Tag Archives: Family

Dec23

Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar by Mohdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani illustrated by Maya Fidawi

Posted on December 23, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

At first glance it might seem that this Iranian set book with a chador at it’s core is a political statement. I do not believe that it is. The backmatter does state that, “Our wish in writing this book is to add to the growing list of stories for children that demystify this veil (that is too often used as a symbol of hate) and instead present a different view of it as the safe and comforting space we always knew it to be.” This is an OWN voice authored book, from what I can find online the authors do not cover. It is a warm memory of finding love and humor and safety in the modest coverings worn by a grandmother. I do wear hijab and I choose to do it based on my understanding of what Allah swt commands, I have never been forced to cover by a person or government, and do not know how that would effect my love of fulfilling a tenant of my faith. But all that is an aside to make the point that this book to me is not weighing in on Iran’s politics, books are written and slated to be published years before they finally release, and this book is a silly heartfelt picture book about a girl and her chador wearing grandmother heading to the bazaar.

In the bustling city of Tehran, Samira is heading out to buy groceries in the big bazaar for the first time with her grandmother. Samira is nervous that it will be loud, and she might get lost, she asks her grandmother if she can rider under chador on her back. Her grandmother tells her no, she will look like a turtle.

Samira then suggest they walk in a line with grandma in front and her behind. Grandmother Shamsi says, na, na, na, she doesn’t want to look like a donkey. Various other suggestions involving hiding under the big black chador and staying close to Mama Shamsi are suggested, but all make grandma look like a funny animal, and she declines.

When at last they arrive at the bazaar, Mama Shamsi encourages Samira to not hide but to use her eyes, and ears, and nose to learn about the world around her. Hand in hand, they stick close together, and enter the market.

The love between the two characters is heart warming in the text and truly elevated by the remarkable illustrations. You love their relationship, you can feel Samira’s nerves, you appreciate Mama Shamsi’s humor to lovingly empower her granddaughter, and at the end you truly long to have your grandma next to you guiding you.

I enjoyed this book and don’t mind one bit reading it over and over again as kids giggle at the pictures and find details they hadn’t noticed before. The book releases in February, and I hope that presales can reinforce the power of OWN voice authentic tales to be shared. You can preorder/purchase it here.

Dec16

Salim’s Soccer Ball: A Story of Palestinian Resilience by Tala El-fahmawi illustrated by Naveen Abu Saleem

Posted on December 16, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Salim’s Soccer Ball: A Story of Palestinian Resilience by Tala El-fahmawi illustrated by Naveen Abu Saleem

This 58 page rhyming picture book weaves together a tale of a little boy and his lost soccer ball, with larger issues of community, oppression, and perspective for the youngest of readers to older children too. I am noted to be skeptical of rhyming books, but the large font, the sweeping pictures, and the dropping of occupation, struggle, and resilience really make this book a treat. Add in discussion questions and an author’s note and you have a solid book that deserves space on home, library, and classroom shelves. My only wish, was that the book was hardback. The horizontal layout with a soft cover make the book difficult to read during story times as the pages flop back. The book is long, but the text on most spreads is minimal and while I could not identify the author’s religious identity, their are numerous hijab wearing #muslimsintheillustrations as Salim journey’s around his neighborhood and into his grand father’s memories.

Salim wakes up, brushes his teeth, and is out the door to play soccer with his best friend Qusai, but the ball goes flying and Salim can’t find it. He starts walking down the hill and it seems to have disappeared.

He asks the fisherman, Abu Zaid, if he has seen it, and he hasn’t, but he offers to help. They then go and ask the seamstress, she hasn’t either, but she puts down her tatreez, offers reassurance, and offers to help. As they head out they bump in to Dr. Bassam. “‘I will help you look,’ the kindly man said. “I can fix broken bones with very few supplies. A lack of resources has made me clever and wise. Resilience and courage are plentiful here. We will find your ball. Salim, no need to fear.'”

The searching continues, with a small break for khanfeh, and then Qusai is found, and so is the ball. Like so many joyful items, the barbed wire of the apartheid wall has destroyed the soccer ball. Upset, Abu Omar, calls out to Salim, and his grandpa embraces and consoles the young boy recalling a donkey with wonky ears and life on the farm. With resilience and joy Salim heads home to a community surprise and a hopeful future inshaAllah.

The book concludes with five discussion questions that connect Salim’s experience to universal experiences of people everywhere. It is followed by factual and personal author’s note about Palestine and the book.

