Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 10/27/2025 While on a trip to Bangladesh, a tween journalist uncovers new facets of her cultural heritage in this socially conscious novel. Rising fourth grader Nadia Islam plans to spend the summer writing an article that she hopes will win her a spot on the school newspaper staff; she’s also for the first time fasting during Ramadan. When she learns that she and her family will additionally be visiting relatives in Bangladesh, Nadia is downcast until she realizes that her journalist aunt, Khalamoni, will be visiting, too, and intending to write about the effects of climate change in Bangladesh. Nadia is eager to help her aunt, believing the experience will teach her how to craft the best piece ever. But she struggles to endure the heat and humidity and her own lack of energy from fasting, made worse by her cousins’ insistence that the children compete to see who can fast the longest. Still, Khalamoni allows the youth to accompany her on her research, which opens Nadia’s eyes to how Bangladesh is uniquely threatened by climate change. Through Nadia’s burgeoning understanding of the spiritual aspects of Ramadan, Jaigirdar (Rani Choudhury Must Die) deftly conveys one child’s determination to be taken seriously. Detailed b&w illustrations by Dwivedi (Momo Sees the Sea) offer glimpses into Bangladeshi culture. Ages 8-12. Author’s agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. Illustrator’s agent: Shadra Strickland, Painted Words. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 01/16/2026 Gr 3–5—Jaigirdar's middle grade debut centers on eight-year-old Nadia Islam, who is spending the summer with her family in Bangladesh. The visit is Nadia's first to the country her parents called home, and it is also her first Ramadan, during which she will be fasting. While Nadia is upset at first to be separated from her best friend, she finds herself consumed by a competition among her cousins and brother to see who can hold the record for the most fasts. Nadia finds it challenging to fast, especially on days that she accompanies her aunt, who is reporting on the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations. Inspired by her aunt and her interview subjects, Nadia decides that she too wants to create change, through her school newspaper. Fans of Jaigirdar's young adult works will appreciate her continued crafting of compelling characters, however, this novel has a wholly different audience and lacks the tension readers may expect. Dwivedi's illustrations bring warmth and cheerfulness to the text, helping draw in younger readers. While this early middle grade novel feels unique, it is also unbalanced: familial interactions feel the most authentic to the character's age, yet positioning such a young character as a journalist covering a heavy topic would resonate more with older readers, who the book's lengthy page count might not dissuade. VERDICT Recommended for purchase for elementary collections, especially for readers who enjoyed Saadia Faruqi's "Yasmin" series but are ready for more challenging texts.—Monisha Blair - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.