English YA (12/13+) Education Anti-Oppression Blair Imani summary Y’all, think back to the person that you would go to for answers when you were a teen. Maybe they were an older sibling, maybe a friend’s older sibling. A cousin, a cool neighbor or babysitter. That one person who you could trust to not bullshit you…
Category: Muslim Identity
Castaway Mountain: Love and Loss Among the Wastepickers of Mumbai
English & Marathi YA & Up Indian Culture & Identity Waste Non-fiction Saumya Roy summary Castaway Mountain is an extremely detailed book that follows 4 families living on the outskirts of Mumbai, making a scant living by picking through the refuse that’s trucked in infinitely from the city. It’s a fascinating combination of a look…
Better Together, Cinderella: A Big Sister Fairy Tale
English 2+ Siblings Family SEL Ashley Franklin, Ebony Glenn, & Saba Joshaghani summary Not Quite Snow White is such a sweet story, and now the duo behind it (plus a guest illustrator) has a new release that’s out now! Tameika is now big sister to TWINS! Double the fun, right? Maybe not… Tameika wants to…
LPBD: Malala Yousafzai
English 4-8 years Activism Islam Muslim Identity Feminism Education Historical Figures Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara & Manal Mirza summary Every adult has probably heard Malala Yousafzai’s story, and so I’m delighted that one of my favorite early-reader biography series has added this to the illustrious roster of the LPBD series. For #SweetsAndSocialJustice this week I…
My First Book About Ramadan
English & Arabic 2+ board book Ramadan Islam Culture & Identity Sara Khan & Ali Lodge summary With Eid al Fitr tonight, I just squeaked in under the wire to share this lovely board book about Ramadan! This is a board book geared towards teaching young children about the month Ramadan, and what Muslim families…
In My Mosque
English & Arabic 4-8 years Muslim Identity Religion Islam Own Voices M.O. Yuksel & Hatem Aly summary this book is beautifully illustrated, and it’s clear that a trip to a mosque (or masjid) brings author m.o. yuksel great joy. I personally learned a lot, I have a very basic working knowledge of the history and…
Our Favorite Day of the Year
Written by: A.E. Ali Illustrated by: Rahele Jomepour Bell For ages: 4-8 years Language: English, some Arabic, Hebrew, and Spanish. Topics Covered: School, Friendship, Holidays, Judaism, LGBTQ Families, Islam, STEM, BIPOC Protagonists. Summary: This story follows a young Black Muslim boy named Musa when he starts school, but doesn’t know anyone. Musa is assigned to a table with 3 other boys-…
Like the Moon Loves the Sky
Written By: Hena Khan Illustrated by: Saffa Khan For Ages: 3-6 years Language: English & Arabic Topics Covered: Muslim Families, Children, Love, Growing Up, Own Voices. Summary: This is a very sweet book in which a mother describes all that she wishes for her child to be. It reminds me of Sweetest Kulu in the…
Your Name is a Song
Written By: Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow Illustrated by: Luisa Uribe For Ages: 4-8 years Language: English Topics Covered: Self-Esteem, Social-Emotional Learning, Muslim Family, Racism, Prejudice. Summary: This book is phenomenal. It gets right to the heart of the issue that so many children have names that their (well-meaning but ultimately results in a micro-aggression) teacher can’t pronounce….
The Arabic Quilt
Written By: Aya Khalil Illustrated by: Anait Semirdzhyan For Ages: 6 years and up Language: English & Arabic Topics Covered: Immigration, Muslim, Family, Resilience, Own Voices. Summary: When Kanzi starts school in America, she misses her home and her family in Egypt. She desperately wants to make friends and fit in. Kanzi ends up forgetting…