There is nothing religious aside from the hijabs worn, Dome of the Rock, Masjid al Aqsa, and Church of The Holy Sepulcher in the backgrounds of a few images. I purchased my copy from Amazon HERE and can also be purchased through Shop Palestine HERE.

Dec12

“Granny, Where Does Allah Live?” by Yasmin Kamal illustrated by Citra Lani

Posted on December 12, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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“Granny, Where Does Allah Live?” by Yasmin Kamal illustrated by Citra Lani

This 32 page picture book for 3-6 year olds takes readers and listeners on a car ride with Granny as questions are asked, sights are seen, and love is spread. The rhyme is actually pretty decent, the explanation of Allah swt being on a throne above us wherever we are adhered to, and the illustrations are bright, bold, and have a lot to hold little one’s interest. Overall, the banter between the kids and their Granny, the drive to the mosque being filled with joy and love, make me overlook a lot of little annoyances. The book packs a lot in, but the voice and tone is easy and I think most kids will see the connection of asking where Allah is, to asking why we have to go to the mosque, to why it is important to talk to Allah swt in our prayers, etc., as a way to have their own questions touched upon. I do wish the book was a little bigger and perhaps hardbound, to make story time sharing a possibility, the book is 7.5 x 7.5, so good for little hands and sufficient for in lap reading. The book concludes with three activities that incorporate a few of Allah’s beautiful names.

The book starts out with a young boy and girl excited to be spending the day with their Granny and going on a ride in her special car. No idea why it is special, but it is purple and has flowers painted on it, so lets go! The kids love to ask Granny questions when they drive. So after saying bismillah, they wonder why people don’t have tails or shells on their backs, or where they are going, or if they can have ice creams.

As they head to the mosque to meet Grandad they wonder if that is where Allah (swt) lives. Granny tells them no, so they ask if He lives in the sky, when she says no, they wonder about in the trees or in the sea. Finally she says that they “don’t have to go anywhere to find Allah, His throne is above us where ever we are.”

She then details how we can be reminded of Allah in things around us, nature, animals, land formations and then tells the children Allah is the most generous friend and it is important to talk to Him in our prayers. The children ask what we can tell Him, and Granny shares that we can tell Him everything and anything because He always hears.

Granny then explains that when we do good, we make Allah swt happy and when we aren’t nice we make him sad. So then the kids want to know why we have to go to the mosque, Granny replies, to be part of a community.

The book is a string of questions, so it doesn’t come across as overly preachy, even though it is Islamic fiction, and the voice is natural. It sounds like a conversation a grandma and some kids would have, I’m guessing the book was spawned by some real life experiences. My kids and my mom definitely have this relationship.

All this though, isn’t too say the book is perfect. If you read my reviews, you know there is always going to be a little nudge to try and elevate it from my perspective for the next go round. So with that in mind, the book does read a little long, the tangents get a little away from the simple articulate answer of stressing where Allah swt is, the text runs over the pictures a few too many times, and the people praying are not foot-to-foot shoulder-to-shoulder. There are no salutations, saw, or asterisks after Allah. The word Jummah is not used although they are going to the mosque on Friday and a lot of people are gathering in the day, and the word mosque is used, not masjid.

The pictures are fun and will appeal to kids, especially when the car goes all magic school bus and starts flying, and going underwater. I hope this is the first book in the series as it really does have potential to present answers to kids questions in a joyful colorful way.

Book available on Amazon

Dec2

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

Posted on December 2, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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This new YA book features Muslim characters, but is not a religious conscious read that fits in the halal category. There is a lot of Islam: waking up for fajr, celebrating Eid, a hijabi, mention of jummah, but the OWN voice rom com sets boundaries based on Bangladeshi culture and American perspectives. The book does not other, or have internalized Islamophobia, or fall in to tropes of oppression and rebelling- quite the contrary- it normalizes everything: LGBTQ+ relationships, dating, music, etc. The book is well written from a literary perspective: easy read, fleshed out characters, resolved plot lines, I wish there would have been more slow burn and heightened emotion, and cathartic release, but it happily held my attention for 388 pages, so I can’t really complain about plot holes or development. The problem I have as an Islamic School Librarian is the non issue dating and romance is for the characters with their parents knowledge, both lesbian and heterosexual. The book doesn’t get graphic, in fact there is only a handful of kisses, but there is a lot of hand holding and pdas in front of parents and even a sleepover with a lesbian couple in a Muslim family’s home, again, nothing “racy” occurs, but the normalization is worth noting for those thinking a Salaam Reads book is going to be a more Islamically centered publication.

