Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 07/14/2025 Riazi (A Bit of Earth) draws inspiration from The Thousand and One Nights to conjure a magical swashbuckling adventure. Tween Sabrena Bhuiyan longs to be a gifted storyteller like her grandmother, who-despite cognitive decline brought about by dementia-spins a yarn about their family’s purported connection to the infamous sailor Sinbad with such prowess that Sabrena believes she can feel the drops of saltwater Grandma describes in her tales. Envious of this power, Sabrena is nonetheless uneasy when her own stories begin to conjure phantom drips and leaks within her home. This unnerving phenomenon grows worse and, during school at her Islamic academy, she finds herself swallowed by seawater and transported to another reality. As Sabrena traipses through this mystical world, she reckons with accusations of being a jinn, befriends Ali Baba’s prickly adopted daughter Marjana, and sinks to the bottom of a sentient sea to discover a cursed kingdom. It is in this dreamlike realm that the story finds its footing, propelling both the reader and the protagonist through a survey of mythological tales and creatures, which Riazi renders using sensorial prose. Throughout her adventures, Sabrena discovers new perspectives through which to view her worries about her grandmother’s health and her struggles with belonging at school. Ages 8-12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (July) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 07/25/2025 Gr 4–7—After relocating from Brooklyn to Richmond, VA, to help care for her grandmother, Sabrena Bhuiyan feels unmoored; disconnected from her friends, her old life, and the deep storytelling bond she once shared with Grandma, whose dementia is worsening. When a mysterious indoor flood carries her into a dreamlike version of The Thousand and One Nights, Sabrena must navigate a world of jinn, sinking kingdoms, and shifting time to uncover the story that will carry her home. Riazi blends contemporary family drama with folkloric fantasy in a lyrical, emotionally layered tale. Sabrena's grief and anxiety are rendered with care, as is her longing to live up to her grandmother's storytelling gift. The fantasy elements—Marjana as Ali Baba's sharp-witted adopted daughter, a sentient sea kingdom, and a cursed prince—are evocative if sometimes diffuse. The pacing lags after the powerful opening, and some connections (such as Sabrena's lineage and the rules of the magical world) remain vague. Still, the central metaphor shines: that storytelling holds power to heal, preserve memory, and guide transformation. Sabrena is Bangladeshi and Black, and cultural specificity runs throughout, from family dynamics to her experiences at an Islamic school. Riazi's prose is lush and sensory, especially in depicting watery thresholds and shifting realms. VERDICT A heartfelt portal fantasy that centers heritage, memory, and the connective power of stories. A strong choice for readers drawn to lyrical writing and emotionally resonant adventures.—Rose Garrett - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.