Where to Start: Recommended Reading Paths
Aisha Saeed writes across multiple age groups, meaning the best place to start depends entirely on what you enjoy reading. Because her books span picture books, middle-grade fiction, young adult contemporary novels, and adult romance-mysteries, we recommend choosing your starting point based on these categories:
- For Middle-Grade Readers: Start with Amal Unbound (2018). It is her most celebrated work, exploring themes of resilience and education in a Pakistani village. It has a companion novel, Omar Rising, which you should read immediately afterward.
- For Young Adult Readers: Begin with her debut novel, Written in the Stars (2015). This gripping contemporary story deals with a Pakistani-American teen navigating family expectations and forced marriage.
- For Adult Readers: Pick up The Matchmaker (2025), Saeed's adult debut, which blends contemporary romance with an intriguing wedding-sabotage mystery.
The Amal Unbound Universe
While these two novels can technically be read as standalones, they are set in the same village and feature overlapping characters. To get the full experience of the story's setting and character dynamics, read them in order of publication:
- Amal Unbound (2018) – Follows Amal, a young girl in a Pakistani village who is forced into indentured servitude to pay off her family's debt.
- Omar Rising (2022) – A companion novel focusing on Omar, Amal's friend and the son of a local servant, who wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school only to find the system rigged against boys of his background.
Wonder Woman Adventures Trilogy
Saeed was selected to write a middle-grade trilogy centering on a young Princess Diana before she became the iconic Wonder Woman. These books follow a strict chronological storyline, so you must read them in order:
- Diana and the Island of No Return (2020)
- Diana and the Underworld Odyssey (2021)
- Diana and the Journey to the Unknown (2022)
Standalone Novels and Collaborative Works
Outside of her primary series, Aisha Saeed has written several standalone books, often collaborating with other prominent authors to highlight diverse voices. These can be read in any order:
- Written in the Stars (2015) – Saeed's debut young adult novel centering on forced marriage.
- Aladdin: Far from Agrabah (2019) – An official tie-in novel exploring the Disney live-action film's universe with deeper cultural focus.
- Yes No Maybe So (2020) – A co-authored YA romance written with Becky Albertalli, focusing on local political activism and cross-cultural friendship.
- Grounded (2023) – A collaborative middle-grade novel co-authored by Aisha Saeed, S.K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and Huda Al-Marashi, telling the story of four kids stuck at an airport during a storm.
- Forty Words for Love (2023) – A YA magical realism novel set in a town called Moonlight Bay, exploring love, loss, and community borders.
- The Matchmaker (2025) – An adult romantic mystery set in Atlanta, focusing on a matchmaker whose clients' weddings are being targeted.
Picture Books
Saeed's picture books are excellent for younger readers and focus on community, cuisine, and empathy. They can be read in any order:
- Bilal Cooks Daal (2019) – A heartwarming story about a young boy sharing South Asian daal with his diverse neighborhood friends.
- The Together Tree (2023) – An empathetic tale about welcoming new classmates and standing up against bullying.
The "She Persisted" Series & Anthologies
It is important to note that while the She Persisted series contains dozens of biographies, Aisha Saeed only wrote one installment in the collection. You do not need to read the other books in the series to enjoy her work:
- She Persisted: Temple Grandin (2022) – A chapter book biography detailing the life and achievements of the famous animal behaviorist and autism spokesperson.
Saeed has also co-edited and contributed to several anthologies celebrating diverse perspectives:
- Once Upon an Eid (2020) – Co-edited with S. K. Ali, this collection features short stories about the festive holiday from various Muslim voices.
- The Door Is Open: Stories of Celebration and Community by 11 Desi Voices (2024) – An anthology edited by Hena Khan where Saeed contributed the short story "Wedding Blues."
- A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (2018) – A YA anthology focusing on East and South Asian folklore and mythology.
- Our Stories, Our Voices (2018) – A collection of essays by YA authors discussing growing up female in America.