Tag Archives: Family

Mar12

The Night Before Eid: A Muslim Family Story by Aya Khalil illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Posted on March 12, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

This 40 page early elementary picture book is set the night before Eid and radiates with love from a boy to his Teita, traditional ka’ak, and the family’s Egyptian culture. The robust and personal backmatter shares a glimpse into the threads from the author’s real life that the story touches upon, and makes the book extend beyond the pages. It is worth noting that this book does not articulate if it is for Eid al Fitr or Eid al Adha and thus works for both. There is nothing religious in the book except a reference to something happening after Eid prayer in a memory, and the shape of the cookie being round like the Ramadan moon, Eid day is not mentioned, it is simply the catalyst for this warm family story about a boy and his grandma making a special treat for the first time and sharing it at school. The large hardback book with fun illustrations is ideal for both story time and bedtime readings alike.

It is the night before Eid and Teita has arrived from Egypt. Zain can’t wait to make ka’ak to take to school and share with his friends. The beloved powdered sugar cookies are steeped in tradition, both in Zain’s family and in Egyptian history. Once the suitcases is unpacked and the special ingredients found, Teita and Mama share memories of baking with cousins, painting henna designs on hands and putting eidiya in envelopes. The family recalls singing together on the balcony while Geddo played the tabla and lights and lanterns filled the streets below, after Eid prayer they would hand out the ka’ak.

Zain wants the ka’ak to turn out perfectly so his teacher and friends will like them. Teita tells him that ka’ak is as old as the ancient pharaohs, and that recipes were found in the pyramids. At one time rulers would even put gold coins in the cookies. Zain and his Teita mix and add the required ingredients, and drink iced apricot juice as they wait for the dough to be just right. Getting the cookies pressed with the molds though is harder than it looks, and Zain gets frustrated. Teita’s love and patience and Zain’s clever thinking get the treat making back on track. The ka’ak doesn’t have a gold coin filling, but they are filled with tradition.

The timeline is a bit off for me with the grandma coming before Eid and then the cookies going to school on Monday, and then Monday evening when Zain is writing down the recipe with Teita he is telling her Eid Mubarak and that it is the best Eid ever. So, it seems that he went to school on Eid, not to Eid prayers, which is fine, just a little sad that there was no Eid celebration or prayers. I don’t know that kids will be bothered by it, but the lack of mirroring and stressing how joyous Eid is does somehow get lost and mitigated, in my opinion, by skipping acknowledgement of the religious holiday. In the backmatter the author remarks that she has “outgrown the magic of Eid,” so perhaps it is intentional that the day is not included in the text.

The last six pages of the book are filled with informative and engaging information about What is Eid, Ka’ak Time Line, A Note from the Author with photographs of her and her family celebrating Eid, a Simple Ka’ak Recipe and Additional Resources.

I purchased my copy from Crescent Moon Store where if you put my initials ISL (Islamic School Librarian) in at checkout you will save 10% or is available here on Amazon where the book currently has a coupon for $3.80 off.

Mar11

Nadia and Nadir Eid Surprise by Marzieh A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

Posted on March 11, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Nadia and Nadir Eid Surprise by Marzieh A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

This is another holiday book in the Nadia and Nadir series for early readers, this one focusing on Eid al Fitr, but also celebrating Muslim American athletes Ibtijaj Muhammad and Muhammad Ali, sadqa, and the love of grandparents. The 32 page book with four chapters shows Desi American siblings enjoying both their Pakistani and American cultures while consistently embodying their Islamic faith. They pray salat, wear hijab, discuss sadqa, and say Salam and Eid Mubarak. I am not sure why they pray Eid prayers at home, and not in a community congregation, no it is not a Covid set book, they then go to the mall, but the pride in their faith, culture, and family is enjoyable. Early readers will enjoy the colorful pages, large illustrations, and relatable story situations.

The book starts with the siblings hearing laughing downstairs, then seeing suitcases, and being surprised by their Nani and Nana coming from Pakistan to surprise them on Eid. The family eats paratha and chai together before praying and making duas.

