YH remembers when she got the idea to write a book: right after 9/11. She says: I was in a bookstore and saw there were so many resources for teens in other religions and there was nothing for Muslims. For her brother the goal was to write a book not just for Muslims but for non-Muslims who were ignorant as well. They decided to write the book with their mother. They wanted to get a sense of the Muslim experience in America, so they sent questionnaires to Muslim schools around the country. based on what they got back they began outlining their book chapter by chapter. One pronounced concern was the generation gap, and for example some Muslim parents were afraid of their children’s music. The Hafiz’s are not your average family, and they live in an upscale Phoenix neighborhood and the kids go to private school and they practice a very moderate form of Islam. YH says Muslim publishers didn’t want to touch their book because their topics can be more modern. When he started on the book, the brother didn’t realize he’d be ruffling so many feathers but now realizes how ideas can be threatening and he hopes their book challenges the status quo.