I still get asked fairly frequently about maturation books for Muslim kids. Boys are another story, but for girls, I’ve always had to settle on a non Muslim book that gives an introduction and some conversation starters, bur rely on the adult to provide the Islamic perspective. Alhumdulillah, those days are over, I can now recommend this 47 page book as a great resource to hand to a young Muslim girl to read independently and/or together with a trusted adult. The conversational text, the Islamic centering, the complimentary subtle illustrations, allow the book to be informative, but not intimidating. For girls on the cusp of puberty it shows them what to expect and it normalizes what they are going to experience in terms of body changes and hygiene, all within an Islamic framework. I do wish that it noted if scholars approved the text. The author is a teacher and the illustrator an MD, but a statement at the beginning asserting the accuracy would give additional credibility to the contents. In full disclosure, the author was my daughter’s teacher, but none of my kids are currently in her class, and I purchased the book on my own. Truly the book is so desperately needed, the fact that it is well done is something I am happy to share, and inshaAllah, inshaAllah a book for boys will be forthcoming.
The book starts with an introduction from the author and then a table of contents. Growing Up, Seeing Spots, A Hairy Situation, Body Safety, A Sweaty Dilemma, Tahaarah!, Periods: The Big Change, Periods in Islam, Discharge, Feminine Protection, Bra Measuring Guide, and Glossary. There is not a lot of talk about moods, emotions, friendships (relationships), it really is streamlined to cover the body’s changes and practical tips through an Islamic lens.
The tone is very reassuring that what a girl is experiencing or about to experience is normal, something all women go through, nothing to be embarrassed about, and nothing to feel isolated by. Even the glossary reinforces this this tone by explaining the medical terms and Islamic terminology used. If a girl reads it alone, she will get that messaging, and hopefully feel empowered to embrace her changes and reach out if needed. If one is reading it with an adult, the book lends itself easily to discussions that can be more specifically tailored to the young girl, or even a group of girls.
It talks about hijab and provides a chart about who can see you with and without, I’m a bit confused by young children being in both categories, I’m not sure if I am missing something or if it is a mistake.** I also feel like the chapter headings and the section subheadings are not clear as the font, color, and text size are often the same. The book is small and short, it can be read in one sitting or thumbed through, so the chapters are not particularly necessary, but if it has a table of contents and headings, I feel they should be different in appearance for consistency and ease.
The book is currently available here on Amazon.
**UPDATE FROM AUTHOR:
There are so few Palestinian middle grade books, so on that premise alone this 216 page book has a lot of value. Because I am not Palestinian, I do not live, nor have I ever lived under occupation, I can argue some of the concerns from a point of privilege, and I acknowledge that is not my right. I have been asked numerous times about this book and how it frames the suicide bombing mentioned in the text and blurbed about on the back of the book. It honestly is not a large part of the story, that being said, in my outside privileged view, I do not know that a 10 year old in the west will have context to understand the act of this level of desperation from the oppression and humiliation mentioned in the book. This is why I have held off my review. The truth does not need to be defended or explained, and I fear my reservations will be taken as such, which is not my intention. Would I let me 8 year old read this, yes, but we will read it together and discuss. My children are aware of what is going on in Palestine, but Karim, the 12-year-old protagonist supports the bomber, and that notion is not clearly pushed back on. With discussion, absolutely, I think readers, will truly get Karim’s perspective that something has to be done to change the status quo. The fear when Karim is alone and the target of soldiers, the settlers forcibly seizing the family land, the humiliation of strip searching men at checkpoints, the curfews, and constant fear of attack and imprisonment are all presented through the main character’s eyes, and would also do better with some discussion, so that empathy and duas and action can result. But, the commentary as to the suicide bombing are minimal, there is even a prank package bombing that is presented as rebellion by a side character, and I would worry how a young child, without guidance, would internalize it. Additionally, this is yet another difficult book for me to review, primarily because it was first published in 2003, and because I don’t know how much comes from a western gaze and how much the Palestinian voice played into it. Islam is clear on the prohibition of suicide. In the early 2000 the news out of Israel was often about such attacks, but as an outsider, I honestly do not know if it was simply Israeli propaganda and stereotypes amplifying the idea as part of their public relations strategy or reality, seeing as now that Palestinians have direct outlets to share their daily life under an oppressive occupation, there is rarely talk of suicide bombing attacks. The author states on her website:
Islamic School Librarian 