Published: 2026
Author: Saadia Faruqi
Illustrator: Shadia Amin
Genres: Horror, Fiction, Graphic Novel
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 3-7
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: Don’t Be Scared: A Graphic Novel
Triggers: Ghosts
Review By: Heather Turner
Publisher’s Summary
Riz is determined to prove to his dad that movies matter and ghosts are real, but he and his friends might be in over their head when they investigate the local creepy mansion. Join for the spooky adventure full of family drama, folklore from different cultures, and new-found friendships from acclaimed author Saadia Faruqi and artist Shadia Amin!
Riz Choudhry lives for two movies and anything spooky. His dad? Not so much. While Riz dreams of filmmaking and jump scares, his father dreams of Riz going to med school or law school—and neither one includes ghosts.
But the film club is Riz’s safe haven, a place where other supernatural-obsessed first-gen kids swap scary stories from their cultures. So, when the group decides to film a documentary about the creepy old mansion in town, Riz is all in. But there’s a problem. His dad wants Riz to quit the club. AND the building is about to be demolished. Now Riz and his friends must use the power of filmmaking to save the mansion…before it vanishes forever.
Packed with shivers, laughter, and heart, Don’t Be Scared celebrates friendship, heritage, and daring to fight for what matters—even if it means disagreeing with your family.
Review
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy.
Saadia Faruqi has quickly become one of those authors whose books I automatically pick up, and Don’t Be Scared did not disappoint. It is the perfect blend of spooky fun, friendship, family, and cultural storytelling. If you have middle grade readers who enjoy ghost stories that are more mysterious than terrifying, this is an easy recommendation. Riz is a wonderfully relatable main character. He loves horror movies, filmmaking, and anything creepy, while his father would much rather see him focus on a future in medicine or law. I appreciated that the conflict between them never felt forced. Instead, it highlighted something many first-generation families experience as children and parents try to balance different expectations, cultures, and dreams.
My favorite part of the book was how Faruqi weaves ghost stories and folklore from different cultures throughout the narrative. As Riz and his friends investigate a local haunted mansion for their film club project, they begin sharing supernatural stories from their Pakistani, Korean, and Mexican backgrounds. Those moments added so much richness to the story and reminded me how powerful storytelling can be in preserving culture and connecting generations.
The artwork by Shadia Amin is expressive, colorful, and perfectly captures both the humor and the spooky atmosphere. The haunted house has just enough creepiness to keep readers turning the pages without becoming too frightening for the target audience. I also loved the filmmaking aspect of the story. It gives the characters a shared purpose while celebrating creativity and showing that the arts have value, even when others may not immediately recognize it.
Beyond the ghost story, this is really a book about belonging. It explores friendship, family relationships, racism, cultural identity, and learning to appreciate where you come from. Those themes are handled thoughtfully while still allowing the story to remain fun and adventurous. As a school librarian, I can already see this being popular with students who enjoy graphic novels like Ghost Roast or other spooky middle grade mysteries. It offers just the right amount of suspense while opening the door to conversations about heritage, empathy, and following your passions. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and hope we get to spend more time with Riz and his friends in future adventures.
Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social Studies / Culture: The inclusion of supernatural folklore from Pakistani, Korean, and Mexican traditions offers a fantastic avenue for exploring global oral traditions, comparative storytelling, and cultural heritage preservation.
- ELA / Film & Arts: The focus on filmmaking and creative expression provides strong opportunities to examine visual storytelling, perspective, and narrative structure within both film and comic panel formats.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): The story serves as an insightful resource for navigating family dynamics, addressing intergenerational expectations in first-generation households, overcoming racial bias, and fostering a sense of belonging.
- Diversity & Representation: The graphic novel seamlessly centers diverse first-generation youth and their lived experiences. It thoughtfully presents cultural identity, multicultural folklore, and the nuances of balancing ancestral heritage with personal passions, offering essential visibility and empathetic representation for readers of diverse backgrounds.
Readalikes
- Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
- The Witch Boy series by Molly Ostertag
- Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
- Welcome to Feral by Mark Fearing
