45 pages • 1 hour read
Zanib MianPlanet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 19-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 19 Summary
Omar realizes in retrospect that he should have asked for help at the Underground station, but his mind was racing. Taking Daniel’s hand, they board the next train that arrives. Looking at the train line map, they realize that the train does not stop at South Kensington station where the class was headed. Daniel urges Omar to tell someone they are lost, but Omar rejects this idea. Omar feels that he sort of knows where they are, and he wants to be the hero and solve their problem. He knows that Daniel, still crying, is incapable of thinking his way out of the situation and is dependent on Omar. Omar imagines that Mrs. Hutchinson’s curls are worried, and wonders what that looks like. The boys exit the train at Baker Street. They walk down a bustling road filled with cafes when something touches Omar’s shoulder. He screams in terror.
Chapter 20 Summary
Omar sees a dirty, hairy, stinky, man-like figure and believes it is a zombie. Daniel also screams and they run away. The “zombie” pursues them. Eventually, they lose the zombie and stop to rest. Daniel collapses on the sidewalk, crying. Omar is unsure what to do but sits beside Daniel and tries to comfort him by lying and saying everything will be OK—because that’s what grown-ups always say. They discuss what their parents would do. Daniel’s parents would use their phones to get help, but they have no phones. Omar’s parents would ask Allah. Daniel looks hopeful and wants Omar to petition Allah. Omar closes his eyes and prays for help. Daniel worries that Allah may not have heard him, and Omar explains that Allah hears everything, and always helps.
Omar assures Daniel they will get home, but Daniel counters that his parents are preoccupied with his little sister Suzy, who is ill and has frequent surgeries. Daniel loves Suzy but feels like he never has his parents’ attention. They probably would not notice that he is gone. Omar feels sad for Daniel and admits he would not know what to do if he were Daniel. He comments that Daniel must be strong inside, “like Batman.” Daniel finds Omar’s words helpful. He smiles at Omar, who is confused, because he thinks Daniel hates him. They move on to avoid the zombie.
Chapter 21 Summary
Omar is overjoyed to see the London Central Mosque ahead of them. Omar has many happy memories of visiting the mosque with his parents. Omar knows they will be safe there. The zombie reappears and Omar and Daniel run screaming into the quiet mosque. An older man in a long thobe, an Arab-style, ankle-length, long- sleeved robe, listens kindly while Omar explains everything. The man, Mohamed, helps Omar realize that the zombie was an unhoused man who had recognized that they were lost and tried to help them. Omar sheepishly waves to the unhoused man, Eddy, who grins and waves back. Mohamed calls Omar’s school, and another man gives them juice and halal candies, which they share with Eddy, whom Omar likes immediately. Omar and Daniel apologize to Eddy for running away from him. The school has been worried and already called the police. The police arrive at the mosque, followed by Omar’s and Daniel’s parents. Mom hugs Omar and cries, while Dad holds her. They all go home instead of to the science museum, and Omar is glad to be near Mom.
Chapter 22 Summary
Charlie, worried about Omar, visits that night to make sure Omar is okay. Omar shares all his adventures. He and Charlie laugh about Daniel peeing himself, but Omar quickly regrets laughing, and tells Charlie that Daniel is not that bad. Charlie is skeptical about this, but Omar assures him it is true.
Daniel and his parents visit for an iftar meal, leaving Suzy behind with her aunt. Daniel gets lots of loving attention from his parents. Daniel’s parents want to thank the people at the mosque personally, so Mom and Dad invite them to Eid day. Daniel explains that Allah answered Omar’s request for help, which makes Mom and Dad proud of Omar. Daniel is now friends with Omar and Charlie at school, even though Daniel is very different from Charlie.
Omar is still troubled at the thought of being kicked out of the country. He brings it up at the iftar meal—without implicating Daniel. Dad assures him the statement is false. Daniel blurts out that he told Omar that to make him feel bad, and now feels terrible about it. Daniel’s parents are mortified. Everyone apologizes, and Mr. Green assures Omar they are glad he is Daniel’s friend and never want him to leave the country. Omar imagines H2O as a tiny dragon, who gives him a wink and flies into his cloud.
