Tag Archives: High School and Up

Jun8

An Acquaintance by Saba Syed

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An Acquaintance by Saba Syed

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A young adult Islamic fiction romance novel, yes its a genre, albeit small one. I braced myself for stereotypes, cheesiness, over simplifications, sweeping condemnation, and preachy reprimands.  They never came.  I think this book is different, because from what I felt while reading it, and from what I’ve read the author say, this book is written for us: Muslim females, raised in the west, devout, strong, involved, and vulnerable.  It isn’t trying to convince anyone of Islam, or prove our place in America.  It isn’t trying to justify relationships or make us hide in our houses, rather it is taking us up to the line, showing us our strengths and weaknesses, and leaving us there to think.  In 282 pages, I saw myself crystal clear in the protagonist, the vilifying community, the determined best friend, and the steady parent.  It is easy to judge, but this book gets the nuances, the temptation, the justification, the internal battles, and it does it all without resorting to extremes that would make it inappropriate for upper middle and high schoolers. Yay!

SYNOPSIS:

Sarah Ali has grown up in small town Wickley, Pennsylvania, her whole life.  Her dad owns the local hangout, she is well known and well liked ,and very involved at school and in the masjid that her father helped start.  She has a best friend who is Muslim and although her mother has passed away, her home life with her dad and older brother is solid and supportive.  Senior year, however, is where the book takes place, and with Islamaphobes protesting and a new boy, Jason, in town coming to her rescue, the stage is set for her to have to decide how much their “friendship” crosses her internal boundaries of right and wrong, and when feelings are on the table, what choices she will make.

Throughout the book, there are numerous supporting characters that have their own roles in shining light on the situation from the outside and adding context to the world that Sarah lives in.  But this is ultimately Sarah’s story, told from her perspective, and the internal conflicts are believable because they are hers, the reader can see a mile a way what is going on and what will happen, but to see it unfold within her is at times a little naive, but considering her age, plausible.  It is her denial and acceptance of the situation at hand and what her role and hopes are that make the story very hard to put down.

The book in many ways is subtle, I don’t want to give to much of the plot away because it is obvious, it is a love story between two teenagers that can’t have a future based on the fact that she is Muslim and not willing to compromise that.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t real feelings involved and real consequences to the choices that are made.  Throw in the gossip mongers at the masjid, an older brother who is concerned, an ever patient father, and a handful of others and the book feels incredibly real. 

WHY I LIKE IT:

Things are never black and white in real life, nor does reality prevent emotions and desires from breaking out.  There is no shaming in their tale (other than by the judgemental aunties), but there are consequences that are also given their time and spotlight.  From a parenting perspective it shows how a few questionable decisions can really get you in a heap of trouble and heartache, even if on the outside you can argue you did nothing wrong.  Even in the book Sarah remarks that they didn’t do anything, but yet, they did so much, this understanding is really powerful, and so needed for the teenage demographic. The book does not celebrate Sarah and Jason’s relationship, although I must admit I did kind of cheer for them at some points (I know, haram).  It shows that they are good people, but that there is a bigger picture.  It also shows there is life and hope, and forgiveness after, in the healing.

I love that Sarah’s dad is awesome and that his ultimate weapon is dua.  Not the stereotypical immigrant father trope, he is awesome.  I also love that Sarah’s best friend, Jasmine, is a person of color, so diversity gets a bit of a shout out.  The masjid politics is spot on, and the hypocritical aunties are as annoying in the book as they are in real life.  Yes, there are times where the dialogue is a little syrupy and long-winded, but overall, this book is calm and reflective and so, so important for high school and college girls to read.

Islam is the religion practiced, from praying, to how they talk, to how they dress, the subtlties there are brilliant as well.  You can tell the author is Muslim because it is natural and real, not researched and blotched.  The message is ultimately that Allah knows all, and that we do things for His sake alone.

FLAGS:

Truly the most Jason and Sarah do is hold hands, but the masjid ladies constrew that they do a lot more, and that Sarah ends up pregnant and gets an abortion. All untrue, but this revelation, that this is the gossip going around, is explored at the end of the book.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Oh how great would this book be as a book club for high school or even college age girls.  But, alas I’m not involved in anything like that so I will have to just recommend this book to anyone that meets that criteria looking for a good book. 

Having said that, part of me really thinks this book doesn’t need to be discussed.  Saints and Misfits was a book that needs to be read and discussed with our youth, this book, I kind of like it to stir and fester within each reader.  The lessons are there, and are clear, and some days I could see a girl really feeling one way and switching another.  Like the father in the book, our kids, inshaAllah, have been taught right and wrong, we have to see what they do when tested.  And this book can really speak to them, and offer them a bit of conciousness when faced with a seemingly small decision that could have big consequences.  This book will stay with a reader, and that’s a good thing.  I just don’t know if it will manifest the same with everyone, and I think that is a great thing.

