Book of the Week

Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed

A book about learning to value yourself and to stand up to injustice. This book is highly recommended for students in Year 7 and 8. A top read for Campfire!

About the Author

Aisha Saeed is an award- winning and New York Times best selling author. Aisha is also a founding member of the not-for-profit We Need Diverse Books.

About the book cover

The cover of the book is created by artist, Shehzil Malik. Shehzil’s work is also discussed in the book as it provides inspiration for Omar in his own art, self-belief and activism. Students interested in design, activism and social change will find a lot of thought-provoking art and ideas on Shehzil’s website. Here you can learn more about Generation X: Feminist Art Meets Fashion; or WeSMS: Technology + Women Empowerment.

An example of Shehzil’s work are these incredible posters designed for the annual Aurat March. This march is held on International Women’s Day to raise awareness for women’s rights in Pakistan.

Image attributions: Shehzil Malik, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Teacher Notes

Teachers interested in using the book in the classroom may be interested in the teaching notes produced by Text Publishing for the Australian Curriculum.

Discussion Notes for Students: Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed | Better Reading