Maleeha Siddiqui: Hi, I'm Maleeha Siddiqui and I'm the author of the middle grade contemporary novel, Bhai for Now. Bhai for Now is a fun new twist on the parent trap story about twin Muslim brothers, Ashar and Shaheer, who are separated as babies after their parents' very messy divorce. Neither boy is aware that the other exists.

Ashar is busy with the ice hockey team, studying to get into the best school and hanging out with his friends. Shaheer and his dad are always moving, following his dad's jobs. Shaheer has given up hope of finding a place where he can put down roots, a place that feels like home.

The two boys have nothing in common, but everything changes when they meet on Shaheer's first day at his new school, and the whole story finally comes out. Now, these two long-lost brothers decide to secretly switch identities to get to know the parent they've been separated from.

The only problem is Ashar and Shaheer don't exactly get off on the right foot. Ashar and Shaheer are inspired in part by my own brothers. They are not twins, but they are very close in age and they're very different personality-wise, and yet, they are the best of friends. Growing up, I rarely saw boys with the kind of bond that they have, and I just thought that relationship was so special. We see so many sister stories. We see so many brother-sister stories. But I think there's so much room for more brother stories, and I wanted to include my own narrative on that as well.

Ashar and Shaheer are learning that their parents are not perfect. They were raised by one parent each, never got to know the other one. And as I was writing, there are scenes that come up where the brothers are asking themselves or the other, "Do you think you can forgive our parents for what they did? Can you forgive the family for what they did for not telling us?" Those are some themes that I really enjoyed exploring because one of the themes in Bhai For Now is it's about family and the boys learning what the true meaning of home is.

I hope that readers truly love reading both from Ashar and Shaheer's perspective. They are different because they are personality-wise different, and they were raised in different households with different views. And one of the things I love is that both boys are on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to how they practice their beliefs.

And I never muse about it. I never explain why. It's just, it is what it is. And I think it's important to have stories where characters are allowed to be who they are without having to make excuses about why they are the way they are.

I am going to read a short excerpt from Bhai For Now. This is from the very beginning of chapter three from Shaheer's perspective, and it starts off with Shaheer going to his new school for the first time.

Chapter Three, Shaheer:

The next morning Shaheer quickly grabbed a banana and a granola bar from the kitchen and booked it before Dadah nagged him about eating a real breakfast. Dad had already left for the hospital, so Shaheer put on his helmet and rode the short bike ride from the apartment to school without anyone to see him off. He went straight to the main office and introduced himself to the friendly looking secretary. Shaheer used the same line every time. "Hi, I'm new. Can I get my schedule? No, I don't need anyone to show me around. Just a map is fine."

This time, however, the secretary gave him a strange look. "Haven't I seen you around before?" she asked. "No, I just moved here," said Shaheer. She appraised him for a beat too long, but eventually printed out and handed his schedule to him. "All eighth graders report to the auditorium every morning before the bell. It's across the hall." "Thanks." Shaheer put his AirPods in without taking the time to look at his surroundings. His brain was mostly logged off at school, awake just enough to pay attention if he was called on and go through the motions of doing assignments and turning in homework.

He took his seat all the way in the back of the auditorium. It was still pretty empty because school didn't start for another 30 minutes. The only person near him was a brown-skinned hijabi girl a few chairs down. Her head was bent over a sketchbook and it was like the rest of the world didn't exist as she worked. Shaheer wondered when she would notice the blood smear on her sleeve.

Looking away from the girl, Shaheer tore open his granola bar and took a bite as he taped his schedule to the front of a folder. As he reviewed it, he suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched and looked up. A girl two rows in front of him, he hadn't noticed her come in, was glaring at him through white glasses. Her eyes and pink tip braids were two shades darker than her brown skin. There was something about her expression that told Shaheer he shouldn't mess with her.

He took one AirPod out of his ear as if to say, "Can I help you?" The girl's eyebrows weaved in anger and she showed him her back. A few seconds later, she turned around again with her arms crossed. "What on earth did you do to your hair?" She demanded, "Is that a wig?"