Tag Archives: Muslim

YA – Fatima Tate Takes the Cake

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Vanbrakle, Khadijah. Fatima Tate Takes the Cake. Holiday House, 2023. 978-0-823-45485-3.  267 p. $19.99. Grades 8-12.

Black Muslim Fatima Tate has a passion for baking, but is also an obedient daughter to her two loving, hard working parents living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her mother has Fatima’s whole life planned as a nurse and regards her talent for baking as a hobby. Fatima spends her free time volunteering at a soup kitchen where she meets the charming and handsome Raheem Harris. When she accepts a ride home from Raheem one day–a definite no-no–that culminates in a kiss, Fatima starts down a slippery slope of secret dating that quickly escalates to a marriage proposal. Though at first, Fatima is thrilled to be matched with her crush, she starts to have serious misgivings especially when her best friend, Zayneb Baker, confesses her disapproval of the match based on hard evidence she discovered. Fatima’s parents are thrilled with Raheem and dazzled by his generous gifts and wealth because they believe it assures their daughter’s secure future. Fatima is reluctant to share her doubts with her parents, just as she keeps secret her participation in a baking competition that could enable her to attend the Culinary Institute. As her fiance and his family pressure Fatima into an early wedding quickly following her high school graduation, Fatima views the unmasked Raheem who is controlling and manipulative, but she feels trapped because of what he holds over her. The situation comes to a head during the engagement party, when Fatima confronts Raheem and his mother. Her honesty allows her to continue in the baking competition and recognize the support of her parents. Vanbrakle has a smooth way of writing authentic dialogue. While Fatima represents the docile, traditional Muslim, Zayneb, her lesbian friend who is also Muslim, wears no hijab and her relationship with her girlfriend is out in the open. Although Fatima appears modest and shy most of the time, she does have a sarcastic side to her and, ultimately, has the courage to address some very difficult issues. This well-rounded description of Muslim characters, beliefs, and customs is refreshing and genuine, but could have been enhanced by a glossary of terms. The book does, however, have some of Fatima’s favorite dessert recipes.

THOUGHTS: Gorgeous cover. Thankfully, in recent years more books have been published including Muslim characters, but Fatima Tate Takes the Cake makes the reader understand what it must be like to be a Muslim teen. This work provides the mirror and window so desired in reading. Some foul language,  description of kissing, and implied sexual intercourse.

Realistic Fiction

YA – We Are All We Have

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Budhos, Marina. We Are All We Have. Wendy Lamb Books, 2022. 978-0-593-12020-0. 241 p. $17.99. Grades 7-12.

Rania is looking forward to high school graduation, a job in a bookstore, and college. But those dreams dissolve in an instant when her mother is caught in an ICE raid on their Brooklyn apartment. The 17-year-old Muslim teen knows it’s all a mistake. Ammi has been working with a lawyer for years, seeking asylum for their family. Rania’s father had been a journalist in Pakistan when Rania was young, and when he was killed, Rania and her mother fled to the United States, where her younger brother, Kamal, was born. Fierce, determined Rania knows she can hold things together until her mother is released, but the siblings end up in a detention center for immigrant children, where they are befriended by Carlos, a teen from Mexico. Pursuing every lead to get out of the detention center, Rania, Carlos, and Kamal hit the road, like the Beat poets Rania idolizes. Their journey travels from joy to heartbreak to love, as Rania encounters myriad faces and stories of immigrants, individuals like Rania and her family and friends who are trying to follow the rules and live their lives in the shadow of border closures, family separations, and strangling red tape. We Are All We Have is an important look at the story of immigrants beyond the sensationalized headlines. Rania takes us through the immigrant experience, from day-to-day life with the ever-present fear of ICE, to government detention facilities, to sanctuaries and safe houses. 

THOUGHTS: An emotional ride through the world of immigrants, with feisty Rania as a guide, this book humanizes the immigrant experience. A first purchase for middle school and high school collections. 

Realistic Fiction          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

MG – Bhai For Now

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Siddiqui, Maleeha. Bhai For Now. Scholastic, 2022. 978-1-338-70209-5. $17.99. 276 p. Grades 5-8.

