Zeyna Lost and Found

by Shafaq Khan

Overview

In 1970, twelve-year-old Zeyna has grown up in London but has never quite felt like she fits in.

Her monotonous life is suddenly interrupted when Zeyna's parents decide to visit their native Pakistan—where Zeyna feels she doesn't fit in either. But then her parents disappear, leaving behind a string of clues that connect them to an international jewel heist. Along with her annoying little brother and her clever Pakistani cousin, Zeyna sets out to find her parents and clear their names. Along the way, she discovers that being shaped by two cultures doesn't have to mean she's always an outsider.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765639139
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/09/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Shafaq Khan is a mom and lawyer. Born to Pakistani parents, she grew up in a small port city in Saudi Arabia, along the Persian Gulf, called Jubail Industrial City. Shafaq attended college in New York City, majoring in political science and Middle Eastern and Asian languages and cultures, before heading to law school. She worked for nearly a decade as a legal services attorney, representing low-income people with disabilities facing eviction and benefits issues. In this role, Shafaq became acquainted with people's stories—the ones we tell and the ones we don't—and learned to listen to the stories beneath the surface. Shafaq works at Stanford Law School and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and children.

Editorial Reviews

"Filled with art heists, cultural immersion, detective woes, and kids plunging into dangerous situations without any hesitation, Khan's debut is a fun historical adventure with a plot that feels like it exists almost outside of reality, but it remains grounded through its firm roots in culture and family."—Booklist

From the Publisher

2025-07-03
In 1970 London, while living an uneventful life and silently enduring bullying at school, 12-year-old Zeyna Akhtar dreams of becoming a detective.

She longs to fit in but has trouble making friends, feels alienated as a British person of color, and struggles to embrace her Pakistani roots. Her immigrant parents, Saleem and Zubaida, don’t seem to appreciate her observation and pickpocket skills and ignore her alarm over a menacing stranger who’s begun to follow them and even breaks into their home. A sudden family trip to Pakistan, plus Mum and Papa’s strange behavior, make Zeyna increasingly suspicious. Soon after Zeyna finds a ruby in Mum’s purse, the police accuse her parents of stealing the Shirin Jewel, a Persian heirloom—but they’ve disappeared. With younger brother Mahir, who’s adept at designing gadgets, and their quick-witted cousin Amina in tow, Zeyna sets out to find her parents and prove their innocence. The children embark on an eventful journey along the Hippie Trail through Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey. Following Saleem and Zubaida’s clues, they crack codes and solve riddles, chase international thieves, uncover family secrets, and stay one step ahead of their pursuer. While the story sags in the middle, the book maintains a brisk pace overall. Readers will enjoy the layered and engaging characters and the ways the kids outwit the adults they encounter. Debut author Khan also explores issues around racism, identity, and belonging.

An entertaining cross-border adventure, sure to thrill readers. (map, author’s note, resources, discussion questions, glossary)(Mystery. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews