Sep25

Raisah and the Boat Trip by Nadia Ali illustrated by Fatma Zehra Köprülü

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Raisah and the Boat Trip by Nadia Ali illustrated by Fatma Zehra Köprülü

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I’ve seen this book reviewed and promoted on social media.  I’ve even read the reviews.  Yet for some reason I thought the book was a refugee story. It is not.  It is a family’s trip out on a boat interwoven with what they see and ayats from the Quran.  It can be read as a simple straight forward story, or the interspersed ayats can be paused for and discussed.  Honestly the book probably will not be asked for multiple times by young children, but as a teacher, librarian, parent, you are going to reach for this book quite often.  It is a book that can be used in story times about Allah’s creation, the ocean, science, experiences, and the signs that help us know Allah swt.  And for that reason I wish the book was larger.  It is great for bedtime, but the 9 x 9 size makes it cumbersome for story times, even for small groups.  Technology can help, but I really just wish it was a bit bigger to enjoy the simple illustrations and increase the sense of wonder Raisah feels upon the vast ocean.

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The book starts with Raisah, Mama, and Papa getting on a boat and heading out on the ocean.  They observe the water getting darker the further they go out, the saltiness of sea water compared to river and lake water, and then they turn off the engine and pull out their fishing rods.

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They joke about what they will catch while dropping the fact for readers about the blue whale being the biggest creature in the ocean, before a cargo ship catches their attention and they marvel at transportation opportunities on the sea.

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There are seven ayats from the Quran included in the 28 page book and the surah number and ayat are sourced.  The book can be ordered here from Crescent Moon where code ISL saves you 10% at checkout or here from Amazon.

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Sep22

Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith adapted by Margeaux Weston (A Young Readers Adaptation of Blood Brothers)

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Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith adapted by Margeaux Weston (A Young Readers Adaptation of Blood Brothers)

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A lot of us Muslims name drop Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X in discussions about civil rights quite often, and at least, speaking for myself, I thought I had the general idea about the relationship between these two iconic figures. I have read a fair amount of books in my quest to identify books that show how Islam shaped the men as opposed to those that tend to gloss over their eventual conversion to Sunni Islam, but I read this book as if it were fiction and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.  I have not read the original Blood Brothers, but this young readers adaptation is well done in conveying the politics, environment, struggles, and humanity of these two men.  Their flaws and growth, their tests, their friendship, it really is a compelling read. The focus on their friendship puts Nation of Islam as the focus, but the book does a good job of identifying it as being different than Islam.  As their friendship falters, Malcolm X goes for Hajj and is seen to change, and choices made by Cassius Clay show the men quite distant at the time of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz’s assassination, even though eventually their paths proved quite similar. The 240 page book is MG, but I think middle school readers (in classrooms, book clubs, and on their own) will better appreciate the intersection of these two giants, the events of their time, and the legacy they have left for us all.

SYNOPSIS:

The book is a snapshot in time, sometimes focusing on Malcolm X, sometimes on Cassius Clay, sometimes of their time together.  It starts with background insight and then shares the rise of both of them in their respective worlds, Nation of Islam and boxing.  Threaded through it all is the influence that Elijah Muhammad had on them, and key events they experienced that shaped their thoughts and opinions on race relations, politics, religion, and life.  It shows Malcolm X as the teacher, and leader taking in Clay and believing in him against the Nation’s wishes and thus when Muhammad Ali pushes him away the reader sees the Champ in a different light.  It shows deception and manipulation, as deep and riveting as the best fiction out there, but is very vulnerable in showing regret and both individuals’ ability to keep learning and growing.  The conclusion highlighting Muhammad Ali reaching out to Malcolm X’s daughter Attallah, and the forgiveness that took place in restoring the love between the two men and their families, really was a cathartic release that reminds readers that for as idolized as these two figures are in pop culture and history, they were very real people.  The book has a Biography at the end that breaks down sources by Government Documents, Archival Collections, Newspapers, Magazine Articles, Books, and Websites.  It is a “Selected Biography” that is seven pages long.

FLAGS:

Racism, manipulation, assassination, hate crimes, stereotypes, propaganda, oppressions, abuse, police brutality, assault, bombing, arson, attempted murder, fear, threats, killing.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I have preordered a book for my own children to read and one for the school, I really think this book needs to be easily accessible for middle school students in libraries, classrooms, and homes.  I would love to do this as a middle school book club, I think the authentic perspective will give our youth who have heard of Malcolm X and think they know Muhammad Ali some insight into really spending time with what they did, what they faced, and how remarkable their friendship was.

Sep18

If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

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If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

This cultural picture book shows life of an Afghan family before fleeing the country and after.  In the flashbacks the women are wearing hijab, now in the west they are not.  I debated if I should do a complete review or just a Muslim in the illustration tag, and ultimately decided to do a review so that I might document what I fear is a new trend.  In the last ten years most Afghan books addressed international involvement, the Taliban, and refugees, but seemed to still feature Islam and the characters as Muslim.  This book carries the refugee theme, but Islam is seen in the “before” illustrations only.  Another recently published book, The Carpet: An Afghan Family Story, similarly contained no Islam, but interestingly also kept it out of the illustrations.  Realistically, I know that two books don’t make a trend, but with the change of politics in Afghanistan, I think the OWN voice narratives are important to watch and be aware of.  In the past an Afghan book would be conflated with also being an Islamic rep book, and I don’t know if that will continue to be the case.  I also don’t know what the take away impression would be upon a kid if they were to pick the book off the shelf.  Would they find the head coverings in the unsafe country and the lack of hijabs in the safe country as a message about Islam, would they understand the politics, would they even notice?  The sweet story of a boy picking berries with his grandma involves music, wishing on birds, and reflecting on the violence that forced them to leave Afghanistan.

The book starts with Ali and his Nana waking up early to pick blackberries.  They don’t want to wake his exhausted parents, and quietly pack a lunch and get on their bikes and head out.  The blackberries are not as sweet as the mulberries he remembers from Afghanistan.  Suddenly he misses home.

The family left Kabul after soldiers came to their house and they knew it wasn’t safe anymore.  He couldn’t bring both of his stuffies and the family left on foot at night.  They rode a bus and waited behind a fence before they boarded a plane.

 

Back in the present the two eat their picnic, when a bluebird arrives, Nana tells Ali to make a wish before it flies away.  Nana says all her wishes have come true: the family is safe and together.  Ali is whisked back to sitting beneath the mulberry tree with his parents laughing and his toys around, he wishes for home.  Nana explains that home is not a place, it is the love you have.  The book concludes with Ali appreciating his loving family and his new “home.”

Sep15

Majdi Mansoor and the Book of Miracles by Anisa Bezak

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Majdi Mansoor and the Book of Miracles by Anisa Bezak

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I don’t think I have ever seen or even heard of any dystopian Islamic fiction reads, we have a handful of Islamic historical fiction, and dystopian with Muslim characters, but the genre made me curious, and with that motivation I began the 458 page book.  The beginning didn’t immediately grip me, but I told myself to read a hundred pages before deciding to DNF it or keep reading, and long before that arbitrary mark, I was intrigued by the story, invested in the characters, and impressed by the consistent writing, pacing, and role of Islam.  The book is preachy and idyllic, but that is to be expected, the way Islamic ideas and concepts and concerns were included as plot points though, is surprisingly well done.  For much of the story, I kept wondering who the target audience would be.  The vocabulary is a bit advanced, and the pages full of small text.  The book starts story wise-solid middle grade, but I think by the end I would recommend this book for advanced middle grade or early middle school Muslim readers.  I’ve heard from some adults that they read a chapter to their kids each night, and I think that aloud younger kids might also enjoy the story and be swept away to a future land run by a corporation where religion is banned, books are a thing of the past, a boy speaks only in Quranic ayats and hadith, and bullies of all sizes will have to be faced.