After presents are passed out, the kids receive eidee and are off to the mall to pick out a toy. Nadia sees an Ibtihaj doll, and Nadir points out that she is wearing a hijab just like his sister. Nadia recognizes her and shares some facts since she has read her books. Nadir wonders if Ibtihaj knows it is Eid and the family reassures him that Muslims everywhere in the world are celebrating.

When it is Nadir’s turn to choose what to buy, he picks some boxing equipment with marketing images by Muhammad Ali. Nana fills him in on the activism and accomplishments of Ali and how impressive his fearlessness really was. When the change is given after paying, the kids and their grandparents discuss sadqa, charity, and this gives Nadia an idea.

The book concludes with a glossary of new words and information about the illustrator and author. You can purchase your copy at all major retails such as here at Amazon, or you can support small business owners like Crescent Moon store and purchase your here.

Mar10

The Ramadan Shield by Fadelah Mahmood illustrated by Ayun Sekar

Posted on March 10, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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The Ramadan Shield by Fadelah Mahmood illustrated by Ayun Sekar

This new 32 page rhyming book focuses on a boy who gets frustrated and often loses his temper and how the onset of Ramadan has his father imparting the lesson that fasting isn’t just staying away from food and drink, but also about behavior and controlling your anger. He shares the hadith of saying “…I’m fasting, I’m fasting,” which is shared in its entirety and sourced at the end. The book has a lot of text and scenarios in its moral framed telling that creates a bit of a disconnect between the presentation and the target audience. The characters are fasting, there is no discussion about why they are fasting or that it is a first time fasting (thank you). the child’s art assignment is pretty advanced, and friends are seen independently out and about, but the rhyming lines and illustrations at the end of the kids on the rug seems aimed at a much younger reader/listener. For my purpose of story times to children 4-9 it is a great choice, because it can appeal to the large range of relatability and attention spans, but for repeated readings in a home, it might need some shortening or additional explaining to connect as intended.

The story starts with Nuh working on an assignment to draw and paint a picture of the Kaba, but it keeps coming out tilted and he crumples and throws page after page. His dad snuggles him close and explains that Shabaan is over and Ramadan is about to start which means that he needs to go without food and water, but also work on his behavior. He explains, how to use the advice of saying, “Fasting is my shield; I will not be defeated! I am fasting, I am fasting.”

Empowered by the words, Nuh starts his next morning remembering his father’s advice. When he spills water on his painting he remembers the advice. When a grocery cart collision at the store with his nemesis gets his fist clenching, he remembers his father’s advice. He even gets a chance to share his knowledge with his friends.

When the day is over he is eating iftar with his family and determined to keep his temper at bay throughout he whole month and beyond, inshaAllah, starting with him trying his drawing of the Kaba again.

I like that the focus is on behavior, I think that is a good reminder for older kids, and something younger kids that may or may not be fasting need to implement in Ramadan. I also like that the parents are encouraging and invested, but not controlling the individual situations. The book is preachy, and when the kid takes the lesson and starts preaching it to him, it is a little heavy handed, but I think it fits with the nature of the book. I appreciate that the kid knows what Ramadan and fasting is, so that the lesson can go a bit deeper in this Islamic fiction story.

I got my copy from Crescent Moon store, and you can get yours there as well by clicking this link here. If you use code ISL (Islamic School Librain initials) at checkout you will save 10%,

