A Kid’s Guide to Arab American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
Each chapter focuses on a different group of Arab Americans including those of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Yemeni descent and features more than 50 fun activities that highlight their distinct arts, games, clothing, and food. Kids will love dancing the dabke, constructing a derbekke drum, playing a game of senet, making hummus, creating an arabesque design, and crafting an Egyptian-style cuff bracelet.
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Faizah relates how she feels on the first day her sister, sixth-grader Asiya, wears a hijab to school.
My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin
Whether it is down the hall to visit their friends or to the mosque during Ramadan or on a flight of fancy on a rocket ship, Mina and her grandmother are never far apart.
Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by Hena Khan
In simple rhyming text, a young Muslim girl guides the reader through the traditions and shapes of Islam.
Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
Eid. The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims…Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the feelings may be summed up by another short and sweet word: joy.
Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
A young Muslim girl puts on a head scarf and not only feels closer to her mother, she also imagines herself as a queen, the sun, a superhero, and more.
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina’s fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.
The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox
Since Maha’s father is away fishing most of the time, there is no one to help or comfort her. All that begins to change when Maha finds a magical red fish. In return for sparing his life, the fish promises to help Maha whenever she calls him. On the night Maha is forbidden to attend a grand henna to celebrate the coming wedding of a wealthy merchant’s daughter, the fish is true to his word. His magic sets in motion a chain of events that reward Maha with great happiness, and a dainty golden sandal is the key to it all.
King For a Day by Rukhsana Khan
Even though he is confined to a wheelchair, a Pakistani boy tries to capture the most kites during Basant, the annual spring kite festival, and become “king” for the day. Includes an afterword about the Basant festival.
Muhammad by Demi
Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.
My Friend Suhana by Shaila Abdullah
While volunteering with her mother at a community center, a seven-year-old girl befriends Suhana, also seven, whose cerebral palsy makes it difficult for her to communicate or control her movements. Includes facts about cerebral palsy.
My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin
When Bilal and his sister transfer to a school where they are the only Muslims, they must learn how to fit in while staying true to their beliefs and heritage.
The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter
A biography of architect Zaha Hadid, who grew up in Baghdad and went on to design buildings all over the world.
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper
Walking to her grandmother’s home to help make warak enab (Lebanese stuffed grape leaves), Lina discovers many ways to hear snow, from the scrape of a shovel on a sidewalk to the quiet pats of snowman-building.
Salma the Syrian Chef by Ahmad Danny Ramadan
Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama. All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn’t know the recipe, or what to call the vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Luckily, the staff and other newcomers at the Welcome Center are happy to lend a hand–and a sprinkle of sumac. Salma brings her new friends together to show Mama that even though things aren’t perfect, there is cause for hope and celebration.
Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj
Fifth-grader Farah Hajjar and her best friend Allie Liu are hoping to go to the Magnet Academy for their middle school years, instead of Harbortown Elementary/Middle School; but when a new girl Dana Denver starts tormenting Farah and her younger brother, Samir, she decides she can not leave Samir to face the bully alone, especially since the adults and even Allie do not seem to be taking the matter seriously–so Farah comes up with a plan, one which involves lying to those closest to her.
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
Eleven-year-old Zomorod, originally from Iran, tells her story of growing up Iranian in Southern California during the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis of the late 1970s.
Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunnane
An Arab girl of the Sahara who wants to wear a malafa, the veiled dress worn by her mother and older sister, learns that the garment represents beauty, mystery, tradition, belonging, and faith.
Yara’s Spring by Jamal Saeed
Growing up in East Aleppo, Yara’s childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara’s doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family’s home, she emerges to a changed world. Her parents and Nana are gone, and her brother, Saad, can’t speak – struck silent by everything he’s seen. Now, with her friend Shireen and Shireen’s charismatic brother, Ali, Yara must try to find a way to safety. With danger around every corner, Yara is pushed to her limits as she discovers how far she’ll go for her loved ones – and for a chance for freedom.
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat
In this powerful, groundbreaking memoir, Ibtisam Barakat captures what it is like to be a child whose world is shattered by war.
My Father’s Shop by Satomi Ichikawa
Come visit Mustafa in his favorite place in all of Morocco–his father’s shop. Here amongst the beauriful rugs, is an entire world of colors, textiles, and languages.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative’s home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.
Rimonah of the Flashing Sword: A North African Tale by Eric A. Kimmel
Rimonah was born with skin as dark as a pomegranate’s peel and a voice as sweet as a pomegranate’s juice, and she was the fairest in all the land. She never knew a moment’s sorrow until the day her mother, the queen, died. Soon after, a cunning sorceress tricked the king into marrying her, and then, seething with jealousy, she plotted to kill Rimonah. But as Rimonah grew to be a fearless horsewoman, her goodness and bravery saved her time and again from her evil stepmother’s malicious trickery.
Time To Pray by Maha Addasi
When young Yasmin goes for a visit, her grandmother teaches her a Muslim’s daily prayers, makes special prayer clothes, and gives a gift that will help Yasmin remember when to pray. Includes facts about prayer customs.
Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis
Afghan children, ranging in age from ten to seventeen speak candidly about their lives.
Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam by Fawzia Gilani-Williams
Yaffa and Fatima live on neighboring date farms. When very little rain leads to a poor harvest, both women go to extra measures to make sure that their neighbor doesn’t go hungry.
One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
While on a school field trip to an orchard to make cider, a young immigrant named Farah gains self-confidence when the green apple she picks perfectly complements the other students’ red apples.
The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil
The beautiful story of diversity follows a young girl named Kanzi whose most treasured reminder of her old home provides a pathway for acceptance in her new one.
Under My Hijab by Hena Khan
As a young girl observes that each of six women in her life wears her hijab and hair in a different way, she considers how to express her own style one day.
Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed
Bilal and his father invite his friends to help make his favorite dish, daal, then all must wait patiently for it to be done.