Does My Head Look Big In This?
Randa Abdel-Fattah
 Sixteen year old Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakin is an Australian Palestinian-Muslim girl who lives in Melbourne with her father, Doctor Mohamed, and mother, Dentist Jamila. During the winter break before her second semester at McCleans Preparatory School, Amal debates wearing the hijab (the religious Muslim head covering) as a full timer (meaning that she would have to wear it in front of males who weren't immediate family). While trying to make her decision, Amal misses Hidaya Islamic College (the school she spent grades seven to ten at), where wearing a hijab was mandatory as it was part of a girl's uniform. Amal takes advice from Yasmeen Khan (whose mom is British and dad is Pakistani) and Leila Okulgen (whose parents are Turkish), her best friends from Hidaya. Leila, who is already a full time hijab-wearer, thinks that Amal's decision is great and "cool", whereas Yasmeen, a part time hijab-wearer, says that she'll stick with Amal no matter what but thinks that Amal should be very sure before she takes a step. In her frustration, Amal makes a list titled "To Wear or Not To Wear List", writing down the names of the people she knows will be okay in the left column, and writing the names of the people "Not so OK" in the right column. When she introduces her idea of wearing the hijab to her father and mother, they ask her if she is sure that she wants to cope with such a big change in her life. As a test-run, Amal (while wearing a hijab) and her mother go to Chadstone Mall. After three hijab-wearing women say "Assalamu Alaykom" (the universal Islamic greeting which means, "peace be upon you") to Amal, she gets a sense that wearing a hijab binds Muslim women in some kind of universal sisterhood. The next day (the first day of second semester), Amal wears a hijab to school and visits Ms. Walsh, the principal, to discuss her decision. The principal is a little surprised, and tells Amal that she has "abandoned the school uniform and altered the policies of the school without authorization". She asks Amal to return to class and that they will "discuss this later". Everybody gives Amal "the stare" back in her class, but Eileen Tanaka and Simone (Amal's best-friends at McCleans) state that Amal looks great and that she's got a lot of guts. Tia Tamos, Claire Foster, and Rita Mason (three snobby girls) snigger and laugh whenever Amal passes them, but Amal simply doesn't care. Amal is very shocked when Adam Keane, the popular boy she has a crush on, says nothing and acts as if he doesn't know her. During dinner that night, Amal's parents tell her that Ms. Walsh has arranged for them to meet at five the following day. Although she doesn't care, Amal is nervous about Ms. Walsh's decision. While taking the garbage out, Amal tries to make small talk with Mrs. Vaselli (her elderly, Greek, and "crazy" neighbor) but Mrs. Vaselli blames Amal for throwing cigarettes on her lawn instead (even though Amal doesn't smoke). The following day Amal's parents tell her about their meeting with Ms. Walsh over dinner at a Japanese restaurant; apparently the principal agreed to let Amal wear the hijab, but she can only wear the color maroon to match her uniform. During lunch at school, Simone is imitating some of the teachers expertly when Josh Goldberg, a popular Jewish guy, walks in and praises her, leading her to blush. On a Monday morning, Amal's class finally decides to confront her about her hijab. More importantly, Adam starts to talk to her again, saying that he "gets her". Over time, Adam and Amal become closer "friends", Simone and Josh become a couple(although Simone keeps on trying different diets, thinking that she is "fat"), and Amal starts to feel more proud of her hijab. When Adam invites Amal to his birthday party, her mom reluctantly gives her permission to go (even though Amal lies and says there will be no alcohol). Adam tries to kiss her at the party, but Amal tells him that she (it's her religion too, though) does not believe in having any physical/personal relationships with a male before marriage. Adam argues but the discussion ends when he states that they are "too different" and "don't understand each other". At school, Amal notices that there is no "spark" between her and Adam anymore, but is proud that she put religion before her desires. On Leila's birthday, Amal and Yasmeen lie to Leila and Amal's parents, and take Leila for a birthday dinner. The three best friends encounter Hakan (Leila's older brother), who is with his girlfriend, there and in anger that Leila lied, he escorts Leila back home. Amal and Leila's parents are enraged that the girls lied and Amal is grounded. Leila, tired of pressure from her mother and angered, runs away from home the next day. Amal blames Leila's mother, Gulchin, and says that she didn't deserve Leila. Two months pass (between which Simone starts smoking to become skinny) before Leila shows up at Amal's house; she confesses that she ran away to a women's shelter, and couldn't bear the feeling of being unsafe. In the end, Amal realizes it is the different and imperfect immigrants who are her friends and family and who have shaped who she is and who she will become in the future.