Mar8

Nayra and the Djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata

Posted on March 8, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Set in Ramadan this graphic novel for middle grades has a coming of age theme brought to life with fantasy, religious practices, and storylines of bullying, acceptance, and folklore. Nayra is fasting, she prays, she says bismillah and Assalamualaikum, her practice of her deen is never in question and by and large I don’t know that anything is “haram” in the Islamic representation. Yes, she says bismillah in julus, the sitting position of salat, there is sihr, magic. done by the djinn, and a lot of liberties about the ghayb (you can’t really disprove them), but honestly my biggest problem with this book is that somehow even though it is a graphic novel, more visual than text, there is way too much telling and not enough showing. The reader is told that there is bullying, but only shown that one girl calls her “baba ghanoush,” we are told over and over that she is friends with Rami and that she needs to fix the relationship, but we never see what the friendship was before, only the forced awkwardness that it is now. The inside flap of the book stereotypes the “strict family,” but we never really see them being overly demanding or difficult, and the conclusion is very naïve with both the two girls and the two djinn resolving everything on Eid. I wanted to care about the characters, but never felt a connection to their stresses, traumas, and relationships, and many mirror my own life. In full transparency though, I must acknowledge to you all, that I do not read a lot of fantasy graphic novels or even comic books, if the choppiness, and lack of depth is what makes the genre work for others, then this book will be fun with its pink and purple pallet and tracking of the Ramadan moon. I really might just be the wrong person to review this OWN voice djinn fantasy authored by a Palestinian Muslim who like her fictitious djinn goes by they/them pronouns.

SYNOPSIS:

Nayra is being picked on by Tanya for messing up in volleyball in PE, and gets to calling Nayra “baba ganoush.” When the book opens Nayra fasting for Ramadan is what Tanya chooses to attribute Nayra’s lacking skill too, and Nayra is ready to find a new school. Her family offers no support, her older siblings set the bar high and got through by ignoring the bullies, and expect her to do the same. The one other Muslim at school is Rami, and Nayra needs a break from her, they meet to break fast every evening, but Rami is exhausting. When an online forum somehow gets a visit from a djinn, Nayra offers to be the anchor that Marjan needs to escape the ghayb and exist in the human world. Marjan’s past comes back to haunt them, and when Zirkouniya arrives, there is only so much protection the month of Ramadan can offer as Eid arrives and the djinn are returned to full strength. Djinn and human alike will have to own up to their mistakes, forgive others, and rebuild the relationships that matter.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like the Ramadan centering, and appreciate that the coming of age story line was not an identity crisis about Nayra’s faith. I finished the book feeling like I didn’t understand much. There was a lot of build up for a strict family, and djinn wisdom, that just didn’t exist. The conflict with the friends was superficial and the resolution the same. Maybe I missed the visual resonance as I tend to enjoy lyrical writing and relatable text, but the story seemed really simplistic, and the characters flat.

I honestly don’t know if the liberties of the djinn world and djinn themselves goes too far or if folklore, mythology, and fantasy give it fictional protection. There are details that perhaps come from culture, or are completely made up, I don’t know. Djinn in Islam are real, they are made of smokeless fire, some are good, some are bad, they have genders, and families, and feelings, and communities. Outside of that, I don’t know much, and do not presume to, when I sent @bintyounus some of the pictures from the book, she remarked, “Djinn are part of the Ghayb/unseen, So it’s not like we say oh none of it is true, but we also don’t take it as 100% true.”

The magic is minor just a fixing of a flower and flower pot, so in reality the only fantasy are the details about the djinn and the journey to the djinn world.

FLAGS:

Lying, bullying, magic, sneaking out.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

There is not enough in the book to discuss in a book club, and because of the lacking resonance, I don’t know that most kids would read the book or be interested in it. I can see it being thumbed through, but I don’t think it would be finished by Muslim kids at the Islamic school, or by my own children. Those that know the Islamic view of djinns won’t find that enough of a hook when the story inside is about a friendship, and not a particularly deep or fleshed out one. They might see the bullying as relatable, but being called baba ganoush doesn’t really seem that bad compared to what many endure and pining for friends, when you have a very loyal friend, also will probably be met with some confusion.

Mar7

Hunger Alert by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Sania Hussain

Posted on March 7, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Hunger Alert by Shazia Afzal illustrated by Sania Hussain

On my first read through, this book came across as a bit text heavy and the presentation didn’t quite fit with the content for the target audience, but when my seven year old read it, then reread it, and my 12 year old picked up and read it and both said, “it’s good,” I realized, the target audience is not little kids, nor is it adults, it is kids who have fasted and have felt the pangs of hunger. The character is getting through his first day, but the relatability is for kids everywhere fasting for the first time the hundredth time and everywhere in between. It is Islam centered, I appreciate the healthy food temptations and the unwavering that fasting needs to be done, but as an adult and an educator, so often I wanted to interject Islamic touchstone to getting through the day asking Allah for help, talking your self up and increasing your determination by knowing the Angels are recording your struggles and you will be rewarded in the akhira, and while Quran is read, and a surah loved, and Islamic phrases included, the focus of the book is a little boy in a very idyllic family trying to keep hungry thoughts away. The small 8 x 8 soft back book with 22 thick cardboard pages would be a bit hard to share at story time, but the simple concept story is fine in smaller groups and at bed time.

