Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Changed Basketball
Sep 2023 · Kids Can Press Ltd
Ebook
40
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About this ebook
A Muslim American basketball star is forced to make a difficult choice in this true story about breaking barriers. Bilqis was born to play basketball. At three, she has her own hoop. By seventeen, she’s the star of her varsity team and soon headed to college on a full scholarship, where she will be the first woman to play in a hijab in NCAA history. She is even invited to play basketball with President Obama at the White House. But at key points in her basketball career Bilqis faces rules that require her to choose between her Muslim faith and playing on the court. When international headgear regulations force her to make the heartbreaking decision to give up the game, Bilqis leads a full-court press to have the rule reversed, advocating for Muslim girls and all girls and women in sport. A modern hero: kids will be thrilled by her skill and inspired by her conviction.
A Muslim American basketball star is forced to make a difficult choice in this true story about breaking barriers. Bilqis was born to play basketball. At three, she has her own hoop. By seventeen, she’s the star of her varsity team and soon headed to college on a full scholarship, where she will ...
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About the author
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir first picked up a basketball at the age of three, and she’s been playing ever since. Living in a practicing-Muslim household, as she grew older, Bilqis followed her religious beliefs. She began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, and practiced modesty on the court by covering all skin except her hands. Bilqis had a very successful high school career, scoring over 3000 points and breaking both men’s and women’s scoring records in Massachusetts — a record that was formerly held by Olympic Gold Medalist and 1999 WNBA All-Star, Rebecca Lobo. Bilqis played college basketball at the University of Memphis for four years, from 2009 to 2013, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science. Her goal was to continue playing professionally in Europe, but the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rule prohibiting headgear larger than five inches ended that dream. Unwilling to play without her hijab, Bilqis chose faith over basketball and became an advocate. Working alongside other Muslim players, Bilqis raised her voice for the next generation and effectively forced FIBA to lift the ban. Bilqis now works to pave the way for other Muslim women in sports. Her efforts include “Muslim Girls Hoop Too” — an online campaign to raise awareness for Muslim women in sports, with an emphasis on female basketball players. Bilqis lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her family. Lion on the Inside is her story. ;Judith Henderson does a lot of stuff. She is an author, an Emmy Award–winning composer, and wrote the theme song for the PBS show, Arthur. She is a TV producer, and she also illustrates. Judith’s three-book series Big Words Small Stories is now airing as an animated series. Her other books include Dee and Apostrofee, AAAlligator! and This Is a Dog Book! Judith has several new books which will be published in 2023 and 2024, including Willa and Wade the series and Lion on the Inside. Judith lives in Montreal, Quebec. ;Katherine Ahmed was born and raised in New York and converted to the Muslim faith as a teenager. She attended an arts high school in Florida and earned a BA at The New School. Before launching her career as an illustrator, Katherine was the manager of a multicultural Muslim Sunday School in New York City. In 2021, she was awarded the We Need Diverse Books illustration mentorship. Katherine was a contributing illustrator to The Reading Adventure and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers, and has had her work published in Cricket magazine. Lion on the Inside is her first picture book. Katherine lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir first picked up a basketball at the age of three, and she’s been playing ever since. Living in a practicing-Muslim household, as she grew older, Bilqis followed her religious beliefs. She began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, and practiced modest...
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