By Seemi Aziz, Tucson, Arizona
As I work on a project evaluating the authenticity of Muslim Voices in text I have been surprised by the number of books out there that are both of quality and taste. As an educator scholar of the Muslim Voices Project, being conducted under the auspices of the Humanities Council New York, I helped suggest and select the following list – still in need of some abridgement. As I read and evaluate the list I will share my thoughts about some of them in this forum. The list along with a short descriptor is as follows:
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Where the Streets Had a Name. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
Hayaat and her faithful best friend Samy live in Bethlehem on the occupied West Bank where life has been tragic and difficult for as long as they can remember. When Hayaat’s beloved grandmother falls ill, the two kids decide to travel to Jerusalem to collect soil from a garden that once belonged to Hayaat’s family. Though only a few miles away, the walls and checkpoints and soldiers make Jerusalem seem like the other side of the world. Winner of the 2011 Middle East Book Awards youth literature category (Harvard University).
Baker, Jeannie. Mirror. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2010.
This wordless picture book compares the one day in the life of two young boys: one living in Sydney, Australia, and another living in a small village in Morocco. Though at first glance their lives are very different, similarities emerge at unexpected points. Designed to be read side-by-side—Australia on the left and Morocco on the right, with titles in both English and Arabic—these two stories will invite readers to make comparisons not only between the boys but also to their own lives. Winner of the 2011 Middle East Book Awards picture book category (Harvard University).
Bolden, Tonya. The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali. Illus. R. Gregory Christie. Iowa: Dragonfly Books, 2007.
The book highlights Ali’s life as a fighter and activist, including his start in the sport of boxing, his conversion to Islam and his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Christie’s use of bold pinks and yellows, sketchy pencil lines, and dark strokes of paint emphasize Ali’s exciting life and flamboyant personality and illuminate Bolden’s free-verse structure punctuated with enthusiastic exclamations.
Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2002.
Parvana and her family have enjoyed a life of relative privilege in Afghanistan: her father has a foreign education and they live in a grand house with a few servants and a car. Life becomes increasingly difficult and eventually, impossible, when one day her father is hauled away by the Taliban, leaving the women in the family to fend for themselves—a daunting task, as under Taliban rules, they cannot even leave the house. Determined to save her family, Parvana chops off her long hair and disguises herself as a boy so that she can earn a little money reading to strangers and selling her family’s few possessions. Winner of the 2002 Middle East Book Awards youth literature category (Harvard University).
Heide, Florence Parry, and Judith Heide Gilliland. The Day of Ahmed’s Secret. Illus. Ted Lewin. New York: Mulberry Books, 1990.
Ahmed has a secret that he wants to share with his family: he can write his name. But first, he must work. Ahmed takes us through Cairo and the colorful characters and buildings that make up his city. Along the way, he remembers some fatherly advice, eats traditional Egyptian food, and delivers butane gas to his community. Cairo becomes a character in this beautifully illustrated story.
Heide, Florence Parry, and Judith Heide Gilliland. Sami and the Time of Troubles. Illus. Ted Lewin. New York: Clarion Books, 1992.
Sami can only have fun when there is a pause in the daily fighting that plagues his city of Beirut in war-torn Lebanon. Days outside are few and far between, and Sami spends most of his time in the basement of his uncle’s home, listening to the radio with his family. The situation is bleak, but Sami and his family are resilient and optimistic, and the boy is still able to find hope in what was once one of the most war-ravaged places in the world.
Khan, Rukhsana. Wanting Mor. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2009.
Though Jameela lives with a birth defect that has left her with a cleft lip, she feels relatively secure in the strength of her beloved mother, Mor. But when Mor suddenly dies, Jameela’s father impulsively decides to seek a new life in Kabul with his new wife. Jameela’s stepmother then forces her father to abandon her in a Kabul market. Ultimately, Jameela is placed in an orphanage, and her story takes an upward turn as she goes to school and has surgery to correct her deformed lip. Set in 2001, this compelling story is based on real incidents and won the 2009 Middle East Book Awards youth literature category (Harvard University).
Lat. Kampung Boy. New York: First Second, 2006.
This graphic novel offers a peek into the early life of Mat, a Muslim boy growing up in a rural village in Malaysia in the 1950s. Mat recalls his village days fondly, detailing both the special and the ordinary—his circumcision ceremony, celebrated by his entire village, is highlighted in equal regard with a trip to the movies and bike rides into town.