 

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fraVJZI1xNU

From the Author: https://muslimmatters.org/2017/11/10/an-acquaintance-a-young-adult-novel/

 

Oct16

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

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Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

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I enjoyed this book a lot. I had a bag of halal gummy bears, a rainstorm raging outside, and an excuse to snuggle in bed with a book, and I couldn’t put it down, even when I ran out of gummy bears.  I think mature 16 year olds and up could read it, and probably should, it is an important book, but I don’t know that I could recommend it to a young adult Muslim. Maybe, but probably college and up.  Not because high school students don’t read a lot about heavy stuff in English class. I mean Scarlet Letter, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings or anything by Toni Morrison or Shakespeare are heavy, but they are removed from most Muslim teens.  They are old books, or about people from a different time and place. This book is real, and relevant, and relatable, and in 325 pages you feel connected to the characters as if you know them, or knew them, or more importantly for me, a 36-year-old Muslim American born and raised in America, as if they knew me.

SYNOPSIS:

Jannah Yusuf is 15 and in the opening chapter, less than 5 pages, she has to defend her choice to wear a burkini to her father, who assumes his ex-wife, her mom, has forced it upon her.  In the second chapter, we see that she has gone to visit her father to get away from a monster, her friend’s hafiz cousin Farooq, who attempted to rape her.  From there Jannah pursues a relationship with her crush, Jeremy, with the help of her best friend at school, Tats.  This pursuit involves intentionally having Jeremy see her without her hijab in gym class, and sneaking off to meet him.  Throw in the fact that he too is friends with the monster, Farooq, and the tension, anxiety, guilt, and shame that Jannah feels about her suddenly drama filled life is palpable.  Feeling increasingly isolated from her very amazing friends and family, she finds strength and support from a group of kids she is on an Islamic Quiz competition team with and an elderly Hindu man she helps once a week.  Eventually finding her voice, and reclaiming her strength to face her attacker is like a caterpillar coming out of her cocoon and you hope she soars and flourishes in reaching new heights and happiness.  The message of standing up against such acts and standing by those victimized by sexual predators helps puts the blame and shame where it should be, on the attacker, not the victim.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that it shows everyone in shades of gray. No one is good or bad or right or wrong, everyone is somewhere in the middle.  Even the most religious can be scum, and friends can both surprise you for good or for heartache.  At one place, Jannah considers telling her non-Muslim friend Tats about what is going on. “Almost.  The 60 percent reason that I hold back has to do with something I’m 100 percent sure of: I can’t handle people thinking I come from a messed up community.  I’d rather close the hamper lid on that one.” I think this is kind of where we are right now in real life and in literature. We want to be seen as complex characters, we aren’t a monolith, but we don’t want to celebrate our failures either.  This book does this really well, most of the time.  There is a girl who has memorized the Quran and wears niqab (a face veil) and has a vlog of stirring up stereotypes.  She helps Jannah get her revenge, and it doesn’t work, but at the same time she is never really nice.  Her friend Fizz, Farooq’s cousin, seems almost like family, but when told what has occurred, doesn’t believe her lifelong friend, and becomes rather disappointing and shallow.  Some of the friends, seem pretty stereotypical for the genre, the great non muslim side kick that supports and celebrates the protagonist, the endearing, yet annoying brother, the friend turned romantic interest when the dust settles, the Asian girl good at math, and the elderly neighbor who is wise, etc.. Yet, somehow I really wanted to know what happened to all of them.  I understand that for literary reason’s the book ended where it did, and there isn’t an epilogue, but from a reader point of view, I would like to know if Jannah’s brother got married, if her mom did, what course of action Jannah took against her assailant, what happened between her and Fizz, and if Jeremey and her became friends.

