Most novels aimed at teenage girls deal with first kisses, friendship and problems with parents.

But a new book to be published later this month will tackle the thorny issue of wearing the hijab, in one of the first novels to portray the experiences of a Muslim girl growing up in a Western society.

"Does My Head Look Big in This?" is the story of Amal, a 16-year-old Australian Muslim girl who one day decides out of the blue that she wants to wear the hijab at her secondary school. Her decision shocks her parents and friends but gives her a sense of inner calm and conviction.

The author, Randa Abdel-Fattah, 26, a lawyer from Sydney, based the novel on her own experiences as a teenager growing up in Australia where she wore the hijab between the ages of 14 and 17.

"I wanted to debunk the myths about Muslims, and particularly about Muslim women. Muslim women and girls are often looked at as aliens. They are greatly misunderstood," she said.[Link]