Amina's Voice by
Amina, a Pakistani American Muslim, has entered middle school. She is happy hanging with her friend, Soojin, a Korean American, but things have started changing, especially when Soojin starts hanging out with popular Emily. When Soojin says she might change her name to something more American, Amina starts to wonder if she will have to change to fit in, too. However, when her local mosque is vandalized, Amina realizes that it is better to be herself.
Internment by
Set in the near-future United States, Muslim Americans are being taken to internment camps which followed book burnings, curfews, and mandatory viewing of the new president's national security addresses. Seventeen-year-old Layla Amin watches with contempt at the complicity of the community and her own parents who accept their current plight. She makes friends both within and outside the camp intent on starting a revolution that will end the violence and Islamophobia.
It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by
Iranian American Zomorod "Cindy" Yousefzadeh hopes that California's Newport Beach can be her last time being the new kid, at least for awhile. Unfortunately it is the 1970s, and with Iran bad in the headlines of American newspapers, being the new kid is the least of her worries.
Other Words for Home by
A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US--and her new label of "Middle Eastern," an identity she's never known before.But this life also brings unexpected surprises--there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself. Balzer + Bray.
All-American Muslim Girl by
Sixteen-year-old Allie, aged seven when she knew her family was different and feared, struggles to claim her Muslim and Arabic heritage while finding her place as an American teenager
I Am Malala by
Describes the life of the young Pakistani student who advocated for women's rights and education in the Taliban-controlled Swat Balley, survived an assassination attempt, and became the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Becoming Kareem by
Presents the memoir of legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as he reflects on his childhood, career, conversion, and social reform.
Sisters of the War: Life, Loss, and Hope in Syria (Scholastic Focus) by
Presents the stories of Sunni Muslim Ruha and her sister Alaa and Alawite sisters Hanin and Jawa, two pairs of sisters on the opposite sides of the Syrian civil war, and highlights the living conditions in the rebel-controlled territory and the police state of regime-held Syria. Details how religious differences play into the conflict, and includes a map of Syria.
When Stars Are Scattered by
When Omar has the opportunity to get an education while living in a refugee camp, he must decide what is more important: education or taking care of his nonverbal brother Hassan.
Amal Unbound by
In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family.
Everything Sad Is Untrue by
As Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of his Oklahoma middle school classmates, he tries to tell them his story from the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan to the terrifying journey out of Iran steps ahead of the secret police to the refugee camps of Italy.
The Lines We Cross by
Michael usually concerns himself with basketball and hanging out with his friends, but every once in a while, his parents drag him to meetings and rallies with their anti-immigrant group. And it all makes sense to Michael.Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school, and turns out to be funny, smart -- and a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Suddenly, his parents' politics seem much more complicated.Mina has already had a long and arduous journey leaving behind her besieged home in Afghanistan, and the frigid welcome at her new school is daunting. She just wants to settle in and help her parents get their restaurant up and running. But nothing about her new community will be that easy. As tensions increase, lines are drawn. Michael has to decide where he stands. Mina has to protect herself and her family. Both have to choose what they want their world to look like.
Once upon an Eid by
Contains a collection of fifteen short stories about the Muslim holiday, Eid, and the themes around it such as hope, joy, and family. Includes black-and-white illustrations.
Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein by
For forty-two days in 1991, eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil and his family struggle to survive as Basra, Iraq, is bombed by the United States and its allies.
The Boy at the Back of the Class by
When quiet, nine-year-old Ahmet arrives in their classroom, a boy and his friends fail to draw him out but try a new plan after learning he is a Syrian refugee.
Proud (Young Readers Edition) by
Memoir of Ibtihaj Muhammad, a professional fencer and the first female Muslim American to compete in the Olympic Games wearing the hijab.
A Game for Swallows by
Zeina Abirached, a Lebanese Christian born in 1981 during the hight of the civil war between Christians and Muslims, here has her life recounted by her granddaughter, also named Zeina. Zeina, her little brother, and her parents were used to the bombings, threat of snipers, the dividing wall of Beirut made out of brick and sandbags, and constant danger. When her parents do not return one day from a visit to the other half of the city, Zeina's neighbors kindly take her in and try to make a home for her and her brother.
Read in: