Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party

Saadia Faruqi's Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party is a funny family story for 9 year olds about a girl who promises her whole class a party that doesn't exist.

What happens

Marya's birthday is two days after Alexa's, every single year. Alexa lives next door in the giant house with the pool, wears party dresses to school and hands out pink invitations to everyone. Marya gets pizza and cake with her best friend Hanna. Like always.

So when Alexa starts boasting on the playground, Marya's mouth runs away with her. She's having a party too! With fairy lights and music and a fashion show. And henna!

The trouble is, she hasn't asked her parents yet. And Baba says no. And Mama says no (there's a big wedding at her flower shop this weekend). So Marya launches Operation Help the Khans. She'll be SO helpful that her family will have to say yes.

It goes about as well as you'd expect. She smashes her big sister's perfume. She "finishes" her brother's LEGO spaceship and turns it into a monster with wings. She rummages under Dadi's bed without asking. And then she decides to cook dinner.

It's very funny, and Marya is a joy to be around. She collects big words in her Word of the Day diary (justice, persuasion, reciprocation) and uses them with total confidence. She's certain the fertiliser in Mama's van is radioactive poop. Her Dadi, who watches Pakistani dramas all day and asks whether the rich girl has an elephant, is brilliant too.

There's a lot of heart as well. Marya is the youngest and feels like nobody listens to her, which I think we've all felt at some point. Her plans go wrong because she really does want to help. And Mama's line about her heart being in the right place is so kind.

It's set in America, so it's third grade and recess, but that's easy to follow. If you've got a reader who's ever told a little fib and then had to make it true, they'll recognise every bit of this.

What to read next

Want more Marya? Marya Khan and the Fabulous Jasmine Garden brings back the whole family. There's a mysterious excavator next to school, and Marya is convinced it's digging up buried treasure.