SYNOPSIS:

Twelve year old Jacob is an orphan in Tanas World and is unwillingly part of a gang.  One day in a boarded up old building he finds a book, a physical book, the Quran.  Religion is not allowed, Islam most of all, but he reads the book, and even though he doesn’t believe, he keeps rereading the pages.  When an attempt to steal some tech takes him outside the boundaries of the walled off city, he meets a small boy, Majdi Mansoor, who talks in a peculiar way. When threatened by the gang, Jacob decides to take Majdi’s side and that one act sets the two boys on a course that will change them forever.

I don’t want to give away too much, but Jacob is taken in by the Mansoor family who live in isolation and in hiding outside Tanas Corps patrols.  The parents are kidnapped, the children seek to save them and along the way meet smugglers, a Muslim community corrupted by bidah and djinn, Muslim Defense Unit rebels seeking revenge, and the executives who want the MEECA device to imprison the planet.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I was honestly impressed with the quality of writing, but I honestly don’t know if it was because my expectations were so low, or in fact was sufficiently edited and refined.  The characters have heart, the world building is believable, and the Islam is handled with an even hand.  At times members of the Mansoor family are too “good,” but Jacob has a sense of humor, is fallible, and curious which allows the story to stay moving and on task. There are some major plot points that are not resolved, and I’m assuming the political details will play out in the second book.  I’m hoping at least. The book doesn’t talk down to the reader, but older readers might find it too preachy.

I’m hoping my early teens who love Islamic fiction chapter books such as The Broken Kingdom series, The Adventure of Nur Al-Din books, and The Moon of Masarrah quartet will similarly enjoy this.

FLAGS:

Death, bullying, manipulation, assault, revenge, danger, whispers of shatan, bidah

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to do this as a Middle School book club, I think it would be a bit too cheesy, but I think there would be some great discussions to be had about seeking, temptation, bidah, forgiveness, and the way that Majdi talks and Islam is woven in to the text.

Sep11

A Boy Named Ibrahim by Sitti Aminah “Flexi” Sarte illustrated by Aaron Asis

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A Boy Named Ibrahim by Sitti Aminah “Flexi” Sarte illustrated by Aaron Asis

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This 24 page Filipino book originally published in 2014 was republished with a new traditional publisher earlier this month and reads and feels like solid Islamic fiction.  The book focuses on the five daily prayers throughout the day of a young boy’s life, with the repetitive refrain being the steps of wudu. Ibrahim leaves his activities to pray, wakes up early to join his parents in salat, loves his mother, and listens to her reminder about prayer being an important way to remember Allah swt.  The book is preachy, religious, and unapologetic.  The timing of fajr is a bit questionable, but roosters do crow at all hours, and the light outside the window might be a street lamp and not the rising sun.  Islamic phrases are used, but it does say “Alaikum Salam” in response to “Assalamu Alaikum” which is a variation of the norm.  Overall, the book is a nice addition to share with young children highlighting the importance of prayer, it also works well to learn and review the steps of wudu, and the names and order of salat, alhumdulillah.

The sun is about to rise, Ibrahim says, “Bismillah,” makes wudu and joins his father for prayer.  It is the first day of school and Ibrahim is excited.  He spends half his day at school, then prays Dhuhr.  He makes wudu and prays.  While playing soccer in the afternoon, he leaves the game to pray his Asr, but first he makes wudu.

Once home he chats with his mother about prayer, and coming closer to Allah swt, while he enjoys a snack and then makes wudu and prays maghrib.  Baba then comes home, they eat and pray isha all together.

I enjoyed the illustrations and the simple story.  The book is straightforward, and the contentment and unapologetic portrayal of prayer in a person’s day is sweet and important to highlight. For preschool to early elementary this book would be a great addition to shelves, story time, and bedtime as well.

