In We Are Big Time by Hena Khan and Safiya Zerrougui, readers will discover a heart-filled tale inspired by the true story of an all-Muslim, hijab-wearing basketball team. The graphic novel arrives at your local bookstore and/or public library beginning on Tuesday, August 6th, 2024. But in the meantime, you can get your first look inside We Are Big Time, right here, today at Comics Beat.
We Are Big Time
According to the official description from publisher Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, We Are Bit Time originated when “Wisconsin–based educator Aliza Werner sent Hena an article about an all-hijab-wearing girls’ basketball team from Milwaukee (her husband’s hometown) that was capturing hearts across the country, she knew this was the premise for her next story.”
The description continues: “As an avid basketball fan and Muslim, Hena set out to learn as much as possible about this team and their journey from underdogs to absolute powerhouses on the court, scouring national news coverage about the team and interviewing the coach and several players.” And the result? “[T]his empowering graphic novel about Aliya and the Peace Academy team as they discover that it takes more than talent to be great, and true success comes from teamwork and self-confidence.”
In We Are Big Time, “Aliya is new to Wisconsin, and everything feels different than Florida. The Islamic school is bigger, the city is colder, and her new basketball team is…well, they stink.”
But “Aliya’s still excited to have teammates (although the team’s captain, Noura, isn’t really Aliya’s biggest fan), and their new coach really understands basketball (even if she doesn’t know much about being Muslim). This season should be a blast…if they could just start to win. As they strengthen their skills on the court, Aliya and the Peace Academy team discover that it takes more than talent to be great–it’s teamwork and self-confidence that defines true success.”
Arriving August 2024
What do you think of the excerpt of We Are Big Time included below this article? Had you previously heard of this real-life story? Will you be checking out the graphic novel when it arrives on August 6th?
The Beat is waiting to hear from you! Be sure and give us a shout-out, here in the comments or over on social media, and let us know what you’re thinking.
You can learn more about We Are Big Time at the publisher’s official webpage.
