By AUTHOR Jane Austen Eric Carle Lewis Carroll Roald Dahl Charles Dickens Sydney Hanson C.Indestructubles Little Golden Books Magic School Bus Magic Tree House Pete the Cat Step Into Reading Book The Hunger Games By POPULAR SERIES Chronicles of Narnia Curious Geoge Diary of a Wimpy Kid Fancy Nancy Harry Potter I Survived If You Give.By TOPIC Award Winning Books African American Children's Books Biography & Autobiography Diversity & Inclusion Foreign Language & Bilingual Books Hispanic & Latino Children's Books Holidays & Celebrations Holocaust Books Juvenile Nonfiction New York Times Bestsellers Professional Development Reference Books Test Prep.By GRADE Elementary School Middle School High Schoolīy AGE Board Books (newborn to age 3) Early Childhood Readers (ages 4-8) Children's Picture Books (ages 3-8) Juvenile Fiction (ages 8-12) Young Adult Fiction (ages 12+).BESTSELLERS in EDUCATION Shop All Education Books.Unfortunately for Youssef, his choice (which is no choice at all) hastens his descent into a shadowy religious underworld where faith is a weapon and all believers must be tested.Īt its heart, Secret Son is a gorgeously rendered and heartbreaking tale of longing and belonging, of finding-and also leaving behind-the people and places we call home. Repercussions from the secret that Amal and Youssef have both borne for years-each without knowing it-ultimately cause them to question the very foundations of duty, loyalty, and love. Amal holds the door open for them at the end of a visit, 'forgetting that Moroccans do not open doors for departing guests for fear of giving the impression that the guests are unwelcome.' It is a striking symbol of how much her new life has changed her.Įxhibiting two very different approaches to filial duty, Amal reluctantly returns to Casablanca to reestablish her position in the family, leaving her new love behind in the States Youssef embraces his newfound father's world of wealth and status, leaving his mother behind in the slums. Later, in a gesture of reconciliation and renewed support, her parents cross the ocean to witness her graduation.

When she moves to the States and defies her wealthy parents' wishes, she is cut off both emotionally and financially. Youssef El-Mekki grew up in Casablanca, in the slums of Hay An Najat where houseflies 'grazed on piles of trash, competing with cows and sheep for tea grounds, vegetable peels, and empty containers of yogurt.' One young man by circumstance, another by birthright, at nineteen Youssef learns shocking details about his real father that thrust him into a world of sudden luxuries, luxuries that at once elevate his circumstances and separate him from the places and people he loves.Īmal Amrani, by contrast, grew up a daughter of privilege and means.

Secret Son by Laila Lalami