- Picture Books
- Ages 4–8
- Everyday Life
The Boldest White: A Story of Hijab and Community
Book 3 in The Proudest BlueView the full series
Faizah loves her mosque community and her fencing lessons, but freezes when all eyes turn to her. With an Eid gathering and a fencing tournament ahead, she has to find her own kind of boldness. A warm, empowering close to the hijab trilogy.
- Best for4–8
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Lyrical
Tone
- Heartwarming
- Warm
- Inspirational
- Gentle
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Faizah loves summer Fridays, when she goes to Jummah prayers at the mosque with Mama and her big sister Asiya, and she loves her fencing lessons too, right up until it's her turn to perform in front of everyone and she freezes. Mama tells her that bravery grows in the mind but its roots are in the heart, and that courage will come with time. But time is short: there's a fencing tournament coming, and an Eid celebration where Faizah longs to help her community shine. Can she find the boldness to step forward, stand out and lead? Written by Olympic fencer and medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali and illustrated in Hatem Aly's warm, expressive style, this uplifting third story in the New York Times bestselling hijab series is a celebration of faith, family, fencing and finding the courage that has been inside you all along.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A warm, encouraging read-aloud for children of about 4 to 8, especially reassuring for a child who dreads being the centre of attention. Confident readers of 6 to 9 can read it alone, and it works as a standalone or as the third in the hijab trilogy.
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- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 4–8
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Muslim representation
- Overcoming nerves
- Courage
- Community
- Read aloud
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
- Wants high stakes
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Religious or cultural celebration
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A PSHE anchor for talking about nerves, confidence and belonging, with inclusive representation of Muslim community and faith life that supports work on difference and diversity.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Any child who has frozen when everyone was looking will feel seen by Faizah. The build-up to the fencing tournament gives the story real stakes, and Faizah's discovery that being bold can mean helping others is genuinely cheering.
- Proving yourself
- Making a difference
- Family belonging
Why parents love it
A gentle, empowering read-aloud about stage fright and self-belief, rooted in an Olympic fencer's own experience and set warmly in mosque and family life. The same loving family and glowing art carry the reassuring message that bravery grows with time.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Cultural representation
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
The Proudest Blue.
3 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
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Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it