and upon turning back Nadira’s father is detained. Nadira is overweight and the quiet sister. Her older sister, Aisha, is bright, high achiever and possible valetictorian of her class. She hopes to go to college and works at fitting in with her American peers. As the family crisis evolves, Aisha tries to fix More...

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Jan 28, 2012

Grace rated it:

A bit bland, but it was assigned reading for school so I really couldn't expect much.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 14, 2010

Pierce rated it:

Many immigrants who come to the U.S. have it very hard. They have to be careful not to get too used to their home. This is if the are illegal. It must be hard to get a green card if people are coming into the U.S illegally. They have to work very hard for their family.
Nadira's Dad works very hard for him and his family. Life is going good until Nadira and her family try to go to Canada to seek help which was what a lot of Indian people were doing because of racist people but get More...

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Jul 17, 2010

Lindsey rated it:

ALA BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Format: Novel
Age level: Middle School
Protagonist: Nadira, a fourteen-year-old illegal alien from Bangladesh

Brief Summary: This story takes place in the United States, post 9/11. When a law is passed requiring everyone to register, Nadira's father takes the family to Canada to apply for asylum. They are denied entrance, and Nadira's father is arrested and put in detainment. The story continues More...

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Aug 09, 2011

Ann added it

I am replacing my old review with a new one...mainly because I felt perhaps my first review was a bit more about my feelings rather than the book itself...I found this book to be very clouded...I felt as if the author were trying to get the muslim world to see how unjust Americans were while trying to gain the sympothy of the world she belongs...written by one who is unsure where she fits in the world and needing to be loved by all sides...I want to say a narcissistic individual...I felt as if i More...

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Jan 20, 2010

Rae rated it:

This is the story of an illegal Bangladeshi family living in New York not long after 9/11. Although they have successfully lived in the country a number of years, their father is detained when he attempts to seek asylum in Canada rather than register nationally. I liked the characters and thought the author did an effective job of depicting the fear and uncertainty illegals feel on a daily basis. I also liked that she acknowledged their illegalities but didn't make me feel like I was being emoti More...

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