The books starts with Ahmed fasting for the first time in Ramadan, he has a list of things he needs to complete his fast: 1-Keep busy, 2- Don’t think about food, and 3-Stay away from the kitchen. I found when reading it to my younger kids I would pause here to discuss why we fast, and that we are doing it for the sake of Allah, so we need Him to be successful, not distractions.

Ahmed starts with reading his favorite book about a charitable boy, the illustrations though had baskets full of shiny, big, read apples. “Grr, Hunger Alert!” He runs to his brother’s room to keep busy with a soccer video game, but the prize on the screen are big, yellow bananas. “Grr, Hunger Alert!” This continues throughout the day, including while reading Surah Rahman, and the pomegranates trigger yet another Hunger Alert. When Grandpa asks him to take strawberries to his mom and his mom is in the kitchen, each of his rules will have to be broken.

With iftaar approaching and fruit chaat waiting, Ahmed will have to persevere to complete his fast. There is a glossary at the back and the book you can search online to find where the book is available near you http://www.compassbooks.ca

Mar6

Little Leena Learns about Ramadan by Zainab Fadlallah

Posted on March 6, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Little Leena Learns about Ramadan by Zainab Fadlallah

I was excited to see this 20 page book in my public library, and then once I started reading it I was equal parts frustrated, disappointed, and honestly a little upset. The book is an example of what I posted a reel about a few days ago, about an over used, unrealistic, textbook fact share of Ramadan from a kid’s perspective in a plotless book. In this book it is Little Leena waking up from a nap smelling something delicious and finds her family eating and wondering why. She is told by her sister it is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the new moon has been sighted. Oh sure there are some mentions of cakes and cupcakes, but seriously, come on, what three year olds have a working knowledge of moon phases but don’t know what Ramadan is, know what “blessed Ramadan” means but have never heard “Ramadan Mubarak.” Ramadan is explained to be special because we try and be extra kind, and not because it is the month we are told to fast, and we get more blessings for being kind, and the month the Quran was revealed. Yes I appreciate that hijabs are not worn in the house, but are worn outside, and the excitement and joy are visible, but how can you have a book this centered on Ramadan that contains no Islam in it. You can’t say on the back that it is learning about “what the occasion is all about” if there are no religious inclusions: it does not say that it is an act of worship, that fasting is prescribed by Allah swt in the Quran, that we pray extra, there is nothing, it doesn’t even attribute Ramadan and Eid to a religion, sigh. My frustration isn’t just in this book, it is in this growing trend that this book is a part of sadly. Why have an OWN voice adorably illustrated book claiming to be teaching about Ramadan, when the religion is completely absent? If it was a cultural, or family traditional book of joy with or without Ramadan facts blended in, I might see what it was trying to accomplish, but a book for early elementary, from a toddlers perspective that is so formulaic misses the mark in my opinion, both in educating the target audience or in helping young Muslims feel seen.

The book starts with Little Leena waking up from a nap and smelling something delicious. She wonders if mummy has been baking cookies, or cupcakes with sprinkles, or maybe a chocolate cake. She decides to go have a look and finds colorful lights and decorations and a magnificent chocolate cake. She also finds her family sharing a meal, she asks what is going on and learns that it is Ramadan.

Leena’s sister Safiyya explains that “Ramadan is the ninth month of the Lunar calendar” and “it starts as soon as the new moon is sighted.” She further explains that “Grown ups fast from when the sun rises till the sun sets” she says brave kids are welcome to try too. I’m not sure what being brave has to do with fasting, to me determined or even strong would be better words to use as fasting isn’t scary, and kids are encouraged to try, not forced.

