Overview
Hail Mariam is an interfaith Muslim take on Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret drawn from the author’s own experiences in Catholic school. Sixth grade wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. Iraqi American Mariam Hassan transfers to a local Catholic school and before her first day her parents remind her that she might be the first Muslim her classmates have ever met. No big deal, right? Just represent an entire religion while making new friends, keeping up with schoolwork, and figuring out who she is. When Mariam’s younger sister, Salma, is diagnosed with a serious lung condition, her family faces endless doctor visits and sleepless nights. Mariam tries to lighten their burden and keep her own problems to herself—including the fact that she’s just been cast as Mary in the school’s Christmas nativity play. Mariam wants to honor her faith and her new community, but she’s terrified of crossing a religious line. Can a Muslim girl be the lead in a Christian story? What will her family think? And why does she feel like every decision she makes represents all Muslims? Mariam discovers that faith, much like friendships, isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection. As she leans on her family, friends, and school community, she begins to see the power of interfaith cooperation and learns she doesn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. Hail Mariam is a celebration of the beauty of finding common ground.
Full Product Details
Author: Huda Al-Marashi
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Imprint: Kokila
Dimensions:
Width: 14.50cm
, Height: 2.00cm
, Length: 21.70cm
Weight: 0.301kg
ISBN: 9798217112968
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 24 February 2026
Recommended Age: From 8 to 12 years
Audience:
Children/juvenile
,
Children / Juvenile
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
Praise for Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi: “The thoughtful story tackles enormous topics with care and contemplation.” —Booklist
Praise for Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi: ""The thoughtful story tackles enormous topics with care and contemplation."" --Booklist
Author Information
Huda Al-Marashi writes for both children and adults. She is a coauthor of the middle grade novel Grounded, which won the Walter Dean Myers Honor award, and the author of the memoir First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story. Her other writing has appeared in various anthologies and news outlets, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and al Jazeera. She is a fellow and mentor with the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Program, and she lives in San Diego, California with her husband and three children.
