Faiza Is a Fighter

Gr 3-6–A young girl from a remote Himalayan village overcomes obstacles to follow her dream of becoming a boxer in this lushly illustrated graphic novel. A limited palette of muted greens, reds, and yellows sets the scene for a story of tenacity and triumph. At school, Faiza doesn’t fit in and feels lonely. Outside of school, she trains with her father to hone her boxing skills, inspired by India’s famous female Olympian boxer Mary Kom. Though Faiza nearly falls into despair after facing multiple hardships, she maintains her fighting spirit and perseveres to participate in a local youth boxing tournament. Slightly old-fashioned dialogue and stylized illustrations reminiscent of classical Indian art lend a fablelike feeling to this story, which is mostly grounded in contemporary realism with a touch of the supernatural. Readers of all ages will appreciate the South Asian cultural representation and cheer for the portrayal of an aspiring female boxer. Back matter includes a peek at the artist’s process, showing how she developed pages from rough sketches to final product. The book also includes a helpful glossary with the Hindi/Urdu vocabulary used in the story.