"The Picture of Nobody" by Rabindranath Maharaj

Seventeen-year-old Tommy and his family have just moved to Ajax, a small town close to Toronto. His parents are Ismaili Muslims who immigrated to Canada before Tommy and his sister were born. Life in Canada has been fairly good to the family and they consider themselves Canadian.


But the arrest of a terrorist group in Toronto turns things upside down in their world. Tommy's sister starts to wear the hijab and hang out with a new group of friends. And Tommy, someone who was barely noticed before, is singled out at the coffee shop he works at and starts feeling the sting of racism.


When a group of young men begin to bully Tommy, he commits an act of revenge against the group's ringleader and has to deal with the consequences of his behaviour.


The Picture of Nobody by Rabindranath Maharaj takes an issue that is familiar to everyone and puts a voice to it that is not often heard - those who are dealing with the fallout in their everyday lives, especially those who are just trying to live a typical Canadian teenage life. This book helps to bring an understanding of the many people who are affected by the terrorism that is ever-present in today's society.


The Picture of Nobody is a part of the Good Reads series. Good Reads books are a partnership of ABC Life Literacy Canada and Grass Roots Press, with support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.


Good Reads allows you to discover Canada's best authors. Good Reads authors write stories using clear language, creating enjoyable and accessible books for adult learners as well as a wide range of readers. Good Reads are:

Short: Less than 100 pages.

Fast-paced: Stories you can't put down

Easy-reading: Clear language and layout

Good looking: Terrific covers

Canadian: Written by Canada's best authors.


Check out Good Reads books and ABC Life Literacy Canada at www.goodreadsbooks.com

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