Eighth-grader Ashar Malik lives for ice hockey and aspires to the National Hockey League via a spot on the Icecaps, the team from the prestigious Arlington Academy. Tired of his nomad-like existence, Shaheer Atique fills up his down time by watching The Property Brothers with his grandfather, Dada, and trying out interior design ideas. At the start of the school year, they bump into each other at their Northern Virginian middle school. Cousin Zohra is the first to suggest the two are identical twins.  Then, the pair start to piece the information together: Ashar lives with his Mom, a math teacher, who needs to stick to the budget; Shaheer lives with his emergency physician father, who hands him a shiny credit card instead of his time and stability. In addition to the same birth date, they both were born in New Jersey, are Muslim, and share their parents’ same names. Convinced, the impulsive Ashar insists they switch places to get to know each other’s custodial parent. This spin on The Parent Trap discloses the individual twin’s greatest qualities highlighted with the different parent. Dad responds positively to Ashar’s spontaneity and openness while Mom appreciates Shaheer’s thoughtfulness and talent. Both families practice the Muslim religion and the faith and belief is woven seamlessly throughout the story. When Dad decides to take a job in Missouri so that he can have a more regular schedule to spend time with his son, the boys’ plan goes awry. After the parents learn of the deception, both parents and brothers turn angrily on each other–no loving reunion here. The twins scramble to keep themselves together and are willing to sacrifice to make it so. Bhai For Now is a fun story that readers easily will get into. Author Maleeha Siddiqui keeps the plot fast-paced and the characters–even minor ones–interesting and memorable. 

THOUGHTS: Though the premise seems far-fetched (parents divorcing and each keeping one child without the siblings knowing of each others’ existences), this Parent Trap spin-off works. It is entertaining, alternately funny and tender. The community is in the beginning of creating a new masjid and Shaheer/Ashar gets involved in this activity. Dada, the grandfather prays his dua several times daily. The hockey plays are described in detail. The author successfully depicts a typical American family with Muslim customs. 

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

MG – The Kaya Girl

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Wolo, Mamle. The Kaya Girl. Little, Brown, and Company, 2022. 978-0-316-70393-2.$16.99. 322 p. Grades 5-8.

Set in modern-day Ghana, The Kaya Girl reads like a memoir of a friendship of two fourteen-year old girls from different social and economic backgrounds. A child of privilege and wealth, Abena (Abby) spends the summer with her Auntie Lydia, one of her mother’s older sisters. The stern, hardworking relative owns a fabric shop in the busy Makola Market in Accra. As is the usual custom with Ghanaian families, she has taken in a distant relative, Gifty, to live in her home and work in the shop. Abby, on the other hand, is vacationing at her aunt’s while her mother is in England awaiting the birth of her baby and her father, a physician, is working. When women come to the shop to purchase goods, a kayayoo girl carries their parcels to their destination in her enormous, tin bowl perched on her head. Abby strikes up a friendship with Faiza, the kaya girl who hangs around her aunt’s shop. Through their conversations during down times that summer, the girls share what is most familiar to them. Faiza tells of leaving her birth family to live with her aunt, of her cousin’s arranged marriage at the tender age of twelve, of her desire to attend school, and her quest to find her missing cousin. Abby shows Faiza the wonders of the internet, a revelation of extinct dinosaurs, astronomy, and different lands. In addition to learning the customs of a culture present in her own homeland, Abby becomes aware of her privilege and the poverty that restricts not only Faiza but all the kaya girls. These impressions weigh heavily on her and she channels them into a story for a competition. Despite Auntie Lydia’s disapproval of their friendship and the language barrier, the two girls come to know and like each other. When her aunt seems to soften a bit toward Faiza and leaves for an errand, Abby feels comfortable breaking one of her aunt’s rules and invites Faiza inside the shop. When money goes missing from the till, however, Abby regrets this decision. She knows Faiza is not the thief, but their summer of fun and friendship comes to an abrupt end. The author continues with an extensive epilogue, telling of Abena’s life as an adult and her surprising reunion with her childhood friend. Told in first person from Abena’s point of view, this satisfying novel describes life in Ghana with its disparity of classes and also the sights and sounds of a bustling marketplace. The girls’ friendship is magical and that quality rings true even after years of separation. 

