A chapter book and one that will also resonate with middle grade readers. I had never heard of Maysoon Zayid, This non-fiction look at her life assured me that I will never forget her. Growing up, Maysoon’s dream is to become a actress on Broadway and TV. Her favorite show is the popular daytime serial General Hospital.
She never gives up despite her long odds. Being a Palestinian girl from New Jersey with cerebral palsy makes the road even tougher. But Maysoon achieves her dreams along with becoming a popular comedian, appearing in comedy clubs across the U.S.
The message of not letting hurtful comments stop you from achieving your dreams, is an important one. You’ll be cheering her on throughout the seven chapters. Illustrations add to the reading experience.
Maysoon Zayid, The Girl Who Can Can is inspiring and perfect for discussion. The book is the first in the MUSLIM MAVERICKS series of stories. You’ll. be looking forward to what comes next.
BOOK BIRTHDAY: Feb. 10, 2026
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Seema Yasmin is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Emmy Award-winning journalist, medical doctor, professor, poet and author. A fiction fellow of the Kundiman and Tin House workshops, she is the author of five books including Muslim Women Are Everything, Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them, and the poetry collection, If God is a Virus. Yasmin trained in medicine at the University of Cambridge and in journalism at the University of Toronto. She served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service and is director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University and visiting assistant professor of crisis management at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
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Always in the Middle... 