SYNOPSIS:

Zahra Khan has graduated high school, and while she’d love to be heading to Columbia to study writing with her best friends, she is stuck deferring her admission and scholarships, and hiding her dream to be an author. Two years earlier her father has passed away and Zahra works in a tea shop to help keep a roof over the heads of her mother, grandmother, and siblings. In the Bangladeshi community in Patterson, New Jersey Zahra’s mom imagines arranging a marriage to a wealthy family for Zahra to ease their financial stresses. When a potential match comes a possible reality, Zahra takes control to try and keep the peace and keep her dreams within reach. In Jane Austin-y feels, a love triangle emerges, friends step up, culture and family touchstones shared and appreciated, and decisions about the future will have to be figured out at 18 years old.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I loved how easy a read the book is, the cultural framing was warm and rich and never overly explained or apologized for. It is what it is, it is who the characters are, and while at times they push back on the negatives, it doesn’t disregard the love that exists at the core. Unfortunately, I really struggled though with the ease in which the characters date with their parents’ knowledge, hold hands, cuddle. I really couldn’t imagine a practicing Muslim family being so supportive of a lesbian daughter in the way that the Tahir family is and allowing a sleepover, nor could I see a hafiz attending musical concerts and Bollywood movies or an imam passing on “love” notes, even side comments about a loan between mother and daughter being paid back with interest felt off. I know I know, there are lots of shades of Muslims, but the normalcy of haram I feel in a review of this book should be noted. It isn’t side mentions, they are central to the story and large portions of the book. The reason I also feel they are worthy of note, is because the book includes a lot of Islam as well. The characters pray and fast and eat halal. They are conscious of chaperones in some settings and keeping things appropriate. There is no doubt that the characters are Muslim, but I think intentionally, to avoid perhaps critiques such as mine, Islam is not used as a reason to do or not do anything, Islam is not used in the thought process or conscience of the characters, culture is. There is no haram police setting boundaries, it just isn’t what “good Deshi girls do.” To be fair, I don’t think the author has ever claimed that this is a halal love story, or that the characters are exploring their Muslim identities, it is a love story that features Muslims is all.

FLAGS:

Straight and sapphic relationships, secret relationships, kissing, hand holding, hugging, lying, music, loss, bullying, interest.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would not be able to use this book, it would be very damaging to be given to a Muslim child from a Muslim teacher in an Islamic school. It normalizes a lot of haram in a familiar Islamic framing that I think would really confuse YA readers who see themselves and see no push back or consequences for actions they know to be against Islamic ideology.

Nov28

House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

Posted on November 28, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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While reading this 320 page YA supernatural/contemporary book-I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. When finished- I was bothered that certain threads weren’t resolved, now that I’ve ruminated a bit- I think the vagueness of the author’s prose in sharing her “fever dream” on paper has lingered and the gaps not as troublesome. The author’s OWN voice Afghan-Uzbek Muslim identity adds layers to a story that is both haunting in the literal sense and familiar in the immigration inter-generational traumas and secrets shared. Even deeper though, the book pokes at universal themes of regret, holding on to the past, family, friendships, and grief. The book’s characters identify as Muslim, but the story is not Islamic, nor is there much religion save a few salams and mentions of Eid. The supernatural elements in the book, whether you understand it to be ghosts, or personified memories, or jinn, are a large part of the book, but are not framed in a belief or spiritual manner, and while some may find it Islamically off-putting, I felt the book explored what the main character was enduring and what the weight of the past was doing to her, didn’t necessarily cross the haram line. Her father has a girlfriend he is looking to marry, but it isn’t celebrated, and there are close male/female friendships, but the book is relatively clean for the genre and would be a good fit for high school readers and up.

SYNOPSIS:

Summer on Long Island has Sara retreating into herself. Surrounded by nearly a dozen aunts and uncles and numerous cousins, it is the separation of her parents and trouble with her best friend that makes getting out of bed every morning a challenge. As a result, her mother ropes her in to helping with her latest remodeling project. When she enters an old crumbling house one morning to take “before” pictures, she starts seeing things, and feeling things. Things about her past. Things about her beloved grandma, Bibi Jan, who is alive and deteriorating from dementia. What is the house trying to tell her? Why won’t anyone tell the truth?

