Yasmin's Hammer

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Winner - Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)

A young Bangladeshi girl who helps support her family by working in a brickyard finds a way to make her dream of going to school and learning to read a reality.

In the noisy streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, another busy morning is beginning as Yasmin rides to work in her father's rattling rickshaw. Yasmin longs to go to school so she can learn to read, but her family needs the money she and her sister earn at the brickyard to help keep the rice bag full and the roof repaired.

As she hammers away at bricks day after day, Yasmin dreams of a different life. If she could read, she could be anything she wants to be when she grows up. One night Yasmin has an idea--a secret plan that will bring her one step closer to making her dream a reality.

Compassionately told and inspired by contemporary news articles, Yasmin's Hammer offers a fresh perspective on the value of education. Readers will admire Yasmin's persistence in reaching for her goals and the enduring love of her hardworking family in this hopeful story of a bright young girl whose mind is set on changing her future.