I think it is important to note, that Jeremy was awesome, like really a great respectful guy who knows about Islam and even that the hotdogs should be halal.  Jannah is figuring out who she is, and what direction to go in, which reinforces the female empowerment, but I think his attitude also deserves some credit in not taking her story and control away from her. The story doesn’t wrap up in a nice and tidy way, but I’d like to think they remain friends.  The reason the book gives that they can’t be more than that, is that he isn’t Muslim. It is echoed throughout that if he were Muslim, it would somehow magically be ok.  So, when at the end she realizes her feelings for the funny supportive friend Nuh, everyone seems ok with it.  Well, I’m not, yes I get that in real life people date and marry on their own and often people of different faith backgrounds. But, she is a Sophomore, who obviously isn’t looking to get married. She prays and covers, and seems to be an active and intentional Muslim. So, again, I get that it is more the norm than not, in the real world, but this is where I feel nervous about suggesting a teen to read it.  Muslims still are not regularly represented in print, and when you see an active and engaged Muslim doing so much, I feel like that does subconsciously form a connection to a reader and the line between right and wrong is blurred as a result.  Yes, I realize this contradicts the whole, we are not a singular entity, but I don’t know that many Muslim parents would encourage dating to their high school daughters as long as the boy is Muslim, despite it happening often.  I think we still want to see good idealistic messages from fictional Muslim characters in books that we suggest our children read.  And while we would want them to be inspired by Jannah’s strength to speak out against the crime commited against her, we may not want to give the message that we would also want them to be doing some of the other things she does.  Yes she is fictional, yes, most YA novels don’t have a moral theme, but like Jannah, I still want to keep the hamper lid on it all, even though I know that isn’t realistic.

There are a few plot inconsistancies, like how Jannah’s dad cuts the funding for her brother’s education, but when they are in Chicago visiting, their doesn’t seem to be any tension.  Saint Sarah’s background and motivation for change seemed a little choppy to me and the mom could have been fleshed out a bit more.  Overall though, even the visitors to the Mosque’s Open House ring relatable and comically true.  You can tell the author knows what she is writing about because it is familiar and funny, yet not judgemental.  I love that her characters are flawed and that it doesn’t define them wholey.  I love the way the author sneaks bits of practical Islam into the website updates Jannah does for her uncle and I love how the friends at school don’t read like an after school special.  Some attempts at getting people to change work, and others don’t, furthering the relatabilty of the book and keeping the preachiness at bay.

The book would work for Muslims and non Muslims and is a good entertaining read. There isn’t a religious or moral agenda that the author is trying to convince the reader of, but rather it is about reclaiming your voice when someone has tried to take it.  A message that never gets old.

FLAGS:

There is profanity, sexual assault, boy girl relationships, lying, mention of drugs and alcolhol, and bullying.  Its got it all.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t do it as a book club read, not a youth one any way, adult one possibly.  But if a teen read it and wanted to discuss it, I would jump at the opportunity.  I think the book speaks pretty well for itself, but I’d love to speak to a teen to know it through their eyes.  To see what they found believable or far fetched, what they could relate to, how they process the crime and the recourse, what they would have done in a similar situation, what kind of friend they would have been, and ultimately what stereotypes the book forced them to confront.

I read something the other day that the way Muslims judge other Muslims on hijab is so inconsistent with our thoughts on praying or fasting or any other act of worship. If someone messes up we encourage them to try again, or ask for forgiveness or say it is none of our business and we will pray for them, but why with hijab do we feel justified in criticizing if they “try it out” or change their mind? For me, this book really drove the point home.  She is 15 and she lets a boy see her hair, I was bothered, and had to realize that, that really said more about me, than the fictional character I was reading about.  I like books that challenge my thoughts.  Like I said, I’d reserve suggesting someone read it, but I hope they find it and read it none-the-less, and then contact me so we can tear open a bag of gummy bears and discuss.

Aug27

Broken Moon by Kim Antieau

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Broken Moon by Kim Antieau

Broken Moon.jpg

I didn’t initially think the premise of the book was terribly original: a poor scarred girl in Pakistan working as a servant, cuts her hair to look like a boy and be free to move about and rescue her brother.  But the weaving in of the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights stories into the larger story, and the plot of kidnapping children to be camel jockeys in the Middle East, made the story good.  Really good, but not the book.  I really struggled with the format of the book.  It is written as letters by the main character Nadira to her young brother Umar.  The information seems too forced in this style, she is telling him how old he is, or retelling him things he said a few days ago.  Once they are together she has to clarify that now she is writing it to their mother, and then again alter it to be writing to those following her story.  It presents too many characters, that are awkwardly introduced because presumably he knows who they are, the reader does not, and bridging that gap makes the book halt the reader from diving head first into a really compelling story.  I feel like the book’s editors let the characters down, it would have been an easy fix to tell the story as Nadira told it to the Sheikha, and then when the story caught up with the present to continue it from there as written, without the guise of it being shared in letters or a diary format.  But, alas no one asked me.  Luckily the book is only 183 pages and written on a AR 4.2 level so it is a speedy read.  Do not let the fourth grade level, however, trick you into thinking it is content appropriate for a 10 year old. There is a lot of abuse, in every sub category of the word.