THOUGHTS: The Kaya Girl presents two equally interesting girls from opposite backgrounds and because of this difference, the reader learns so much about what life is like when you are poor in Ghana and what life is like when you are not. One learns cultural customs from both sides as well as a description of an open market in another country. Through this experience, readers fulfill one of the major reasons for reading: to live vicariously through others’ experiences and to learn about and appreciate what is unfamiliar. Though the story probably should have stopped with the girls’ parting, carrying the story into their adulthood brings a enjoyable closure. Pair this book with Auma’ Long Run  by Eucabeth Odhioma (the dust jacket says she teaches at Shippensburg University) or the les -serious graphic novel, Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemange. Like these two books, The Kaya Girl is a solid selection for extended Social Studies class.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

YA – Queen of the Tiles

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Alkaf, Hanna. Queen of the Tiles. Salaam Reads, 2022. 978-1-534-49455-8. $18.99. 291 p. Grades 7-12.

One year ago Najwa’s best friend, Trina, died in the middle of a Scrabble tournament, right in front of her. It has taken the 16-year-old Malaysian girl one year to recover enough equilibrium to attend another tournament. But she makes her return to the Scrabble circuit at the Word Warriors Weekend, the same event where Trina died. Comments and gossip abound, as shy Najwa navigates old friendships, determined to rejoin life, as well as claim the title Queen of the Titles in honor of Trina, the former Queen. But when enigmatic posts begin popping up on Trina’s dormant Instagram account, the weekend takes a dark turn. Was Trina murdered? If so, the killer is obviously at the competition. This dynamic mystery will have readers on the edge of their seat. As the backstory of the previous year’s event is unwound, the dynamic between the seemingly genial group of competitors is revealed, and suspects abound. Would someone really kill to be Monarch of the Tiles? Characters are well developed, particularly Najwa, who struggles to believe in herself. American readers may find the cutthroat world of teen competitive Scrabble an unfamiliar setting, but it is fascinating to delve into this world of unusual words. Family game night will never be the same! 

THOUGHTS: This plot ratchets up from placid to nerve wracking in the blink of an eye. Readers who need a quick start may become impatient, but encourage them to stick it out. Once the action starts, it is a roller coaster ride to the end. 

Mystery          Nancy Nadig  Penn Manor SD

Elem. – One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers

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Khan, Henna. One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers. Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-452-18272-8. $17.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

For Muslim children, One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers, is a mirror; for non-Muslim children, it is a window. Saturated in rich colors– golds, reds, turquoise–this horizontally-shaped book uses simple yet significant objects special to the Muslim community to correspond to the numbers. The story focuses on a young boy’s family and some basic precepts of the Muslim religion: kindness, generosity, and prayerfulness. This visual presentation illustrator Mehrdokht Amini’s drawings connect perfectly with the sparse text. Characters are depicted realistically with enlarged faces, full of expression; the calligraphy conveying the four-line rhymes on each page is readable and large font, also. The double-page spreads take up the entire space with vibrant paint or, in some instances, with a collage effect. Islamic motifs repeat in tablecloths, book covers, and window panes; minarets in the skyline indicate a Middle Eastern setting. The story marks an intersection of the ancient and the modern. Though the young boy dons western dress, the adults wear traditional Muslim garb as they make their pilgrimage to Mecca. Children of other faiths may find similarities, such as gathering to study the Quran, doing good works, fasting, or repetitious prayer. Though targeted for a primary grade audience, the book can inform older students as well. Includes a helpful glossary.

THOUGHTS: From end page to end page, this gorgeous picture book emanates a Middle Eastern tone. Though this book is an easy reader, the information it conveys may dispel any misconceptions young people may have about the Muslim religion. For this reason, teachers could use this book for students of higher grades, too.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

MG – The Shape of Thunder

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Warga, Jasmine. The Shape of Thunder. Balzar & Bray, 2021. 978-0-062-95667-5. $16.99. 275 p. Grades 5-8.

