Meet vivacious, courageous, precocious Huda and her quiet, patient, big-hearted older brother Akeal. Their parents were unexpectedly called away to Beirut, leaving them in the hands of their horrible babysitter, Aunt Amel. They have a plan.

Well actually, it’s really Huda’s plan and Akeal is just going along to protect her like a big brother should. Not that Akeal is too sure it’s such a good idea for them to have run away from home, and to be boarding a plane flying to Lebanon alone. What with him being only 12. And Huda … well, Huda is much smaller, and no matter what she may think, someone does need to keep an eye on her. Perhaps their parents will understand, when they show up unexpectedly on the other side of the world, that Aunt Amel was truly awful after all.

This is where H. Hayek’s debut middle-grade novel Huda and Me starts. Hayek’s novel is a cheeky, fun and heartfelt adventure that will have you laughing out loud. It provides a wonderful insight into the lives of a loving Lebanese-Australian family, with all its complex relationships to culture, religion, family and food, as they navigate their adventure both at home and abroad. This tale of sibling love and learning to embrace difference teaches as it entertains, with a fresh fast-paced text and style. Perfect for readers ages 8+.

Claire Atherfold is the manager and the children’s book buyer at Readings State Library.