This Book Won't Burn

Noor, her family, and Faiz are desi (Indian) Muslims. Noor says she's "Indian and Muslim and American. I am 100% of all those things, but it's not always easy to be all of them at the exact same time." Faiz's father served in the military and his cousin is a lawyer in the Navy. Faiz tells Noor it was complicated for his cousin being a Muslim in a military fighting Muslims, but he "did his duty." Juniper is White and gay and her girlfriend Hanna is East Asian. Mrs. Clayton, the school librarian, is Black. Andrew and the other major characters are White. Noor's new school is 90% White with a "handful" of teachers of color. The year before, a few parents had gotten "all ragey" because two gay couples attended prom together. Because of complaints from those parents, the school has banned any student from coming to prom as part of a couple. Juniper talks about how important it is for queer kids to see themselves reflected in books as it "can sometimes save you."

A Molotov Cocktail is thrown through the window of a building where the Bulldog Banned Camp is meeting and a girl is injured by flying glass. Free yard libraries that offer banned books are set on fire. Noor is almost run down by a car she feels had targeted her. Faiz still remembers being bullied in 4th grade for bringing Indian food for lunch.

Noor's "technically" not allowed to date but she does go on what she tells herself are non-dates with Andrew. She'd really like to kiss a boy for the first time but every time a kiss is about to happen -- it doesn't. A boy believes students aren't overly concerned about books being banned for sexual content because "who needs books when you have Netflix."

Teens regularly use "dick," "a--hole," "pissed," "s--t," and "crap" and there are several uses of "f--k." Noor finds "Go Home Terrorist" written on her locker the same day Juniper finds "Groomer" and "Perv" written on hers. Juniper once found a Post-it on her notebook with the "d-word." After the school paper posts an article on its website about the meetings in the park, the Comments section include "She's Moooo-zlim. Watch out for cow tipper terrorists" and "They're infiltrating everywhere. They want Sharia law." Noor confronts the principal about Huck Finn being allowed in the curriculum although it includes numerous uses of the N-word.

Amal was been prescribed anti-depressents after her father left and they've really helped her get through an emotionally tough time. A man brings wine as a gift for Noor's mother, never considering that the family is Muslim and doesn't drink or that someone in the house might be sober. Andrew's caught on campus with cigarettes. He tells Noor he was holding them for a friend and would never smoke because a family member died of lung cancer. There's a "Vapes and pot smokers" crowd at Noor's school.