Indie Girl

Title: Indie Girl
Author: Kavita Daswani
ISBN: 1416948929

Plot Summary: Indie Konkipuddi is a young Indian-American teenage girl, living with her parents and younger brother in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Indie dreams of becoming a fashion designer, and when Aaralyn Taylor comes to speak at her school, Indie jumps at the chance, thinking meeting her idol will help her land a prestigious summer internship at Aaralyn's magazine. Although Aaralyn ends up only hiring Indie as a babysitter, Indie is disappointed but still accepts, thinking she may still get an "in" if she is a constant presence in Aaralyn's home. To Indie's disappointment though, Aaralyn turns out to be demanding, rude, ungrateful, and dismissive of both Indie and her own son. She sticks it out in her current position, despite her parents' concerns, even finding romance with another of Aaralyn's employees - until her boss's behavior during a trip to Italy convince her that whatever Indie's goals may be in the fashion world, she cannot let them come at the expense of her own self-esteem and emotional well-being.

Does My Head Look Big in This?

Title: Does My Head Look Big in This?
Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
ISBN: 978-0439922333

Plot Summary: Amal, a Palestinian-Australian teenage girl, decides to start wearing the hijab, the traditional Muslim head covering for women. She does so despite concerns from her immigrant parents, friction from other students at her elite private high school, and even job discrimination. Ultimately, she is able to get the other people in her life to come to terms with her decision, but not without some sacrifices and conflicts along the way.