Jannah Is Not Average

Following the words of her late grandmother, 16-year-old Jannah Ismail is determined to become a medical doctor, despite skepticism from those around her. To prove her worth, she aims to gain admission to the prestigious science stream in her school, despite a C grade in Mathematics. Her efforts lead her to transfer to another school and be grouped in a class with the carefree, troublemaking art stream students of 4-D, who have been banished to a spooky, old house at the back of the school for more than a year. Miss Eleanor Yee, a young teacher with aspirations to change the world, endeavors to help Jannah become Doctor Jannah and to bring the 4-D class back to their original classroom. She seeks support from the talented science students of 4-A, known as the school's own Marie Curies and Isaac Newtons, while avoiding interference from the principal. Sarah Kushairi, a clinical pharmacist and lecturer from Malaysia, is an author and storyteller. She has contributed articles on health and beauty to Malaysian newspapers and appeared on TV and radio. Her personal story “Tudung Mana?” was included in the anthology Hijab: Everyday Stories of Muslim Women from Singapore and Beyond. She published her first travelogue, Snippets of Travels: Musings and Travelogues across 5 Countries, in 2024, and is working on a non-fiction book titled The Art of Embracing Failure, scheduled for release in 2025. Jannah is ^NOT Average is her debut novel, inspired by two true stories from her experiences as a science stream student in Malaysia during 2006-2007.