Leena then wants her sister to explain what fasting is, and Leena can’t believe it means no food or drink during the day light hours. Leena asks what makes Ramadan special, and is told, “Ramadan is special because during the month we try to be extra kind and do as many good deeds as we can.” It does not say why we try and be extra kind though, before reminding that we also “try to remember to be grateful for all the things we have.” It is worth noting that in the illustration on this spread it has a Ramadan sign, that is spelled Ramadhan, not that one transliteration is write or wrong, but to have both in a children’s book is a little confusing.

Leena then finds some presents and Saffiya explains that they are for Eid when Ramadan is over and we wear new clothes and get presents. The two then discusses their love of presents and saying Ramadan Mubarak.

The 8.5 inch square book is short, but the image quality and hardback binding in this library edition is nice, it just adds nothing in my opinion to the genre, to conveying to Muslim and non Muslims what Ramadan is and why it is important. I worry that libraries might think this is good as our Ramadan reads are and not budget to get much better, engaging, reflective stories as a result.

Mar2

Nadia and Nadir: Ramadan Cookies by Marzieh A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

Posted on March 2, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Nadia and Nadir: Ramadan Cookies by Marzieh A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

This 32 page early reader is part of the Nadia and Nadir series that can be read and purchased as a standalone. It shows the sibling duo problem solving, working together, sharing, and getting excited for Ramadan. With the theme of cookies, the book could work as a read aloud in a small group with an activity of making cookies following it, but the small leveled reader size and text volume would make it a hard selection for larger groups. The setting is Ramadan, the female characters wear hijab (even in the home with just family), but there is not a lot of religious beliefs or practices included in the story. It does detail the lunar calendar and phases of the moon, but thankfully does a decent job of inserting that knowledge from Nadia who has learned about the moon in science class. There are a few salams, and it mentions that Nadir isn’t fasting because he is young, Nadia gets up for their predawn meal, and snuggles back in to bed after saying her prayers. There is articulation that Ramadan is a month for Muslims and a time to share blessings when the kids share their cookies with the neighbors. There is a handful of Urdu words sprinkled in and a glossary at the end. The book shows a family’s traditions and radiates joy, it is a solid addition to Muslim and non Muslim book shelves in showing Ramadan cookie making and excitement in action, but would not inform a lot about the religious aspects, uniqueness, or basic practices about the month.

Nadia and Nadir start the book with their binoculars around their necks waiting for Abu to arrive home from work, Ammi is already on the roof and they are determined to spot the Ramadan moon. The kids are all sorts of confused where to even look in the vast night sky, but once Abu helps them out they find it and declare, “Chand Mubarak.”

Nadir wants to know why it isn’t a full moon, and his older sister Nadia explains the cycles, they are then off to make cookies as per their families Ramadan tradition. The dough is ready, the star cookie cutter has been found, but where is the moon cookie cutter? Nadia has an idea, and sure enough her problem solving skills allow crescent moons to be made.

The next morning Nadia has her predawn meal of cookies and milk and when Nadir wakes up he has the same. The kids pack up bags of cookies with their Ammi to pass to neighbors and friends, with only one left who will get it Nadia or Nadir?

The books are available widely at places such as Amazon but for the same price I hope you will support a small Muslim owned bookstore and purchase your copy at Crescent Moon, if you use my initials ISL (Islamic School Librarian) at checkout you will save 10%, link:

Nadia & Nadir Series

Feb24

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Posted on February 24, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