SYNOPSIS:

When Nadira was 12 years old she was attacked by a group of men seeking to avenge an alleged crime Nadira’s older brother committed against their daughter.  By this girl’s reputation allegedly being ruined by Nadira’s brother, the village decides that a female in his family should in exchange be ruined.  Nadira manages to fight and ends up with some external scarring, including a moon shaped scar on her face, a lot of internal scarring, but the book points out quite often that she got away from being sexually abused.  In her culture she is assumed to be ruined, and will never be married.  She begins to work as a servant to help the family financially as her older brothers have more or less disappeared and no longer are of any help to her family.  When her father dies, her mother and younger brother, Umar, rely on Uncle Rubel who is a horrible man who covertly sells Umar to the smugglers to become a camel jockey.  The family that Nadira works for seem kind, they stick to the norms and don’t include her in their fun and frivolity, but they don’t abuse or belittle her either.  They offer her, her mother, and Umar a place to live on the property, and assist her in finding someone to locate her brother.  Nadira, however, is strong and determined and takes matters into her own hands by cutting her hair to look like a boy, finding the smugglers, and convincing them to take her.  Once in the camp she wins over all the boys, by becoming Sherazad and telling a story to delay her being beat.  Her wit, tenacity, and perseverance is infectious and you find yourself cheering her on.  As she prepares for the races and to broaden her access to camps to find her brother at, she meets a western vet, a Sheikha who essentially owns her, and discovers that all the boys she lives with know she is a girl and love and respect her.  The climax involves her racing in the Sheikha’s Race where the winner is granted a wish by the Sheikha.  Can Nadira win? Can she find her brother? Can she save all the boys at the camp that she has taken in as her brothers? I won’t spoil it this time.  You’ll have to read it.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that the author did not cast judgement on a group of people.  Not all Pakistanis are bad, not all women are helpless, not all men are oppressive, not all employers are abusive, etc..  similarly, there is a western character, but she doesn’t swoop in and save the day, in fact I read her to be complacent in what she knew were obvious human rights violations.  I loved the relationship that Nadira had with her father.  The love of learning and love of his daughter is so sincere and beautiful that I think readers can see that the stereotype of daughters not being prized jewels in a family as being false.  I wish the mother would have been further developed.  She seems defiant, but not fleshed out, which is unfortunate. I also like the subplot of the gardener boy, Saliq.  A boy who completed some of his education in England, only to be made crippled by a horse, and sent back to be a servant.  He’s role and respect of Nadira furthers the notion that her scar does not define her, as he proposes marriage and pledges to support her in her efforts to continue rehabilitating kidnapped children and stopping the cycle.  I also like that the author doesn’t share her response, as if to emphasize that she is liberated and with or without a husband she is a complete person.

The characters are Muslim by culture, but there is no real mention of Islam or Islamic practices.  Before Nadira cuts her hair she wears a scarf, but that is neither her nor there.

FLAGS:

The premise of the book is an accusation of a sexual crime.  One of the stories she tells at the  camel camp to delay the beatings,  is the story of the lady who traps a merchant, a king, a carpenter, and a Kazi to free her lover.  She offers her body to the men and traps them in a cabinet naked after obtaining their signatures.  There is some kissing and some innuendos and references to sexual acts.  There are also references to the sexual abuse at the camps as well as descriptions of the physical ones that take place.  Not for the faint of heart or young and innocent. The boys at camp also discover that Nadira bleeds like their sisters, as a clue to them figuring out she is a girl, but compared to the sexual crimes, menstruation seems hardly like a flag, and I only mention it because the AR level is so low, not because there is any reason for shame or shyness in discussing an act all women endure.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think high school students could handle the book, and would allow a plethora of discussion options from child labor, civic responsibility, abuse, justice and the power of literature as a coping mechanism.  I wish the author would have included some information on camel racing and how they are regulated and jockeys are obtained, and maybe thrown in a recipe for masala chai as well.

There are no online websites or guides that I could find to accompany the book.

Aug16

Ten Things I hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

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Ten Things I Hate About Me

I’ve read and reviewed a few Randa Abdel-Fattah books and read and reviewed even more cheesy West-meets-East-and-my-parents-are-so-strict-so-I-will-rebel books, that with such a flimsy title referencing a movie which references Shakespeare, I didn’t expect much.  With such minimal standards, the book didn’t disappoint and the surprising warmth of many of the characters actually left a pleasant smile on my face.  I’ve had this book on my to-read list since it came out in 2006, and for some reason it is a bit hard to find now a days.  There seems to be a few covers out there, and I don’t know if they differ, but the one pictured above is the one I read, and it is 297 pages and written on an AR 4.8 level, but probably would appeal and be more content appropriate as a light read to 9th through 12 graders.

