He thought I'd forged my mom's name on the slip. How stupid is that? On this thing Mom just made a kind of squiggly shape on the page. That jerk didn't even think about what he was saying, didn't even ask himself why her signature might be weird. He's one of those people who think illiteracy is like AIDS. It only exists in Africa.
--from Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow

"A tale for anyone who has ever lived outside looking in, especially from that alien country called adolescence. A funny, heartfelt story from a wise guy who happens to be a girl. If you've ever fallen in love, if you've ever had your heart broken, this story is your story." -- Sandra Cisneros, author of THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

The Paradise projects are only a few metro stops from Paris, but here it's a whole different kind of France. Doria's father, the Beard, has headed back to their hometown in Morocco, leaving her and her mom to cope with their mektoub--their destiny--alone. They have a little help-- from a social worker sent by the city, a psychiatrist sent by the school, and a thug friend who recites Rimbaud.

It seems like fate's dealt them an impossible hand, but Doria might still make a new life. She'll prove the projects aren't only about rap, soccer, and religious tension. She'll take the Arabic word kif-kif (same old, same old) and mix it up with the French verb kiffer (to really like something). Now she has a whole new motto: KIFFE KIFFE TOMORROW.

"Moving and irreverent, sad and funny, full of rage and intelligence. Gu ne's] characters are unforgettable, her voice fresh, and her book a delight." -- Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits

Fa za Gu ne, the child of Algerian immigrants, grew up in the public housing projects of Pantin, outside Paris. This is her first book.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 07/03/2006
ISBN: 9780156030489
Pages: 179
Weight: 0.47lbs
Size: 8.08h x 5.40w x 0.56d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 04/03/2006 pg. 35
Library Journal 04/15/2006 pg. 66
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2006 pg. 484
Booklist 06/01/2006 pg. 36
Entertainment Weekly 07/14/2006 pg. 83
New York Times 07/23/2006 pg. 13
Kliatt 09/01/2006 pg. 23
Booklist Ed Choice Adu Bk YA's 01/01/2007 pg. 11

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 113734 / Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow
Reading Level: 5.7 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 5