It has been a long time since I have stopped reading a book because I simply do not want it to end. Clearly I have no self control, so a day later I picked it back up and finished the 496 pages, but oh what a treat to be swept away aboard a magnificent tale with rich history, Muslim characters, Islamic references, developed fantasy world building, complex side characters, excitement, plot, adventure, and everything else you would expect from the author of the Daevabad series. The book is an adult read, and I really can’t suggest it to YA readers, the protagonist is a middle aged mom with a foul mouth and a bad knee, there is cursing, and killing, hetero, gay and demon love interests among the main characters, a transgendered character, sex mentioned, drinking, and magic, it is all part of the story, but it isn’t so in your face that older mature Muslim readers will be uncomfortable. So why am I reviewing it here, I honestly don’t know. Clearly it is not to be shelved in the Islamic School Library, but there is so much authentic Islamic centering on every single page, that I want to give it space to remind/encourage us all that we don’t have to hide or water down our faith in mainstream books- not if the writing, story, and characters are so incredible. I really thought a historically set pirate fantasy would be hard to read, that the vocabulary and references would leave me lost and confused, but it is written so beautifully that the pages fly by and you forget you are reading; it is as if you are watching the story unfold in front of you. Please consider preordering this book so that publishers know support exists for authentic OWN voice Muslim character led books, I have an e-version, but have also preordered a physical hard back copy here.

SYNOPSIS:

It has been a decade since the infamous nakhuda Amina al Sirafi has taken to the Indian Ocean to plunder and sail. The stories of her have grown and traveled in her retirement, but life is now more about protecting her daughter and fixing her leaking roof. When her previous life finds her and threatens her, however, she must return to her Marawati, call on her old friends, and put together a crew. Told through a storyteller, with banter between Jamal and Amina, the fourth wall is broken and the reader knows that the hero will survive, yet the adventures of outsmarting Aden’s defenses, peris, demons, Franks, pirates, and marids to prevent the Moon of Saba from being manipulated is a fast paced chaotic adventure that pulls you in from the first page. The fairly linear story from one point of view (mostly), connects the haunting past to the trials at hand, as the crew and characters are understood through their captain. I don’t want to give anything away, but the side characters are nuanced and developed in a way that you feel just as close to them as Amina does, and as she becomes frantic to save them, the reader too is invested in their choices and actions. Pirate adventure, saving the day, a mom as a hero and a missing demon husband refound, yeah, don’t read summaries of this book, just read the book.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I was surprised at the religious redemption arcs and details that were included on truly every page, from the meaning of the translation of Ayat ul Kursi, to acknowledging past sins and striving to not repeat them, Amina al Sirafi practices her Islam in her five daily prayers, regular supplications, regular repentance, and view of the world and her place in it. She isn’t preachy, and much of what she faces tempts her to drink wine and fornicate again, but her struggles are really refreshing to see. It isn’t that she is Muslim and that is the framing for the al-ghayb elements alone, it is so part of her and thus of the book, that you can’t help but feel seen.

The gay character’s lover is mentioned, neither are Muslim, but it is only a few lines in the entire book. The transgendered character starts off uncomfortable with being forced to marry and hints that she doesn’t feel feminine, Amina pieces together what she is saying and then at the end it shows that she is now identifying and carrying herself as a man. It isn’t a big part of the text, it has a strong effect on the story and it does touch on God’s view of such things, as the character is Muslim. The demon love interest SLIGHT SPOILER is Amina’s husband that she thought she had killed, she has had a lot of husbands, but when he turns up alive, she realizes technically they are still married. He asks her quite often to have sex. It is usually is just that blunt with no romance or longing, and when they do partake in the act, it isn’t overly graphic, it is “closed door.” There is killing and murder and deceit and lying and drinking, all things assumed would be in a pirate story. None of it is overly glorified, but it is normalized.

I really just love the characters and the fast paced action, the book leaves off implying there will be more tales to come and I hope there are. (I keep writing what I love about the book and deleting it, because you know….spoilers, ahh).

FLAGS:

As previously mentioned: cursing, sex, hetero and gay relationships, magic, fantasy, killing, murder, lying, drinking, drugs, jinn, peris, marids, fantasy, occult, demons, death, loss.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would never do this for a school book club, but would do it in a heartbeat for an adult book club!