The book can be ordered on Amazon here

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Sep8

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

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Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

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I don’t think I have ever sat down and watched a complete Hallmark Channel holiday movie, but I know the stereotypes and I’ve caught enough scenes while hanging out with my grandma to know that reality has to be suspended, there will be a happy ending, and the snow and small town charm is going to be laid on pretty heavy as the wholesome romance plays out.  This book is the literary equivalent of such a movie. So with that in mind, there are somethings I will concede can be overlooked, but religiously there are some things that need to be noted (see below).  I also have to admit that I couldn’t put the book down and read the entire 384 page Adult book in two sittings. The book is told in alternating perspectives: Maryam and Anna.  Maryam and her family are Muslim, the book takes place in 2000 when Ramadan/Eid, Christmas and Hanukkah all took place within days of each other.  Anna celebrates Christmas, but grew up celebrating Hanukkah too.  Even if a romance that has Muslims ok with adopting “Christmas-y” celebrations during the last ten nights of Ramadan no less. is not a book that appeals to you, it is worth noting that this book does an incredible job of not becoming performative.  There is no internalized Islamophobia, self-othering, no over explaining, convincing, justifying or religious or cultural identity crisis. For a book co authored by a Muslim and a non Muslim and traditionally published, I am excited for the precedence this book sets.

SYNOPSIS:

Anna is in a perfect relationship, with the perfect guy, and accidently sees the perfect ring in her boyfriend’s luggage.  With Christmas plans in Toronto to meet Nicks wealthy parents, it is clear that the perfect proposal is also going to happen.  But Anna is not perfect, and who she seems to be to Nick is not who she is or wants to be.  It feels so fake.  With separate flights from Denver to Toronto, getting redirected and stranded in Snow Falls, Ontario gives her the pause she needs to decide what she wants.  She meets Josh, someone in town visiting, which complicates things, and she sorts through her grief of loosing her father and the speed in which her ex step mother moved on, all why becoming good friends with Maryam and her family in this idyllic town that she doesn’t want to leave.

Maryam is the oldest daughter who shoulders the expectation so that her younger sister can live her best life.  She became a pharmacist to carry on the family business, so Saima could be a physician with Doctors Without Borders.  Now Saima has decided that she wants a wedding in Ramadan and Maryam has to plan it. The flight being diverted and the wedding party being stuck in Snow Falls has long ago crush Saif and Maryam sorting through their past and a possible future together.  

The two protagonists, their past, future, love interests are all multiplied by a town full of love and holiday activities, a wedding that might be missed, a Holiday Hoopla show, a movie being filmed, fasting in Ramadan, and wise old Dadu, a former Bollywood director guiding the characters to a happy ending.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The book is an easy read, it really is a guilty pleasure escape from reality and that it comes from a place of- we are Muslim, we fast, we pray, we don’t/shouldn’t date without marriage in mind, and everyone in the book already knows all this makes you feel ok about indulging.  It even has a thread of analyzing parental expectation and peeling back some of the assumptions regarding the disconnect worked in throughout the story.  

It took a few chapters for me to stop fighting and accept that the snow is so bad that the airport is closed, but every store, restaurant, and the roads in the town are open.  That the phones are out, no one has a charger, but the payphone works and food can be ordered and delivered.  That Anna is strolling around in a cocktail dress and can find a sweater, but she can’t find pants, and holiday gifts for everyone were not a problem to obtain.  The book notes the idyllic diversity and amazing payphone, but you really just have to let it go if you are to enjoy the book.

Some things I couldn’t let go though are the Islamic religious portrayals.  The characters note that a wedding in Ramadan is a terrible idea, but for as authentic as the waking up for suhoor and fajr are every day and iftar is every evening, the Muslim wedding party spend the last 10 days and nights of Ramadan watching Bollywood movies, dancing at a music filled mehndi party, planning and performing in an interfaith holiday show, and listening to Christmas music.  I know Ramadan staples of reading Quran, doing thikr, and praying, don’t fit the genre, but there are enough people to make jammat, one night it mentions they go to the musallah for taraweeh salat, but I really wish it was every night, and that more traditional Ramadan foundations were shared.  I did love that why Dadu couldn’t fast was explored, and that when Saima was stressed she went to the musallah, but really Bollywood marathons and parties in Ramadan are uncomfortable even in fiction.

