Let’s get this started off right. I’m not Pro-Muslim. I’m not Anti-Muslim. I’m not Pro-Hindu or Anti-Hindu. I’m not Pro-Religion or Con-Religion. I’m Pro-People. That’s what matters. The rest of it doesn’t even make sense to discuss so let’s start off on the right foot. I love People.
In our current societal climate in the U.S. Islamophobia is running rampant. There has been an influx of Muslims coming as refugees and for some unknown reason (okay I know the reason. It’s haters) Americans are being more and more fearful and less and less gracious. Are there Muslims who shoot people? Yes. Are there Christians who shoot people? Yes. Are there Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims who are kind and caring people- YES! So let’s step back from judging people for their religious beliefs.
In college I had the incredible privilege of meeting some Muslims for the first time. They became dear friends. This woman and her husband had come from Saudi Arabia so he could study Engineering. She spoke very little English and had no friends. We began having coffee to help her with her English. She shared about her family with me. She invited me into her home. She was amazing.
Shortly after that I met the most amazing Tunisian woman! She was incredibly different from my Saudi Arabian friend. This woman was much more outspoken and came out of her shell much quicker but she was so similar to my Saudi friend. They both were kind and compassionate. They both wanted to see the world become a better place.
I am passionate about fighting Islamophobia. In my small Midwestern town, there isn’t much exposure to Muslim life apart from what the news shows or the occasional International Exchange Student at our high school. I am extremely careful in choosing what books to recommend for purchase at the library when it deals with Islam because I want to make sure I am giving an accurate portrayal to my patrons and teaching kids empathy- not hate.
Here are a my top five books that I would recommend that portray Muslim life in a realistic way that I have recently read.
PICTURE BOOK Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan. Culture clash is a real thing! Misunderstandings will abound! In this picture book Rubina is going to her first ever Birthday party and her mother does not understand why Rubina does not want to bring along her little sister. Misunderstandings about her sister’s behavior abound and grace is required.
MIDDLE SCHOOL Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. Amal knows what she wants. She knows who she is. She is strong and independent and she has more ability for learning than anyone else in her village in Pakistan. When Amal stands up to a man trying to take her pomegranate, she quickly finds herself in Indentured Servitude. Can she find a way to expose what is really going on in the village and save herself? Showing real life issues, this book shows some of the diversity there is within Islam itself.
MIDDLE SCHOOL Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. Amina has never wanted the spotlight. That has never been her desire but suddenly everything is changing since she has entered Middle School. Her best friend is “Americanizing” and thinks Amina should too. When Amina’s mosque is vandalized, can she find the courage to speak up and stand up for what she believes?(Check out my Instagram to see what the author had to say when I posted about this book!)
TEEN Darius the Great is not Okay by Adib Khorram. Darius has only ever known life in America but for the first time in his life he is going to Iran. Darius doesn’t have any friends in his town and since his sister was born, his father has become distant. Now he’s traveling to meet his Grandfather, who has cancer, in person for the first time. Navigating the minefield that is culture clash and his desire to make friends, Darius may just find out what it actually means to be “okay”.
TEEN Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi. In this memoir Saedi recounts her life as an illegal immigrant and her process to get legal residency. Saedi shows how she really was just a teenage girl and how fear of being found out often interrupted her life. Find out the desperate measures her family went to in order to stay together and to remain true to themselves.
Each of these books is beautiful. Each of these books is important. If you want to help your kids learn empathy for Muslims, if you want to show your kids what another religion looks like, if you want to show your kids how important people are, pick up one of these books.
Keep Sparkling,
B
The Sparkling Librarian 