Shabanu is a realistic fiction by Suzanne Fisher Staples. It follows the story of Shabanu, who is an eleven-year old girl that lives in the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan with her family. She lives with her mother, father, grandfather, aunt, and cousins. Her family takes care of and sells camels to afford goods. She and her father go on a trip to sell some of the camels and gather more money for her sister’s wedding. A wealthy man wanted to buy Shabanu’s camel, but her dad accepted the offer. Shabanu felt betrayed by her father. Before Phulan’s wedding something happens and it takes a turn for the worse. Shabanu helps her sister through the mess that was caused, while navigating through the tough challenges and obstacles that she faces throughout the book. 

Shabanu was an overall good book with an understanding on how different people live their life. The main idea of the book can really inform people on different topics in cultures. Reading it at a younger age can be a bit questionable with the idea of “marrying a family member”, a mention of rape and a few other topics in the book. Personally, I think the book was a bit boring and not that interesting until later into the book. The start of the book wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. The book would be a bit better if Staples were from Pakistan, and knows the culture way more than someone from a totally opposite race.