Rainbow Fair - by Diana Ma (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of a middle school cultural fair, this tenderhearted and funny novel from the author of The Unbeatable Lily Hong stars twelve-year-old Sophie Mu--who discovers the power of defining oneself as she navigates friendship drama, family expectations, and learning about her Hui, her Chinese Muslim identity.

Sophie's work on the Chinese booth at last year's Rainbow Fair is a point of pride for her and her parents, even if Sophie and her best friend, Katie, think the whole thing is a little silly. Sophie's family is Hui, Chinese Muslim. The Muslim part is something she doesn't know much about. Her parents prefer to keep it private. So when it gets slipped to an overenthusiastic teacher that Sophie is Muslim, the only Muslim in her class, suddenly Sophie is in charge of debuting a booth representing the Islamic religion she doesn't practice, an assignment she is determined to keep secret from her parents.

Having to choose between leaving the Chinese booth or taking on double the workload leaves Sophie feeling conflicted. Why does she have to choose which part of herself to represent? Is it an issue with her or with how the Rainbow Fair is organized?

Between juggling both booths, old and new friends, and learning more about her Muslim faith and ancestry, Sophie starts to notice how her working on two booths starts to spark change throughout the student body. It turns out Sophie isn't the only one at Monroe Middle School whose identity isn't so simply categorized by the Rainbow Fair's limited booths.

One thing is for sure, this year's Rainbow Fair won't look anything like it did in the past, and Sophie begins to realize that that might not be a bad thing at all.

Can one girl navigate middle school, new friendships, and her own identity without losing herself in the process?

• A Story of Intersectionality: Sophie is proud to be Chinese, but when she's asked to represent her Muslim faith--a part of her she barely knows--she has to figure out what it means to be both at once.
• Authentic Middle School Drama: Juggling a secret booth, changing friendships with her best friend Katie, and the expectations of her loving parents, Sophie's seventh-grade year is anything but simple.
• Finding Your Voice: Sophie's quiet decision to run a new booth inspires other students, proving that sometimes the biggest changes start with one person daring to be different.
• Supportive Friendships and Allyship: Features a powerful best-friendship and positive allyship as Sophie champions Katie's fight to create the school's first-ever LGBTQ+ booth.
• Heartfelt and Funny Read: Perfect for fans of diverse middle grade books that explore family, identity, and figuring out who you are with plenty of humor and heart.

Review Quotes

[T]he message of embracing one's identity shines brightly. With gentle themes of activism and identity, this book will appeal to fans of Once Upon an Eid, edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed (2020), and Andrea Wang's The Many Meanings of Meilan (2021). - Booklist

A seventh grader's Chinese and Muslim identities take center stage as she navigates friendship tensions and self-acceptance... Ma offers a rich, relatable, and inclusive story that's perfect for young readers grappling with their own questions of belonging. Accessible and engaging, this novel shines as an exceptional tale of self-acceptance and understanding. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The nuanced narrative...thoughtfully considers attempts at honoring multiple facets of identity as well as navigating feelings that can arise when old friends form new social bonds." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)