Mair, J. Samia. Amira’s Totally Chocolate World. Leicestershire: The Islamic Foundation, 2010.
Amira loves chocolate. While playing outside during the month of Ramadan, Amira thinks of a brilliant idea—what if the whole world were chocolate? The next day Amira finds that Allah has granted her wish. But Amira soon realizes that her wish may be more than she bargained for.
Mobin-Uddin, Asma. My Name is Bilal. Illus. Barbara Kiwak. Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, Inc. 2005.
Bilal and his sister have recently transferred to a school where they are the only Muslims. Afraid of being bullied like his sister Ayesha who wears a headscarf, Bilal tries to hide his religion, changing his name to Bill. Picking up on Bilal’s shame of his identity, a teacher lends him a book about a man with the boy’s namesake from long ago, encouraging Bilal to find the courage to stand up for who he is.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Habibi. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Liyana has just gotten her first kiss. But over dinner, with the kiss still fresh in her memory, her father suddenly announces that they are moving to Palestine. At first, Liyana struggles to adapt to her new surroundings, which are so vastly different from her hometown. But she soon finds her place among her family and friends. Her new home, however, is fraught with danger: soldiers storm Liyana’s grandmother’s’ bathroom and one friend even gets shot. Winner of the 2000 Middle East Book Awards for older readers (Harvard University) and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Sitti’s Secrets. Illus. Nancy Carpenter. New York: Aladdin Picture Books, 1994.
Mona and her grandmother live on opposite sides of the world. Mona has visited her sitti just once, and at first, needs her father to translate for them to communicate. But Mona and her grandmother soon connect in a way that transcends language, culture, and the thousands of miles that separate them. They share secrets, hopes, food, and even their own invented language.
Patterson, Katherine. The Day of the Pelican. New York: Clarion Books, 2009.
In 1998 when Kosovo hostilities escalate, the life of thirteen-year-old Meli, an ethnic Albanian, changes forever after her brother escapes his Serbian captors and the entire family flees from one refugee camp to another until an American church group helps them immigrate to the United State. The events of 9/11 bring more challenges for this Muslim family—but this country is now their home and there can be no turning back.
Rumford, James. Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2008.
Ali has many hobbies such as soccer and listening to loud music, but his real passion is calligraphy. Nicknamed Yakut, after a master calligrapher who lived in the 13th century, Ali devotes much of his time to practicing the art. He finds inspiration in Yakut, and like his idol, Ali turns to calligraphy as a source of comfort as war engulfs Baghdad. Winner of the 2008 Middle East Book Awards picture book category (Harvard University) and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award honor book.
Senzai, Naheed Hasnat. Shooting Kabul. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.
During a chaotic escape from the Taliban, Fadi’s younger sister accidentally lets go of her brother’s hand and the family is forced to leave her behind. They relocate to the U.S. but after September 11th the family must also cope with a newfound resentment for Afghans in America. Fadi, guilt-ridden and miserable, turns to photography in the hope he will find some solace. When his school club announces a contest where the winner wins a trip to India, Fadi finds a chance to return to his home country and to find his beloved sister. Winner of the 2010 Middle East Book Awards youth literature category (Harvard University).
Williams, Karen Lynn and Khadra Mohammed. Four Feet, Two Sandals. Illus. by Doug Chayka. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2007.
When relief workers bring used clothing to a refugee camp in Pakistan, ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly – until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it is better to share the sandals than for each to wear only one. This book honors the experiences of refugee children around the world, whose daily existence is marked by uncertainty and fear.
Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. Boston: Harcourt Children’s, 2005. Print.
This is the true story of Alia Muhammad Baker, a librarian at the Basra Central Library. When government officials ignore her pleas for help, Alia and her neighbors smuggle over 30,000 books to safety only days before it is burned to ground during the Iran-Iraq War. Honorable mention in the 2005 picture book category of the Middle East Book Awards (Harvard University).
Winter, Jeanette. Nasreen’s Secret School. New York: Beach Lane Books: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print.
After Nasreen’s parents disappeared, she stopped speaking or smiling. To help Nasreen find her voice again, her grandmother risks her own life to enroll her in a secret school for girls, where she slowly discovers a world of art, literature, and history obscured by the harsh prohibitions of the Taliban. Winner of the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award.
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- Themes: Seemi Aziz
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