Cora Hamid and Quinn Macauley are next door neighbors and inseparable friends all their twelve years of life–until they are not. Quinn’s older brother, Parker, takes his father’s hunting guns to his high school one November morning and shoots Cora’s sister, Mabel, a teacher, another student, and himself. The two families’ approach to grief could not be more different. Abandoned as a baby by her mother (the reader never discovers why), Lebanese-American and Muslim Cora has the nurturing support of her biologist dad; thoughtful, maternal Gram; and the professional support of a trained therapist. Quinn’s family buries the issue. Told in alternating voices, the reticent and less academic Quinn has difficulty expressing her thoughts and guilty feelings. Her workaholic father is against any outside help to ease the family’s suffering, and her mother hides in the house cooking and baking. Longing to reconnect with Cora, Quinn delivers a box to her doorstep stuffed with articles about time travel and wormholes on Cora’s birthday. She knows Cora well enough to appeal to her scientific nature. Perhaps the two of them could find a wormhole and travel back in time to stop the tragedy of that fateful day. As the pair work through the logistics of approaching a huge tree in the forest for the site of their wormhole/time traveling, they each experience the pain of regret and the insistence on holding fast to the memory of a loved one. While Cora has made new friends on her Junior Quizbowl Team and excels in her studies, Quinn has felt shunned. She longs to be on the soccer team, but is too ashamed to try out. Her art gives her some pleasure, yet not even drawing can remove the heavy weight of a secret she knows about her brother, the possibility that she could have prevented the circumstances. After she confides in the school librarian her remorse, she resolves to confess this awful secret to Cora. Though the revelation breaks their renewed bond, Cora devotes more time to her plan to make the impossible possible. When she questions her father about time travel, she is encouraged and inspired by his answer. He tells her that her absent mother had a theory comparing the shape of time to the shape of thunder: “impossible to map” (p. 213). When both Cora and Quinn are coaxed by different people to attend the traditional Fall Festival at their middle school, the rumble of thunder pulls the two estranged girls to the woods to prove Cora’s theory. The hopeful resolution of the story, despite the sadness surrounding it, gives the reader relief. Quinn’s and Cora’s relationship see-saws throughout realistically. After all, Quinn reminds Cora of the unspeakable thing Parker did. Quinn’s strained home life with her parents who refuse any kind of self-reflection or examination of the devastating action of their son is painful.  Minor situations like the jealousy of Mia, another friend of Cora’s, toward Quinn; the snide remarks of Quinn’s former teammate and friend; the growing crush Cora has with her classmate, Owen (a Japanese-American character), will resonate genuinely with middle school readers. The Shape of Thunder is a tough read, but one that confirms that happiness can co-exist with grief, and friendships can be mended.

THOUGHTS: This novel is full of emotion and rich in language and characterization, but not so intense that a sensitive middle grade student would be put off. Cora is a thinker and an intellectual. Throughout the novel, students will find themselves entertained by the interesting facts Cora spouts (“…cows kill more people than sharks each year…”). The images Warga uses to describe different feelings are unique but spot on (the “fizziness” Cora feels in her tummy when talking to her crush, Owen, etc.). She also makes dialogue very interesting. Quinn has a hard time speaking; her brain freezes and she can’t say the words. When she finally gets angry enough to spill over her feelings to her buttoned up family, it is heartbreaking. The conversations between Cora and her father and grandmother also are authentic and tell the reader so much about the characters. What the reader must conjecture about are Parker’s reason for the shooting and the absence of Cora’s mother since her father seems to have no obvious vices. Ms. Euclid, the school librarian and art teacher, is a heroine for Quinn. This book should be issued with a box of tissues.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

MG/YA – Huda F Are You?

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Fahmy, Huda. Huda F Are You? Dial Books, 2021. 978-0-593-32430-1. 192 p. $22.99. Grades 6-9.

Huda F (a self-described “extension” of author-illustrator Huda Fahmy) is “just your friendly neighborhood Arab-Muslim hijab-wearing American whatever” entering the ninth grade in Dearborn, Michigan. Despite these labels, Huda isn’t sure who she really is or even who she wants to be. She tries to form a friend group while establishing her true personality, but discrimination and microaggressions take a toll on her well-being (and her transcript). Despite the seriousness of these issues, Fahmy brings a light touch and plenty of self-deprecating humor to Huda’s predicament. For example, she depicts Huda’s inner monologues through two mini-Hudas on her shoulders, one in a leather jacket, bickering over her decisions and delivering brutal honesty. Huda’s journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance is portrayed through simple drawings, uncluttered backgrounds, and a limited color palette. Narration boxes and Huda’s delightful facial expressions move the action along to a satisfying conclusion.

