Jamilah at the End of the World
by Mary-Lou Zeitoun
Included in the Social Emotional Learning collection
A Palestinian-Canadian teen girl’s anxiety about climate change causes conflict with her family and makes it seem futile to plan for her future.
Set against the backdrop of a brutal Toronto summer heatwave, seventeen-year-old Jamilah Monsour makes plans for what she’s certain is the beginning of the climate change catastrophe that will end the world. Luckily, Jamilah knows what has to be done to save her family: transform the back alley garage into a bunker.
When an electricity blackout strikes, Jamilah’s climate change anxiety kicks into high gear and she ends up staying out all night, infuriating her father. Tension at home erupts and Jamilah runs away and joins a climate change protest where she learns about solidarity and agency, giving her hope for the future. When she returns home, her parents see just how deep Jamilah’s climate change convictions run and the family discusses her attending university to study environmental science, a plan they can all agree on.
About the Author
Reviews
"An appealing title for environmentally minded reluctant readers."
"Climate anxiety is serious, but Jamilah’s witty and at times downright hilarious narration keeps the novel light-hearted."