Feb17

Free Radicals by Lila Riesen

Posted on February 17, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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This contemporary 400 page YA book about an American Afghan girl dealing with life and boys and worrying about family in Afghanistan since America’s withdrawal from the country, is written by an Afghan Australian, raised in America, and thus it seemed like a book I should review from an Islamic lens even if the blurb on the back seemed a little stereotypical with the oppressed-can’t-meet-with-boys theme. Well, suffice it to say the blurb on the back is terribly misleading and this OWN voice book lightly sprinkles in Islam as cultural adoptions and there are flags, oh so many flags. In the first 20 pages alone there is normalizing and discussion of sex, watching pornography, voyeurism, a females breast being exposed, drinking alcohol, a trans character changing, cheating, gossip of the main character circle jerking three guys, partying, a boy sneaking over, parents vacuuming to cover the sounds of their son and his girlfriend in the bedroom, attempted sexual assault, and the book doesn’t just say it is young adult, it specifies, 7th grade, ages 12 and up! I’m reviewing it as an Islamic School Librarian, but I am not ok with any 12 year olds reading this, and worry the American flag on top, the masjid on the bottom and the young girl on the side, just might entice a young reader to start reading, and that is alarming. The characters do not identify as Muslim, the grandpa known as Baba is a “conditional Muslim” he skips Ramadan, celebrates Christmas, and only prays a few times a week, so the drinking and the dating are really not concerns for the characters. I kept reading to see if there was some religious arc with the family in Afghanistan possibly coming, but SPOILER, I’ll save you the read, there is no Islam, a Quran is mentioned to be stored in a box with old shoes, the dad starts reading the Bible and considers “converting” and there are make-out scenes, a pan sexual character, vandalism, sexual assault rumors, just to name a few. The writing is entertaining if not chaotic at times, but I cannot recommend this book for Muslim readers, and have reservations about some of the stereotypes for non Muslims, I will stay focused on the Muslim reader in this review, however, since the book is OWN voice, and just because I don’t like or agree with various aspects, does not mean that they are not accurate or real.

SYNOPSIS:

Mafi is 16 and since rumors about what she did at a party with three guys started circulating she finds herself friendless and unseen. She has become the dealer of vengeance, working to ensure people get what is coming to them when the notes left in a tree are verified. Living each day in sweats and hoodies she dreams of Jalen, a basketball player, being more than just her brother’s friend. When she starts to get sloppy in her justice “ghost” dealings she finds herself emotionally involved and her world changing as a result. There are numerous side characters and side stories that keep this book buzzing: her parents relationship falling a part, her sister away at college, her grandfather’s dementia, her brother Rafi and his girl friend Bian, Rafi getting signed by a college for basketball that wants to make public his Afghan roots, a father who wants them to always deny their Afghan roots, Jalen’s own drive to be signed with a college, Jalen’s dad’s PTSD, motocross, driver’s license, the kid next door that smells of smoke, piercing noses, Brit, a popular trans activist with no sex drive who befriends Mafi, and rumors and gossip that poke and complicate every aforementioned character and relationship.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I have issues with the blurb on the back, the cultural/religious restraints are really non existent in the book, the SOL tree is only brought in for two acts of vengeance, and the age demographic is just too young to read about the sexual exploits, that are not detailed but are very present and normalized. I have issues with the religious references that are present anecdotally for the dismissiveness it implies, but it is not an issue for the characters- because religion is not a part of their lives, and honestly- ultimately, I’m glad it was kept at arms length, because with so many “haram” story lines, it would be problematic to see the characters identifying as Muslim. The writing at times was really engaging and smooth and I was shocked at how fast the pages were flying by. At other times it seemed too chaotic and underdeveloped. Keying a car seems such a sad planned act of vengeance, I wanted to know what acts she had done in the past other than the two mentioned in the book, there was a lot of set up to go deep on Bian, or Jalen’s dad or Mafi’s loss of friends, but it all just fizzled. I never felt emotionally tied to the family in Afghanistan, or the dad on the deck. I wanted to understand some of the walls the family established so that I could feel what the characters were feeling- and so often it just wasn’t there. I absolutely loved the grandfather and his quirks and the sibling relationship of Rafi and Mafi as the story progressed. After the initial shock value, the book really did settle down and have a lot of heart, but those first 20 pages were aggressive, and the last twenty seemed to just unravel. I would have loved to see some commentary about the hypocrisy or ironies of Mafi’s life, she has insights, they just seemed missing when reflecting on her own family quirks: her family doesn’t want to identify as Afghan, yet all their nicknames are Afghani, she claims she can’t hang out with boys, but she seems to all the time with no problem, they have no Afghan friends and yet there is no acknowledgement of this when the man on the moped shows up, how long Baba has lived with them seems inconsistent, they eat dinner together most nights but seem like strangers.