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love the mystery and the chills of the story. As the reader you aren’t entirely sure where the story is headed, what you are to do with the bits of the puzzle you are given, but the intrigue to find out pulls you forward. That being said, the book does reads debut, a few of the side story lines are not fleshed out enough to feel important, satisfying, or resolved and they come across as being abandoned. I would have liked to see more of Sara and her father’s relationship, the details don’t seem to fit, and the continuity seems halfhearted. At times so does the “night” it all changed with Sam. I like the interpretive vagueness of the supernatural threads and that they are up for interpretation amongst readers not just at the end, but throughout the book. I also like the family’s closeness even when they are disagreeing. For most of the book Sara and her cousins aren’t portrayed as particularly close and I didn’t invest time to differentiate one from another, but by the end, I felt that they were grounded and different and relatable, and I am not sure when that change occurred. At times the writing seemed a bit repetitive, but the lyrical style would then catapult the story ahead. There was one place that the fourth wall was broken though, and I was bothered by that slip.

Overall I loved that the Uzben Afghan culture sprinkles showed immigrant nuances, and that the love between the generations countered the trauma being shared as well. The messaging is subtle but powerful long after the last page has been read.

FLAGS:

For the most part the book stays clean, the father has moved on and has met someone he would like to marry, the mom and aunts briefly recall sneaking out to attend a prom decades earlier. There is mention of a child bride, and swimsuits, tank tops, and cocktail dresses being worn with no second thought. For a YA book, the flags are incredibly minimal, save the “ghosts”(?). There are flags of a death that is detailed, the book is “spooky” at times, there is mental health, divorce, pain, dementia, abandonment, theft, running away, and fear.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to read this book with some high schoolers. It is a quick read that would allow for a lot of self reflection, arguments, and entertainment. The book is available here and releases in a few days, so if planning to purchase, please consider preordering and showing your support.

Nov25

Iman’s Sunnah Adventures: Mama Once Told Me by Sharifah Huseinah Madihid illustrated by Lakhaula S. Aulia

Posted on November 25, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Iman’s Sunnah Adventures: Mama Once Told Me by Sharifah Huseinah Madihid illustrated by Lakhaula S. Aulia

This adorable 36 page board book had me laughing as a mom watching the increasing exasperation and dishevelment of the poor mother in the book page after page. The book focuses on the sunnahs of welcoming guests, but the interpretations are the efforts and understandings of a small child being overly helpful, and the toll it takes on his parents. The humor, the presentation, the introduction to various sunnahs is well done for little ones and their caregivers alike. The book has not released yet, I viewed an e-version and I’m assuming the final spread is a lift the flap review of sunnahs. Nothing is sourced, and salutations on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are denoted by an asterisk throughout the book with a footnote at the end. There are two books in the series and both share sunnahs, humor, and the main character Iman.

The book starts with Iman feeling bored as his parents prepare for the arrival of guests. Iman then remembers something Mama once told me (him), “That the Prophet* said cleanliness is half of eeman…” and with that the little one is off to help clean. Bubbles and more mess later, Iman is proud of himself and his parents are shocked and the bigger mess that greets them.

Up next is recalling that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ “would make a special seat to honor his guests” and Iman decides that glitter will be a great way to fulfill that sunnah. When Iman is sent to get himself ready, more fulfillment occurs until Mama is exhausted and Iman finds a way to fulfill the sunnah of making his parents happy.

The book might be a little above level of a toddler, but I think the silliness makes it a great introduction to sunnahs and will be a joy to read over and over again.

For more information about availability you can check the publisher’s website

Nov21

My Garden Over Gaza by Sarah Musa illustrated by Saffia Bazlamit

Posted on November 21, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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My Garden Over Gaza by Sarah Musa illustrated by Saffia Bazlamit

This book is hard to read, it hurts the heart, it doesn’t let you claim ignorance regarding the plight of Palestinians, and it shows cruelty, a specific inexcusable cruelty, in a children’s book that will haunt you and infuriate you for weeks and months, if not indefinitely. I’ve read a number of Palestine set books, but this one, in its simplicity, leaves me raw. A child with a rooftop garden that helps feed her family is deliberately targeted by Israeli drones and destroyed. This isn’t science fiction or dystopian, this is based on real acts. The book itself threads in themes of hope, of not giving up, of remembering strength of a lost parent, of vowing to move forwards, but the catalyst for it all is not happenstance, and while the details of the occupation and oppression are not stressed and articulated, they are referenced and skillfully present to be discussed with children on their level with the included backmatter at the end. This book is powerful and should be required reading. It is a difficult read and it has flags, but it is also a glimpse of the reality of our world, and the manner in which this book is told allows for the discussion to taken place with middle grade readers and up. The book is not text heavy, but the nature of the content makes me suggest it for mature children.

