Kites and Lemonade
Yasmeen bint Ahmad
Bloomsbury Children’s Books


Leena has recently moved into a new apartment in Riyadh with her mum and dad who has a new job on a construction site in the city. On account of her selective mutism (a complex childhood anxiety condition that makes her unable to speak in new social situations) she knows that meeting new people will be an enormous challenge. However, lying in bed on her first night she focuses on what her grandmother said just before the move: “Don’t be afraid of change, Leena. Embrace it. Make new friends and, you’ll see, exciting things will happen.” Suddenly she hears soft meowing outside and there in the courtyard looking up at her is a gorgeous honey-coloured cat.


The following morning Leena is starting her new school but things begin badly for she’s unable to return the greeting from JoJo, when the two encounter one another.. However she soon meets Rima who is blind and before long she feels sufficiently relaxed to talk to her. Rima tells her that she sees with her imagination and does her best to make Leena feel welcome and thus a new friendship begins.
In the classroom their teacher informs the children of a kite festival being held in two weeks; then Rima continues, talking of a kite-making workshop when her mum’s special lemonade will be on sale to raise money for the charity both her mother and Leena’s work for. But on the Saturday of the workshop somebody sabotages some of the lemonade by adding salt. Who would do such a thing?


During the next few days, Leena and Rima decide to make a kite for the festival together, the cat makes several more appearances, Leena wakes one morning to find an old rusty key on her pillow, the two girls decide to ask JoJo to join them in making the kite, a confession is made and JoJo shares her second secret. This results in the discovery of an old underground workshop beneath their building containing inventions, books and even a robot.


When the girls’ kite is ready for testing they go to the park and there encounter a boy who is very disparaging about their effort and continues to be antagonistic when they’ve made adjustments to the kite. With very little time before the big day, it begins to look as though the girls will not be able to participate after all. But then they make another visit to the underground workshop: what will be the outcome?


Understanding, forgiveness and resilience are key in this story of friendship that will keep readers rooting for the girls as they learn more about themselves and each other throughout the book.