We Are Big Time
There’s more to being a great basketball team than mere talent. In Hena Khan and Safiya Zerrougui’s We Are Big Time, Aliya and the Peace Academy Girls Varsity Basketball Team had a headline worthy season. As the team gained confidence and became recognized for their basketball talents they also strengthened their Muslim identities and combated stereotypes. Not only does this story capture the everyday struggles of growing up, but it also highlights the complexities of identity in a relatable storyline.
Moving from Tampa to Milwaukee was a big change. For Aliya this move meant giving up her school, friends, and everything she had ever known. Little by little Aliya adjusts to her new life in Milwaukee especially when she tries out for the all-Muslim Peace Academy Girls Varsity Basketball Team. In the beginning, the girls struggle to connect as a group. After hours of conditioning, skill building, team bonding and extra practices they finally begin to learn what it means to be a team. They soon realize that their commitment to basketball was “more than the score” and that what unites them most is that they are in this together. Throughout their basketball season, the Peace Academy Girls Varsity Basketball Team are forced to navigate judgements and stereotypes placed on them for being Muslim women by other players and journalists. The girls find strength in playing as a team and combating these stereotypes by fighting for respect both on and off the court. In the end they shift assumptions of what people think an all-muslim team can be and the future of the sport in America.
Hena Khan retells the real-life experience of the all-hijab-wearing Salam School Girls’ Varsity High School Basketball Team. Khan has adequately captured an Own Voice story that centers the team’s dedication through` the fictional characters and storyline of We Are Big Time. In order to create this story she conducted several interviews that allowed the voices of these girls to shine through the book. Khan has painted a beautiful portrait of what entering a new school environment can entail and the struggles and triumphs that can come with growing up.
Safiya Zerrougui’s art is joyful and expressive and brings this memorable story and cast of characters off the page. Zerrougui’s visuals and comics use a format that readers of Swim Team and The Tryout are familiar with. She uses a warm purple, yellow and red color scheme, allowing the basketball team spirit to truly shine. For example, in the cover of the book Zerrougui encapsulates the movement of basketball by highlighting the team’s spirit.
For fans of attention-grabbing graphic novels that revolve around teens who share a common goal, and characters that confront racism in their daily lives, this is the story for you. Hena Khan’s voice is distinctive and fun, and as Zerrougui exclaims, this story is sure to inspire more Muslim girls to get into basketball. Public and school libraries should consider this book for their juvenile collections. All in all, readers gear up for an engaging story about unexpected talents and being seen for who you truly are.
We Are Big Time
By Hena Khan
Art by Safiya Zerrougui
Penguin Random House, 2024
ISBN: 9780593430484
Publisher Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)
Creator Representation: Pakistani-American, Muslim,
Character Representation: Pakistani-American, Muslim ,