Politically, the author has her views and thus the characters theirs. For those not familiar there is enough information about Hazaras, and the Taliban, to understand her point of view, but I don’t know that the books really conveys a lot of the nuance or accounts for why the family would be heading to Pakistan while dropping jabs at Pakistan’s view of the Taliban. There is a bit of othering and we are the good ones not the terrorist ones that seems stereotypical, but the remarks are said in passing and not often.

FLAGS:

Sex, kissing, making out, voyeurism, porn, female breasts exposed, trans character changing, Islamophobic remarks, misogyny, bullying, language, loss, dementia, discrimination, drugs, mental health, rumors, gossip, lying, sexual assault, violence, ptsd, relationships, pan sexual, racism, theft, hate speech, death, fear, threats, sneaking out, Halloween, alcohol, hung over, violence, mention of murder, masturbation word play, a child using a dildo as a sword, pretty much every flag you can think of is present in some form.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I would not shelve this book in an Islamic school library or classroom. I would hope that public libraries would not be displaying it near the books for younger YA as well. It isn’t that I am holding it to a higher standard than other YA books, but it would be naive to think that the Afghan architecture on the bottom right of the cover that looks like a mosque and the light hearted blurb on the back, might excite young Muslim readers, and thus I’ve posted this review as much for my own conscious in making sure parents don’t pick this up for their kids as for warning Muslims that there isn’t Islamic rep in the book.

Feb13

Amir’s Blue Jacket by Sarah Musa illustrated by Rania Hasan

Posted on February 13, 2023 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Amir’s Blue Jacket by Sarah Musa illustrated by Rania Hasan

This heartfelt elementary picture book does a remarkable job of drawing the reader in to the emotions of the main character, his relationship with his grandfather, and imparting a moral message without being preachy. The illustrations are lovely on their own, but the way the muted tones convey the memories and illustrate the text really ties the book together. Whether it is for a larger story time or a one-on-one bedtime read, the book will offer discussion, comfort, guidance, and a little surprise at the end for Muslim and non Muslims alike. The slightly allegorical book does conclude with a widely known hadith (it is attributed to Prophet Muhammad saw, but is not further cited/sourced) and the family is clearly Muslim with their names mentions of Eid and God, and a hijab clad woman, but the book is universal and a lovely addition to any book shelf.

The book starts with Amir finding his Grandpa’s old blue jacket and recalling wrapping himself in it the day after his beloved Grandpa died. With it smelling like mothballs, he tosses it in the washing machine, but unfortunately when it comes out it has clearly shrunk. Amir is in denial, he says it fits fine and he has no desire for a new one. It is Grandpa’s jacket, and Amir is going to wear it, no matter how tight it is. Amir storms off to sit under the apple tree and recalls picking apples and making applesauce the year before for the whole neighborhood. Grandma shares that she used to keep grandpa’s cane but when someone needed it, she let it go.

Grandma stirs another memory in Amir when she pulls the tray of ka’k out of the oven, of him trying to sneak a whole plate for himself only to have his hiding spot taken over by ants. When he is asked this time to share a plate, every step to the neighbors house reminds him even more of making the trip with his grandfather. Slowly he starts to realize that his memories are with him, not in his grandfather’s things, and Amir makes a decision that would make his grandfather proud, and (inshaAllah) give him more good deeds, even though he is gone.

The idea of sadaqah jariyah is understood through the story, and present in the hadith at the back, but it is never mentioned outright. Just as God is used, not the term Allah (swt). As Amir feels denial, frustration, and eventually peace, nothing is really told, it is shown, which really opens the book up to be a tremendous tool in sharing it with children and asking them to discuss what they understand, what they feel, and what they took away from Amir and his Grandpa’s blue jacket story.

The book is available through the publisher Ruqaya’s Bookshelf as well as HERE at Crescent Moon Bookstore where code ISL will save you 10%.