THOUGHTS: Huda F Are You is funny, unexpectedly universal, and an excellent choice for fans of Almost American Girl by Robin Ha.

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

Grades 8-11.

Huda Fahmey, along with her four sisters and her parents, have moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a town with a large Muslim population. This is a big change for Huda: in her old school, she was the only girl who wore a hijab, but that is not the case in Dearborn. While Huda is proud to wear her hijab, she is also aware of the prejudice she faces while wearing it, even from some of her high school teachers. Because of this, Huda sets out to learn more about her religion and figure out what it means to wear the hijab. Since she is no longer the only hijabi girl, Huda has absolutely no idea who she is. Huda tries to figure out who her friends are, what cliques she might belong to, and where she fits in. Academically, Huda is a stellar student, but that doesn’t seem like quite enough to encompass an entire identity. She categorizes herself as “miscellaneous,” a label that makes Huda feel as though she is a nobody. With the help of her friends and family, she begins her journey to find out Huda F. she is.

THOUGHTS: Huda Fahmey’s semi-biographical graphic novel is funny and relatable. This is an absolute must-buy for secondary libraries. Be aware that the title may raise some eyebrows, but there is no strong language in the content of the book.

Graphic Novel           Danielle Corrao, Manheim Central SD

Elem./MG – Amina’s Song

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Khan, Hena. Amina’s Song. Saleem Reads, 2021. 978-1-534-45988-5. 275 p. $17.99. Grades 4-6.

Amina is spending some of her summer in Pakistan with a family that she doesn’t see often, and she loves it! The market, the food, the sights, as well as spending time with her extended family, it’s hard to pick a favorite thing. With the end of the summer pending, Amina is headed back home and ready to share her favorite parts of Pakistan with her friends and classmates. However, they only seem to hear the bad parts of Pakistan, which is extremely frustrating and disheartening to Amina. She wonders if she can change their minds when she gets just that opportunity! Her history teacher assigns a project which just might help Amina change her classmates’ mind about her homeland, as well as show them the Pakistan Amina knows.

THOUGHTS: Amina’s Song is an amazing sequel which showcases the bond that Amina’s family has between Pakistan and the United States wonderfully. I feel many readers will be able to relate to Amina’s thoughts and feelings, especially when Amina is struggling to share her favorite parts of Pakistan with her classmates and friends. Highly recommend this book for any elementary or middle school collection.

Realistic Fiction          Mary Hyson, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – Fatima’s Great Outdoors

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Tariq, Ambreen. Fatima’s Great Outdoors. Penguin Random House, 2021. 978-1-984-81695-5. 40 p. $17.99. Grades Pre-K-3. 

Fatima Khazi is having a tough week. Her math quiz was challenging, her peers teased her about her accent, her friends wrinkled their noses at her lunch, and a boy pulled her long braid in the hallway. Her mood, however, is lifted while she eagerly awaits with her sister for her parents after school. She is beyond excited about a weekend camping trip to a state park with her family. Ambreen Tariq’s picture book Fatima’s Great Outdoors celebrates an immigrant family’s connection and affection for nature and the outdoors. Fatima, who speaks Urdu and English, slowly builds confidence as she helps her family set up the camping tent, start a campfire, and adventure in a state park. Readers gain insight into Fatima’s family, who has immigrated from India, and will also learn of the family members that still live in India through memories and storytelling. Each memory teaches Fatima a little more about her strength and confidence. At the end of the weekend, Fatima is sad to leave her outdoor space, but her sister reminds her that sharing her experience at school may help keep the memories in her heart until the next adventure.

THOUGHTS: Author Ambreen Tariq is the founder of BrownPeopleCamping, which she launched in August of 2016 to celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial. This storytelling initiative, found on Instagram, utilizes personal narratives and digital storytelling to promote diversity in public lands and outdoor communities. Her debut picture book Fatima’s Great Outdoors reads like a love letter to state and national parks that encourage all ethnicities and races to explore and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Picture Book          Marie Mengel, Reading SD