A story of family and the complicated feelings of being “other”, Alina in the Deep by Shenaaz Nanji is a beautiful middle grade read.

Alina is so excited that her cousin Safi is coming to Calgary from Kenya this summer. She will be spending the summer with her sister/cousin/BFF and has som big plans for the two of them. When Safi arrives, Alina’s big plans don’t go perfectly according to what she thought leaving her with doubts and frustrations.

Shenaaz Nanji continues the story of Alina, a girl from Calgary who does not like to stand out. Alina is Indian Canadian and although proud of where she came from, finds it difficult to fully outwardly embrace her heritage as she is worried about sticking out and not fitting in. When Safi arrives from Kenya is is outwardly proud, wearing traditional clothes, Alina is so worried about how Safi will fit in that she forgets to enjoy her time with her cousin.

Alina’s story is so relatable to young readers. We all reach a point where we become self conscious and start navigating feelings about fitting in, well maybe not all of us but certainly a large majority. This story is a wonderful reminder that we can all find common ground no matter our outward appearance. 

Alina’s Nani is the heart of the story. She always has the perfect bit of advice to guide Alina and the readers to thinking about putting ourselves into other people’s shoes and remembering that deep down, we are all so similar.

Alina in the Deep is a perfect story for the evening rotation. Short chapters and large font make it a great choice for readers who want to read independently and those who still want an adult to read with them.