Noura, a young girl, is in her home in Gaza when drones are seen just out the window and she quickly pulls her little brother Esam away to safety. To distract him she tells him about their father and his farm that he used to have in Umm An-Naser. She explains how the wall cut them off from their land and when the drone noises fade, she takes him up to her rooftop garden to pick green beans. Their mama works downstairs as a seamstress, and while they wish they had meat, the garden helps them have fresh vegetables.

The next day after Noura gets her little brother ready for the day they head to the roof, but drones arrive and start spraying chemicals on the growing plants, killing them, and sending Noura gasping to breathe. She tries to cover the plants and swing a shovel at the drone, but it does little to save any of the food and Noura is devastated.

Noura’s mama reassures her daughter that the food can be regrown, but she is irreplaceable, as Noura goes to scrub the chemicals from her skin. The frustration is real, but determination prevails as the family cleans the garden and begins again, just as their father did.

The last two page spread of the book is a basic map, general touchstones of the situation in Palestine, and the very real drones that fly in to Gaza to surveil, attack, and spray herbicides on crops. You can purchase a copy on the publisher’s website or HERE at Crescent Moon Store.

Oct24

Nadia and Nadir Lunch in the Leaves by Marziah A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

Posted on October 24, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Nadia and Nadir Lunch in the Leaves by Marziah A. Ali illustrated by Lala Stellune

This 32 page early reader is absolutely adorable with jumping in the leaves, sibling love, imaginary unicorns and dragons, yummy food, Pakistani culture and delightful illustrations. Books in this genre aren’t particularly known for their story telling, but with chapter breaks and relatable experiences I was absolutely pulled in to Nadia and Nadir’s world and family. My seven year old loved that he could read it independently and was delighted to see himself so reflected in the text, infact I have given in and we will be having chicken tikka and raita for dinner tomorrow, but I’m not raking the leaves, haha.

SYNOPSIS:

Siblings Nadia and Nadir are woken up by there mother with the promise of a surprise. The hints are crunchy and colorful, and when the kids realize it isn’t a giant bowl of cereal outside, they are excited to jump into the giant pile of leaves their abu has raked up in the yard. The kids dive and swim and imagine themselves to be dinosaurs and unicorns as their dad grills chicken tikka and their mom watches on shelling walnuts.

The kids bump heads and decide to play something a little safer by making faces with the leaves, branches, walnut shells, and flowers. They create a family portrait and then it is time to eat lunch and drink chai.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that it is a very recognizable family: the women are wearing hijab, urdu words are sprinkled in, and Pakistani foods are being eaten, there is no othering, all kids will enjoy the story, and Muslim and desi Muslims specifically will feel seen.

I love that there is imagination and dad cooking and hanging out in a chill environment. There is a glossary at the back, but for this demographic I actually really like it. It allows for the independent reader to use a book tool to understand a word. I also like that illustrations of the words flutter around the cartoon author and illustrator blurbs.

There are details about the trees dropping the leaves as well as why the leaves are changing color.

FLAGS:

None

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Too young for a book club selection, but ideal to have on the shelves of a classroom library, school library, or home library.

Well done alhumdulillah. Paperback and library bound additions available here. The book is part of a series, but can be purchased individually or as a set. I plan to review each of the six books over the next few months.

Oct21

Heroes Like Us: Two Stories by Onjali Q. Raúf

Posted on October 21, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Heroes Like Us: Two Stories by Onjali Q. Raúf

So this book is a little unique in that it is two stories, and The Great Food Bank Heist, one of the stories, has already been published, and the other story is a bit of an epilogue to The Boy at the Back of the Class. So, I’m just going to review the first story in the book, The Day We Met the Queen, and while you probably can get away with not reading The Boy at the Back of the Class first, I wouldn’t want you to. It is such a good book and you really should read it, everyone should. Yes, it is that good. So back to The Day We Met the Queen, the first story in the upcoming middle grade 176 page book, about refugees and kids making a difference.

