Amal Unbound book cover
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Amal Unbound

By Aisha Saeed

A New York Times Bestseller!

Amal has big dreams, until a nightmarish encounter . . .

Twelve-year-old Amal’s dream of becoming a teacher one day is dashed in an instant when she accidentally insults a member of her Pakistani village’s ruling family. As punishment for her behavior, she is forced to leave her heartbroken family behind and go work at their estate.

Amal is distraught but has faced setbacks before. So she summons her courage and begins navigating the complex rules of life as a servant, with all its attendant jealousies and pecking-order woes. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s increasing awareness of the deadly measures the Khan family will go to in order to stay in control. It’s clear that their hold over her village will never loosen as long as everyone is too afraid to challenge them–so if Amal is to have any chance of ensuring her loved ones’ safety and winning back her freedom, she must find a way to work with the other servants to make it happen.

Educator Resources

  • Amal Unbound Discussion Guide

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State Awards

Recommended reading lists from your state's teacher or librarian associations!
  • Georgia
    • Georgia Children's Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Maryland
    • Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Vermont
    • Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Wisconsin
    • Just One More Page!, 2019
  • Maine
    • Maine Student Book Award, 2019-2020
  • Oklahoma
    • Sequoyah Intermediate Book Award, 2020
  • Illinois
    • Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award 2021
  • Mississippi
    • Magnolia Book Award 2020
  • New Hampshire
    • Great Stone Face Book Award 2019-2020
  • Rhode Island
    • Rhode Island Middle School Book Award 2020
  • Tennessee
    • Volunteer State Book Award 2020-2021
  • New Mexico
    • Land of Enchantment Book Award Lizard List, 2019-2020
  • Texas
    • Lectio Book Awards (Austin, TX), 2019-2020
  • Arkansas
    • Charlie May Simon Book Award, 2020-2021
  • Washington
    • Evergreen Teen Book Award, 2020-2021
  • New Jersey
    • Garden State Book Award 2020
  • Arizona
    • Grand Canyon Reader Award 2021
  • Iowa
    • Iowa Children’s Choice Award, 2020-2021
  • Missouri
    • Mark Twain Readers Award, 2020-2021
    • Mark Twain Readers Book Award, 2020-2021
  • Hawaii
    • Nēnē Book Award, 2021
  • South Carolina
    • South Carolina Book Awards, 2020-2021
  • Alabama
    • Garden State Book Award, 2021

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