FLAGS:

For Adults and New Adults the book is remarkably clean.  The romance is tame even for YA, the characters are all adults and it is more the Ramadan non worship and Christmas normalization that is more flag worthy to me if a Muslim teen were to read it, than the relationships.  So take what you will from the flags: Anna and Nick seem to live together at the beginning, Anna and Josh hold hands, kiss.  Maryam and Saif hold hands and hug.  Saima and Miraj hug.  There are some other hetero couples that kiss. Mention of Maryam’s prior relationship features her husbands infidelity, and Saif admits to having a girlfriend.  There are a few LGBTQ+ couples in the town that own stores and the inn, but don’t seem to be Muslim, and their relationships are not significant plot points.   Muslims joining in Christmas activities. Alcohol and a pub are mentioned, but Anna partakes, no Muslim characters.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I don’t think I could do this as an Islamic school book club choice for middle or high school.  But I do want to gush about it with my Lit Sisters.  You can preorder it here https://amzn.to/3L7K9wQ

Sep4

From Here and There by Larissa Olinda illustrated by Herry Prihamdani

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From Here and There by Larissa Olinda illustrated by Herry Prihamdani

This sweet rhyming picture books discusses, focuses, and celebrates being a multicultural child.  Not the often seen child of an immigrant living in a society that is different than their parents, this story doesn’t even discuss where the child in the story resides, it just joyfully explores having a Brazilian mom and a Saudi father, while centering Allah swt in bringing them together.  The book highlights each culture, notes some differences, and acknowledges compromise, making this a reflective book for kids with parents from different cultures, but also a window of coming together that all readers can enjoy. Toddlers to early elementary will enjoy the 31 pages with bright engaging pictures and introduction to cultures and a topic not often seen in Islamic fiction, or any books for that matter.

The book is told from the child’s perspective as he breaks down his appearance and him being half his mom and half his dad.  He discuss the different sounds of Arabic and Portuguese, how meals are eaten, time is spent, people dress, and handwriting looks, without belittling or othering either culture.

The little boy circles back numerous times that this is all Allah’s decree, that brought his parents from different parts of the world together.  It shows challenges and compromise at time, and ultimately love and smiles.  The book concludes with helping readers like him to feel seen and articulates Prophet Muhammad (saw) saying that no person is better than another based on where they are from.

The book concludes with an ayat from the Quran and a hadith, and is based on the author’s life. I can really see this book being used in a class as an introduction to a lesson asking kids to write their own family traditions coming together. It also works well at bedtime, or anytime.

You can order the book here

Sep1

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

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Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sometimes you remember reading a book and liking it, but not a lot more.  Why I never wrote up a review about this Muslim authored 153 page young adult fantasy novella (?) in 2013 when it was first published I have no idea, but now that it has a new cover and some minor tweaks I am happy to share it, support it, and urge you all to do the same. My only complaint is the book is too short.  It tells a complete story, but I did not want it to end.  The print version includes the prequel Shadow Thief in the backmatter, and I believe the series will total three books when complete, but I’m not a patient person and even the second time reading this had me sucked in from the very first page and unable to put the book down until I finished The paranormal world building, character development, intrigue, interest, adventure, and curiosity, is masterfully written and conveyed to take the reader on a journey where the next turn is completely unexpected, yet plausible, worrisome, yet hopeful, fast passed, but not rushed, and before you know it the last page has been read, and you are still emotionally attached to Hitomi, longing for Karolene, and anxious to see what will happen next.  There is no Islam in the book, many names come from Arabic though, and there is killing, death, vampires, soul suckers, magic, and lots of secrets yet to come to light.

SYNOPSIS:

Hitomi is still an outsider in Karolene unable to blend in even though she has been there for years.  Her skin and features give her away, but it is her secrets that she tries to hide more than her appearance.  She is part of the Shadow League, and when she gets a chance to help with a mission to save a political family that opposes the Arch Mage Blackflame, her life with the fish sellers is about to change. She encounters vampires, is taken through a portal to a landlocked northern land, is imprisoned with a Breather and starts to test the power of her own magic.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The twists and turns of the book are a wild ride.  You don’t know what is going to happen next, and while it takes a minute to share details of 15-year-old Hitomi’s world and Karolene at the beginning, the connection it creates to the main character is worth it as the story progresses.  In a short time you really feel you know how she sees the world, functions in it, and thus the emotional bond makes you invested in what is to come.  I love that Hitomi is mixed race, young, female, fallible, smart, strong, and empathetic and likeable.  She isn’t perfect, but you are definitely cheering her on.