Chapter 23 Summary
Ramadan ends when Omar and his family see the moon, signifying a new month. For the Eid celebration, they attend mosque with the Green family. The mosque is crowded, and Omar enjoys people-watching. He sees how everyone is different from one another, in shapes, sizes, and colors. He notices that sometimes people who look pretty on the outside do not necessarily look like nice people, while people who have physical flaws, if they smile and have good thoughts, do look like nice people.
Daniel has been smiling more since he and Omar and Charlie became friends. The Greens appreciate the beauty of the Eid service and prayers. Afterward, they go to Omar’s house for presents and the Eid feast. Daniel even has an Eid present for Charlie. The dining room table is full of foods, including samosas, biryani, lamb, and special desserts, including Maryam’s delectable brownies. Omar and Daniel sneak a brownie before Esa can lick them all and laugh when the treat sticks to their teeth.
Chapters 19-23 Analysis
In these final chapters, Omar demonstrates both leadership and bravery as he takes charge when the boys are lost. Mian again emphasizes how Kindness Begets Kindness, and how reaching out and learning about others’ lives and cultures helps dispel fear and hatred.
Although he is frightened about being lost, Omar seizes the opportunity to heroically save the day, rescuing Daniel and himself. Mafaridik’s illustration literalizes Omar’s heroism: He soars in the air in a cape and crown, the word “HERO” emblazoned on his torso. Omar’s “instincts” and his desire to show Daniel that he can fix the situation temporarily overcomes his common sense. Daniel sensibly suggests that Omar ask for help, but Omar refuses. Omar knows that Daniel now depends on him. The tables are turned, and Omar, typically Daniel’s victim, is now empowered. Omar’s decision-making, as he admits, may be due to his “wobbly” brain.
Omar is both courageous and sensitive to Daniel’s distress. He doesn’t use Daniel’s vulnerability against him, in spite of Daniel’s bullying. Instead, Omar reaches out to him literally and figuratively. He physically takes Daniel by the hand and guides him to the train and up onto the street. He also reaches out to comfort Daniel, whom he recognizes is afraid. Daniel asks Omar to request Allah’s help. Considering Daniel’s bigotry, this reveals the depth of his anxiety about being lost, and his newfound hope and trust in Omar and Omar’s faith. Omar, in turn, explains what he has been raised to believe about Allah—that God always hears and “always helps.” Omar also recognizes that he should not scorn Daniel for not knowing about Islam, and that he “should be kinder” (174).
Omar opens himself emotionally to Daniel—reassuring Daniel, trusting Daniel with his religious beliefs, and empathizing with him. In turn, Daniel reveals that he is unhappy at home, feeling unnoticed and ignored. Omar shows both wisdom and how deeply his faith influences his actions when he takes Daniel to the mosque, which represents positive memories and promises safety. At the mosque, Daniel experiences the kindness of Mohamed and the other worshipers and observes their charity toward Eddy, the unhoused man. Daniel believes that the mosque was Allah’s answer to Omar’s prayer.
In reaching out to Daniel despite his own fear of the situation—and his fear of Daniel’s bullying—Omar facilitates their friendship. The two boys learn about each other and realize that each one is human and unique. They lose their fear and resentment. Daniel’s hatred dissipates. Omar now knows that Daniel “wasn’t too bad at all” and champions the friendship between him, Daniel, and Charlie. Omar’s kindness and candor act as the magnet that “pulled them together” (191).
Daniel shows immense growth. Even though Omar did not name him as the person who claimed that Muslims would be kicked out of the country, Daniel takes responsibility. He regrets his Islamophobic comment about Omar, which was based on his insecurity. Daniel reveals his loneliness and unhappiness. He wanted to hurt Omar, because, as he says, “I didn’t think he’d want to be my friend” (195). Mr. Green mends the situation, assuring Omar he is “proud” the boys are friends. Conflict and anger turn into friendship and mutual respect. Similarly, by including Daniel’s family in an iftar meal and inviting then to the Eid celebration, Omar’s family shows again how inclusion and sharing one’s customs demystifies Islam and helps others understand and appreciate their faith. Daniel and the Greens find the Eid prayers at the mosque completely different, yet “absolutely beautiful” (202).
At the Eid prayers, Omar again astutely recognizes that what matters most about people is on the inside: their kindness and positive thoughts. He realizes that he judged Eddy mistakenly by his dirty appearance, and that the unhoused man’s smile transcends his scruffy exterior and reflects his inner kindness.
