Auntie Aisha Answers: The Muslim Tween’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Up

"While I may no longer be a teen, or tween myself, I am navigating, dreading, and hoping to survive raising my own teens. Always open to adding to the repertoire and feeling out appropriate books for the teenage experience, I was weirdly excited to dive into “Auntie Aisha Answers: The Muslim Tween’s Ultimate Guide to Growing Up.” Despite not being a Muslim myself, diversity in our beliefs, acceptance of others, and awareness are always attributes I strive for as I broaden my own horizons and seek to understand more about those that surround me.

Perfectly tailored to the teen audience, author Aisha Hussain Rasheed and illustrator Magdalena Zareba use engaging pictures and fun content to keep the pages turning and the audience informed. From tarantulas to the horrors that can sometimes accompany lending out books to friends, to understanding males, females, and intersex chromosomes, “Auntie Aisha Answers” educates all in an easy-to-understand way. Beginning this read with an overview of the body, in all its forms and feelings, we soon shift to the responsibilities that come with growing up and the characteristics that often come with it. Rasheed isn’t afraid to touch a whole host of topics, remaining politically correct, Muslim based, and open-minded.

Whether discussing privacy, disabilities, diversity, or eating habits, “Auntie Aisha Answers” dives into the questions we are frequently too shy to ask, or too embarrassed to address. Using pictures, unique fonts, word layout, and even some brief activities, this wide-ranging guide gives teens the confidence they need to understand the world both within and around them.

Learning not just about the body and the changes we can expect, teens are also exposed to religious practices, ways of thinking, and cultural understanding. Despite being well past my own teenage years, I found myself re-learning and remembering a thing or two. Don’t let the teenage years, upcoming necessary conversations, questions, and dilemmas overwhelm you, let “Auntie Aisha Answers” take a little bit off your shoulders. Immerse yourself in the learning within as the intriguing pictures and auntie-next-door vibe guide you through some of the toughest years. Aisha Hussain Rasheed and Magdalena Zareba have certainly outdone this genre as they rework what it means to approach difficult conversations and the growing pains of parenting and adolescence."

"Auntie Aisha Answers: The Tween Muslim's Ultimate Guide to Growing Upby Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed arrived last night, and I blew through it immediately—and it is FANTASTIC, Allahumma baarik! I don't think there's any other Muslim book like this on the market for teens—written in a genuinely age-appropriate way (I made Offspring read a couple segments, and she said, 'It actually is really good!'), covering a wide range of topics that are so necessary for tween Muslims to be exposed to (that they often aren't). From information about puberty (the physical and emotional bits), to understanding diversity and disabilities, to a spiritual understanding of healthy boundaries and what that looks like both religiously and in friendships/relationships, to big emotions like anxiety and grief... Auntie Aisha really gives amazing answers! Also—this isn't another 'girl's book'—this book is applicable to both boys and girls, and covers male issues too regarding puberty. This needs to be purchased and given to EVERY tween Muslim, and shelved in every masjid/Islamic school library. Order your copy ASAP! 5/5 🌟 (no notes, other than I demand a part 2!)" — Zainab Bint Younus

"Kids have questions, and while it’s easy to find answers today, parents need to provide correct ones. This 100-page book is a great resource—to spark conversations, hand to tweens, or keep on the shelf for when curiosity strikes and the internet isn’t the best option. Written for both boys and girls, it answers the questions tweens are thinking about with a conversational tone. It covers boundaries, emotions, hygiene, wellness, and weaves Islam throughout for reassurance and direction, plus includes workbook-style activities. The balance of facts and conversation keeps it engaging, not dry or heavy-handed. It normalizes the changes kids go through and opens space for real, age-appropriate, Islamically rooted discussions—yes, the Islamic references are sourced! If you have kids, go order this already—you’ll be glad you did, alhamdulillah."