Khadijah VanBrakle is a Muslim woman of color, born and raised in Canada to American parents. She was a 2021-2023 Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellow. Her debut Young Adult novel, Fatima Tate Takes The Cake, was a 2024 NAACP Image Award finalist for Outstanding Youth/Teen literature and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.


Khadijah writes coming-of-age stories about Black American Muslim teens with universal themes so those who share her dual marginalization will finally see themselves on the printed page. Her sophomore YA novel, My Perfect Family, released in August 2025. It received starred trade reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. For more information, check out her website: khadijahvanbrakle.com or her Instagram @khadijahvanbrakle.
Headshot credit: Khadija Chudnoff