FLAGS:

The book has magic, killing, death, plotting, secret, torture, politics, but for the genre and age is relatively clean. The prequel novella, Shadow Thief, does mention rape.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The book is a bit too short for a full book club discussion, but I would absolutely recommend, shelve, and encourage middle school readers and up to grab a copy and take an hour or so off from their lives to read about Hitomi’s and make predications about what will happen next.

To show support to this incredible author, and this fun book, please preorder/order here.  You can also suggest your library shelve it, put it on hold, once it arrives, check it out, and enjoy it.

Aug28

The Big Yard Sale: David Learns How to Treat Customers by Tariq Touré illustrated by Anika Sabree

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The Big Yard Sale: David Learns How to Treat Customers by Tariq Touré illustrated by Anika Sabree

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David Kareem is back and learning how to treat customers at his neighborhood yard sale.  The 26 page rhyming poem, turned children’s book (note there is little punctuation) is brightly illustrated as it follows David on his selling journey.   With Mommy’s baking and guidance on how to treat customers, his Saturday morning offers lots of lessons, mistakes, learning, and entrepreneurship for David and the reader alike.  There is a hint about a smile being charity, an Imam stops by, and David puts on a kufi.  It has good lessons and the same community vibe as the first book David’s Dollar, with visible Muslims in the illustrations and with Muslim names in the text throughout. But there was a page with two typos which disappointed me, a changing number of cinnamon rolls, and when the copy arrived it was pretty damaged and bent (probably/possibly not the fault of the author, but it cost $25 through the preorder Launchgood, so disappointing none-the-less, alhumdulillah you can now purchase it here from Amazon for $12).

David wakes up and hears commotion outside, he thinks he left a toy on, but soon realizes the neighbors have their stuff on tables and are selling things.  David wants in on the action, but can’t figure out what to sell.  He seems to gather up some toys and household items in the early illustrations, but ultimately it is about him selling his mother’s cinnamon rolls.  She is a baker, and is testing them out, but he says he only needs five and is off to peddle his wares.

The first costumer comes, and leaves, he asks his mom what he did wrong, and she advises him to adjust his attitude by smiling.  They look at Brother Naeem as an example. The next costumer comes, but asks if he can warm up the now six cinnamon rolls in the illustrations.  David says no, and once again he turns to his mom to find out why.  She tells him that “the customer is always right” heads off to get a heat lamp, and uses Sister Khadijah selling beads for reference.  When Imam Musa comes, David completes the sale, but Mommy says he needs to learn gratitude.

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One page has “He’s” when it should be “He,” and “sleep” when it should be “asleep.”  I get the lack of punctuation is stylistic, but I don’t feel like these two on the same page are intentional, they just seem erroneous, and being that they are on the same page, makes it seem like the page was just missed perhaps in editing.

Overall I enjoyed the presentation, representation and content of this book and am glad I preordered it months ago. I wish it had a smidgen more Islam in it, but I think this book would be great in an early elementary story time with recently traditionally published books about business for a similar demographic, including the author’s earlier book, David’s Dollar. Teaching kids about entrepreneurship, ethics, gratitude and doing it with Muslim characters is incredible to see and important to share.

Aug25

Yusuf and Yusra’s Spooky Dilemma by A. Dawood illustrated by Fatimah Farooqi

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Yusuf and Yusra’s Spooky Dilemma by A. Dawood illustrated by Fatimah Farooqi

