Lujain Dreams of Sunflowers
Author: Uma Mishra-Newbery
Grade Level: TK-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Middle East Book Award 2022. Picture Book.
Resources: Loujain Teacher Guide
The Library Bus
Author: Bahram Rahman
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Pari lives in Kabul and is handing out pencils and notebooks at a refugee camp.
Resources: The Library Bus writing activity
Salma the Syrian Chef
Author: Danny Ramadan
Grade Level: TK-1
Topic: fiction
Summary: Salma thinks a homemade meal will make her smile. She is missing papa back in Syria.
Resources: lesson plans
Tata’s Earrings
Author: Desiree Calderon de Fawaz
Grade Level: K-4
Topic: fiction
Summary: Middle East Book Award 2018. Picture Book
Resources:
Jannah Jewels Book 1: The Treasure of Timbuktu
Author: N. Rafiq
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Mali in the 13th century looking for artifacts.
Resources: Jannah Jewels activity book
Lana Makes Purple Pizza
Author: Amanda Najib
Grade Level: TK-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Lana embarks on a culinary journey with her mother making Msakhan.
Resources: Read aloud video
Olive Harvest in Palestine
Author: Wafa Shami and Shaima Farouki
Grade Level: TK-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Harvest traditions that have been shared among Palestinian farmers for centuries.
Resources: key words and olive harvest video
Nadia and Nadir: Hurricane Helpers
Author: Marzieh A. Ali
Grade Level: 1-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: The siblings want to help the area that was damaged by a hurricane.
Resources: story map
An Anthology of Arab Tales for Children
Author: Talal Hassan
Grade Level: 1-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: Stories inspired by Arab tales.
Resources: Middle East folk tale lesson plans
Academy Story Vol 1
Author: Naïm Hammami
Grade Level: 2-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Suhayl, his family, and his friends in a Muslim world where every child wants to join the Royal Academy.
Resources:
Ottoman Caliphates
Author: Professor Beaver
Grade Level: 4-6
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Islam Book of Islam empires in history
Resources:
A Kid’s Guide to Arab American History
Author: Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Maha Addasi
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Arab American culture includes history and games.
Resources: Guide included
Children of the Wind
Author: Nedda Lewers
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Fantasy series about a girl who becomes the keeper of Ali Baba’s treasure.
The Boy at the Back of the Class
Author: Onjali Q. Raúf
Grade Level: 4-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: Ahmet, a Syrian refugee, who attends school in London opens up to tell his mates that he lost his sister and was taken away from his family. Mates are determined to reunite him with his family.
Resources: resource pack
Mummies Unwrapped
Author: Victoria England and Tom Froese
Grade Level: 2-4
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Answers to questions about mummies and the mummification process.
Resources: Lesson plan for mummies
Cleopatra Tells All
Author: Chris Naunton and Guilherme Karsten
Grade Level: 2-5
Topic: fiction
Summary: A comical book with Cleopatra revealing herself as the world’s first influencer.
Resources: lesson plans for Cleopatra
Amal Unbound
Author: Aisha Saeed
Grade Level: 4-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: 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.
Resources:
The Night Diary
Author: Veera Hiranandani
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: historical fiction
Summary: Shy twelve-year-old Nisha is forced to flee her home with her Hindu family.
Resources:
When Stars are Scattered
Author: Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: graphic novel
Summary: Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother.
Resources:
Muhammed Najem, War Reporter
Author: Muhammed Najem
Grade Level: 4-8
Topic: memoir
Summary: A graphic memoir by young Syrian Muhammad Najem, who rose to international notoriety during the Syrian Civil War due to his on-the-ground reporting using social media.
Resources:
No Ballet Shoes in Syria
Author: Catherine Bruton
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Aya arrives in Britian from Syria and finds a ballet studio to showcase her talent.
Resources: discussion notes
Other Words for Home
Author: Jasmine Warga
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Jude and her mother leave the family in Syria behind and move to Ohio.
Resources: comp questions
The Map of Salt and Stars
Author: Zeyn Joukhadar
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: A modern day Syrian refugee girl who moves from New York back to Syria to be closer to family.
Resources: literature unit
The Breadwinner
Author: Deborah Ellis
Grade Level: 4-9
Topic: fiction
Summary: Set in Afghanistan where Parvana lives with her family. Her father is arrested for having a foreign education. Parvana must transform herself into a boy so she can get a job to support her family.
Resources: lesson plan
Darius the Great is Not Ok
Author: Adib Khorram
Grade Level: 7-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Growing up biracial, Darius doesn’t feel like he is enough of anything – not Persian enough, not white enough. He goes to Iran and meets a new friend Sohrab, who makes him feel better than okay.
Resources: Darius the Great discussion questions
Travellers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix
Author: Aminah Mae Safi
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Remix of the classic works.
Resources: Book club questions
Everything Sad is Untrue
Author: Daniel Nayeri
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A middle schooler’s family’s escape from Iran.
Resources: Everything Sad is Untrue lesson plans
Beni’s War
Author: Tammar Stein
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: A young boy and the strike on Israel.
Resources:
Keeping It Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys
Author: John O’Brien
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Muslim boys making their way through current culture
Resources: Keeping it Halal discussion
The Lemon Tree
Author: Sandy Tolan
Grade Level: 6-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A true story of the friendship between a Palestinian man and an Israeli woman.
Resources: The Lemon Tree Powerpoint presentation
Egyptian Mythology for Kids and Teens
Author: Monica Roy
Grade Level: 6-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Mythology of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Resources: Egyptian mythology storyboard
Dancing Into the Light
Author: Kathryn Abdul-Baki
Grade Level: 6-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A memoir of growing up between the expatriate Western communities and the larger Middle Eastern society of Kuwait and Jerusalem.
Resources: Book club questions
Shadow Spinner
Author: Susan Fletcher
Grade Level: 7-10
Topic: fiction
Summary: Marjan helps Shahrazad find new stories, but it comes with a dangerous and forbidden mission.
Resources: Shadow Spinner lesson plan