Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi

 Yusuf doesn't understand, at first, why the upcoming 20th anniversary commemoration of the 9.11 attacks makes his uncle uncomfortable.  Then a new family moves into the community and organizes a vigilante group bent on ridding the community of "the enemy" i.e. all Muslim people.  Yusuf is surprised to see some of his father's best customers join the protests against his faith community's efforts to build a small mosque. As Yusuf read's his uncle's journal about his experience in 2001, he wonders how to fight the prejudice swelling in his community.  His only respite, and perhaps his greatest hope, is the robotics club at school and their efforts to prepare for the Texas State Robotics competition. 

I am hoping to put together some STEM kits for kids to check out at my library with books and equipment on different STEM topics.  I read this book with the idea of possibly including it in the robotics kit I hope to put together. It was about how I expected. It gives an interesting glimpse into what it means to be a Muslim in the US, and it highlights the struggles Muslim Americans face because of fear and prejudice.  I think it made me more aware.  I had never really thought through the idea that a 9.11 commemoration could feel like a micro-aggression to a Muslim. I also liked that it was about a boy.  The majority of diverse books for middle grade readers tend to be about girls.  I don't know if it is the right book for my kit, however.  There wasn't really much about coding in it.