This 54 page early chapter book about a Muslim kid being tempted by Halloween somehow didn’t really center Islam much, it didn’t explain the origins of Halloween, and it meant well, but I didn’t get the messaging, it actually felt othering.  Young Yusra lies to her parents, gets a costume, attends a school Halloween party, and then once caught goes out to lunch and taken to a museum with her brother and friend Fatima. At the museum the vibrant room is the “From Around the World” exhibit, and the depressing room is “The World Around Me.” the dichotomy is stereotypical and presumptuous without sufficient insight.  The book’s concluding lesson being, don’t give in to peer pressure and feel like you have to celebrate something that isn’t right, “think of all the millions of Muslims in the world not celebrating.”  Wait? What? That is the exact same thing- do or not do something because other people are doing or not doing it! Literary wise there were numerous paragraphs and pages I had to reread to know who was talking, the side characters were underdeveloped as they would get mad and storm off and then be chatting shortly after, and at the end, Umar completely ceased to exist.  Having already reviewed the other title in the series Merry Dilemma, I’m going to allow myself a little forgiveness in comparing the two books, as I would imagine many consumers will buy both, and I found the messaging and presentation in the Christmas book, a lot stronger in facilitating conversation and reflecting Muslim kids’ stresses, than this Halloween book was able to do.  The discussion of Isa (A.S.) and the messaging of what Christmas means and why it is problematic for Muslims was more clear and allowed me to overlook some of the literary inconsistencies and weaknesses; I’m glad I read it first.  If you read this with your kids plan to supplement and discuss because the book does not leave you feeling like you really know why Yusra, or Muslims, don’t celebrate Halloween.

SYNOPSIS:

Halloween is here and Cedarcrest Elementary is throwing a huge party.  Yusuf isn’t going, he knows Halloween isn’t for him as a Muslim.  Family friends, Fatima and Umar, aren’t going either.  But Yusra’s best friend Amanda is really excited, and Yusra thinks she can just help Amanda celebrate, it is just for fun any way right? It isn’t like she is celebrating, she will just be there.  She tells her parents she can’t miss school, her dad buys her a costume, not for Halloween, just for dress-up, and now she is at the school party with glitter and candy and a whole lot of guilt.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that the parents try and meet the kids where they are.  I think a lot of Muslim parents buy candy and costumes on clearance the day after Halloween so their kids can still have treats without partaking in trick or treating and enjoy imaginative play after the holiday.  The book having the costume being purchased before the holiday, thus is a relatable occurrence.  Yusra wanting to go is also believable.  But, the parent’s letting it play out to their fourth grade daughter actually lying about a quiz and going to school is a bit of a stretch.

I struggled with the lack of explaining why Muslims don’t celebrate Halloween and what the origins of Halloween are.  It said I don’t do it because I’m Muslim, I don’t celebrate because my parents told me not to, and thank you for explaining it aunty- but in fact, there was no explanation.

The writing wasn’t great.  At one point it says, “Let’s go to the frozen food section we need milk and cereal.”  There were multiple places I didn’t know if Yusra or Yusuf were talking, they sound the same age and I don’t think they are twins, but maybe they are, they are family friends with a brother sister: Umar and Fatima at their school, but Fatima is not in Yusra’s class either, the school vibes feel more junior high than elementary. Back to Fatima though, she gets mad when Yusra doesn’t take a firm “Muslim’s don’t celebrate Halloween position” with Amanda and she walks off being labeled a party pooper, but after school everything seems fine. The plan is all four Muslim kids will hang out instead of going to school for the party, but Umar is not with Yusuf and Fatima when they bust Yusra, or at the museum, so where did he go?

The messaging hinges on Yusra’s guilt.  I don’t know that the book explores it enough, doesn’t have her struggling with it a lot, so it comes across that it is more the getting caught that caused the realization.  She remembers Allah swt when caught, she apologizes to her mom, which is good, but not celebrating Halloween then seems more a family expectation not a religious no-no.  Ultimately the book felt a bit like a missed opportunity to explain the origins of Halloween and let the child decide what to do based on their understanding of Islam and the holiday.

FLAGS:

Lying, going to a Halloween party.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I have a few teenagers and a 3rd grader and a toddler, I don’t think this book will do much to foster communication and deepen their understanding about Muslims and Halloween.  For my oldest three when they were in early elementary, we would listen to a NoorArt CD Qu’an for Little Muslims it had a track about Halloween that seemed to work when they were young: you can listen to it here.

If you think this book will work for your needsthough, you can order it here.