Does My Head Look Big In This?

Chapters 1-7

Reading Check

1. Adam (Chapter 2)

2. Ms. Walsh (Chapter 4)

3. Maroon (Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. She thinks that the people of Camberwell are more homogeneous, being mostly white Christians, and that they seem a little standoffish. (Chapter 1)

2. Her parents are somewhat cautious, warning her that her school may have rules against it. But they are also supportive, and her mother even takes her to the mall so that she can experience wearing the hijab in public before debuting it at school. (Chapter 3)

3. She prays that Ms. Walsh will allow her to wear the hijab at school. (Chapter 5)

4. Amal wants to join her friends, but she is afraid to do so because of the hijab. She worries about how wearing the hijab might be changing her. (Chapter 7)

Chapters 8-17

Reading Check

1. Kissing a boy (Chapter 9)

2. Aunt Cassandra/Yasmeen’s mother (Chapter 13)

3. Adam (Chapter 14)

Short Answer

1. They think that because Leila’s mother married very young and lacks the kind of education and experience that they have access to, she misunderstands the tenets of Islam. (Chapter 8)

2. Adam’s parents are divorced, and his mother lives overseas. Adam lives with his father and his father’s partner, who are considerably less strict and less involved than Amal’s parents. (Chapter 12)

3. Eileen’s parents are also immigrants who hold onto old traditions and beliefs, even as their relatives who are still in their home country—Japan—become more progressive. (Chapter 16)

4. It is the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and the constant media coverage and related anti-Muslim conversations cause stress for Amal. (Chapter 17)

Chapters 18-27

Reading Check

1. Mrs. Vaselli (Chapter 18)

2. Cigarette ash (Chapter 24)

3. 25 (Chapter 26)

Short Answer

1. Joe and Mandy go out of their way to demonstrate how assimilated they are to Australian culture. (Chapter 21)

2. Hakan is spoiled by his mother, who thinks that everything he does is wonderful, largely because he is male. His father is too afraid of Hakan leaving home to discipline his son. (Chapter 22)

3. Mrs. Vaselli is also an immigrant who married very young and ended up with few opportunities in Australia. (Chapter 23)

4. Simone decides to take up smoking because she believes it will help her lose weight. This demonstrates that the culture creates more pressure on women to be thin than to protect themselves from serious health hazards like smoking. (Chapter 27)

Chapters 28-36

Reading Check

1. Bali (Chapter 29)

2. A dinner to celebrate her 17th birthday (Chapter 31)

3. The Wedding Gossipers (Chapter 34)

Short Answer

1. Adam tries to kiss Amal and then tries to make her feel bad about herself when she refuses him. (Chapter 28)

2. Amal is already, very naturally, feeling upset about the terrorist attack in Bali and the resultant bigotry against Muslims. When Lara asks her to make a speech about Muslims and terrorism, it feels as if Lara is implying that all Muslims are terrorists. (Chapter 30)

3. Amal tries to persuade Mrs. Vaselli to get over her feeling that her son has betrayed the family and reach out to heal the rift by calling him. (Chapter 32)

4. Amal is a generous person and a good friend. While the other girls share dreams that they have for themselves, Amal can only think of Leila and wish that Leila will get the opportunity to fulfill her dreams. (Chapter 36)

Chapters 37-45

Reading Check

1. A week of detention at lunchtime (Chapter 37)

2. Science and law (Chapter 40)

3. Ramadan (Chapter 42)

Short Answer

1. She points out that not only is Leila too young to be married, but she also should be allowed to remain in school because Islam requires people to educate and develop themselves. (Chapter 38)

2. The owner refuses to hire Amal because he thinks her hijab is unhygienic and will upset customers. (Chapter 39)

3. Amal notices how bad Gulchin looks and how defeated she sounds. For the first time, she looks at Gulchin not through the lens of her own youthful righteousness but with compassion, realizing that Gulchin loves Leila as much as Amal’s own mother loves Amal. (Chapter 41)

4. Gulchin not only does not seem to still be angry at Amal, but she also seems happy to see her and embraces her warmly. (Chapter 45)