SYNOPSIS:

This charming story shows what happens to Alexa and Ahmet and the whole crew as they prepare to met the Queen for tea. The group of friends is about to show the entire school their invitations and share the two questions each that they plan to ask the monarch, the list was 52 questions, but because the Queen is nearly 100 years old, they have been advised to shorten the list. On the day of the assembly news crews are present and Brenden-the-Bully is acting a little strange, as Ahmet starts talking the auditorium erupts with stink bombs and everyone leaves running. The kids think it is just the bully striking again, but the gossip at the school and reports on the news imply it might be more than that, and the kids might not make it to the Queen’s tea after all.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love getting some closure on the story, while simultaneously showing that refugee treatment and rights is not a thing yet resolved. The idea of the Queen being at the center of the book definitely adds to the coincidental timeliness of it all, but that she is easy going and relatable to the children is still the takeaway whether you were a fan of the real Queen or not. I love the voice of the protagonist and the relatability that her concerns are with the target audience. I particularly enjoy the critique about the media and the clarity in which the children understand the flaws and limitations of what they are told in the news both on the school level and on a global stage. There isn’t anything Islamic in the text, Ahment is Muslim, as is the author.

FLAGS:

Hate speech, deception, bullying

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I don’t think there is an author that brings big real issues to children’s stories as well or as consistently as Onjali Rauf. Both stories in this book should be shared with middle grade readers and up to be discussed, reflected upon, and learned from as often as possible. You can preorder your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Eq2G4M

Oct14

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri

Posted on October 14, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl’s Fight for Freedom by Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri

The writing style makes this book easy reading, but the content contained is absolutely horrific, heart breaking, and hard to truly comprehend. If this was fiction it would be overkill, barbaric, cruel; the fact that it is factual, current, and ongoing is inexcusable. There is no humanely possible way that we can still be ignorant or apathetic to the plight of the Palestinians. It is an occupation. It is apartheid. It is oppression. I often don’t review adult non fiction, but because this is ongoing and we have the power to do something, BDS, I’m reviewing this book. The book describes torture, death, abuse, cruelty, you name it, but I think mature young adult readers can and should read it, along with every adult. A history of major events in Palestine interwoven with Ahed Tamimi’s own experiences in the last few years, she was 16 when imprisoned, so the recent past, as lived by her and understood by her, is powerful, moving, and inspiring.

SYNOPSIS:

The book shares a lot of facts, but because the facts are contextualized you feel yourself absorbed by what it means to have your land taken, your home bulldozed. It isn’t just statistics of growing settlements, it is being cutoff from the Mediterranean Sea that you can see from the hills in your village, but cannot access because of checkpoints and armed guards, and walls. It is understanding why throwing a rock, or slapping and kicking are a form of defiance, not terrorism. It is truly seeing the situation from someone living it every day. There is nothing for me to critique or opine about in her story, nor in the book and presentation. It is hard to read, it is harder yet to know that it still persists.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that I sobbed and clenched my fist and Googled again what companies and organizations to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS). That is what the book is asking those of us who support the Palestinian cause to do. She says they don’t want our pity, they want our action. They want us to look at South Africa and realize the power of economic efforts by the global community on an issue. They want us to be educated about what they endure and educate others. They want us to help stop the erasure of Palestine and Palestinians. I’m so grateful that the book pointed out the direction we should take, a bleeding heart is not enough.

I love that Ahed owns her own learning and growth as she got to know Israeli Jews sympathetic to the right of Palestinians, that protested with her and her village, that fought the legal battles using their privilege to help the oppressed. I love that the book is personal and that she doesn’t apologies, that she addresses the criticisms against her, that she calls on her own people to unify, and that she is so so fierce.

I can’t imagine what her life is like, and it is truly humbling to imagine yourself in her shoes, in her mother’s shoes, her father’s. It isn’t a life anyone would chose, it isn’t a spotlight you would want. No parent would willingly push their child to this, so that she at such a young age had to endure and become what she is today, is humbling.

Islam is not a big part of the book, but Ramadan, and jummah prayers, janaza and praying salat are occasionally included.

FLAGS:

Death, fear, torture, killing, murder, oppression, loss, hate, racism, everything you can imagine and then some. There is also mention of two men having sex and a man stripping, while on prison to court transport.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to attend a book club or panel discussion by Palestinians in the community using the book as a starting point for telling their own stories. I think a high school book club could handle the book, but nothing younger than that. Please purchase a book, check it out from your library, request your library to shelve it, and spread the word about this memoir that is both personal and informative.