SYNOPSIS:

Jamilah Towfeek leads a double life.  At home she is a proud Lebanese Australian that goes to Madrassa, plays the darbuka drums in an Arab band, and identifies as Muslim.  She has recently dyed her hair blond and wears contacts to hide her Arab heritage and doesn’t allow her sister who wears hijab to pick her up from school where she is known as an all Australian girl, Jamie.  Her mother has passed away and her father is pretty strict about who she goes out with and her curfew.  They even have a contract posted on the fridge. Despite this, Jamilah and her dad seem to have an ok relationship and it is definitely something they both are fighting to improve.  Jamilah’s older brother is a bit of a rebel and goes out with girls to bars and the book definitely discusses the double standard.  He however, isn’t painted as “bad” or as presented as an outcast, he just does things differently, and must wage his own path to build a relationship with their father.  At school Jamilah has acquaintances more than friends, as she is constantly pushing people away.  The stage is set that she has to keep lying to her friends, but it is more in her head than in reality.  She doesn’t open up to her friends, nor they to her.  As a result the Jamie at school amongst her peers are presented as incredibly shallow, which is partially intentional I think, and partially, under developed.  She makes up excuses to not attend parties and it isn’t a big deal until the most popular guy at school starts to take an interest in her.  In frustration she starts opening up to someone who has started e-mailing her.  Her user name is Ten_Things_I_Hate_About_Me and the dialogues between her and Rage_Against_The_Machine reveal a lot about how she sees the world.  There is some tension with immigrants in Australian and Jamilah starts to realize that her silence is consent to the bigotry and bullying around her, and that there is no way to stay neutral.  There really aren’t any major plot twists, you can see a mile away who the mystery email boy is, and that he likes her, you can see that her friend Amy will come through, and that she will have to reconcile her two identities.  There are a few minor ones with her dad getting remarried and thankfully with her opting to not “hookup” with anyone in the end despite a climatic kiss in order to stay honest with her father.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I’m obviously older than the target audience and the characters, as is the author, but compared to a lot of the other books of similar content, I feel like this book stays the most grounded.  There are some pop cultural references, and obviously the kids are naive, but there are some universal truths and experiences brushed upon that I think a lot of high schoolers can relate to, not just immigrant Muslim ones.  The idea of having to be two different people at home and at school, family relationships, cultural identity, being true to yourself, dealing with the loss of a parent, taking a stand when you see something wrong, etc.. All that being said there is a huge gaping plot hole.  How her friends that have known her from elementary school when her mom brought Arab food suddenly don’t know she is Arab, or don’t pick up on her ethnic last name is beyond even a 5th grader to over look.  If you can tune out your internal sense of logic for the premise, the book is much more enjoyable, but it really is a stumbling point.

I wish that Jamilah was a bit religious.  She identifies as Muslim and clearly her sister is, but pretty much all of her actions and gripes come more from her culture than from her faith.  Many of her father’s friends drink, as they are either not religious, or Christian, which is fine, but part of me really wanted her to live up to the picture on the cover of the book and discover her religious stance alongside her owning up to her cultural one.  I love that at it’s core it is a book about a girl’s relationship with her dad and being true to her self, but somewhere her religion fizzled out of the narrative and I wish it hadn’t.  I Would have loved that she turned down the prospect of a boyfriend because it wasn’t Islamically permissible, in addition to her wanting to be honest with her father.  But, alas the author didn’t pursue that.  She did however, do a good job of not making it a judgement of culture or faith, just as attributes of her characters.

FLAGS:

There are racial slurs, drinking, dating, and kissing.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Surprisingly I wouldn’t completely disregard this book for a Book Club selection.  It would be for older kids, ideally upper High School.  But I think especially in an Islamic School setting the discussion would be so much better than the book.  Many send their children to Islamic Schools to reduce the need for dual identities and I would love to see how the kids view the effectiveness of it.  I would also enjoy hearing students’ perspectives on going to formal dances with siblings or a group of girls, the double standards of boys in girls, and dealing with Uncle’s and Aunty’s constant opinions.

Author’s Website 

 

 

 

Aug1

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

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It has definitely been done before in books dealing with the crossing of desi and the west with a female lead, that there must be: forbidden love, physical and or sexual abuse, a a sympathetic side kick, and evil parents or in-laws.  So, perhaps this book just assembles the ingredients in a new way, or my deliberate hiatus from said genre softened my heart with time.  But, either way Written in the Stars was an enjoyable read that didn’t get caught up in the dichotomous rhetoric of good vs. bad, us vs. them, right vs. wrong, and I found that refreshing.  It is in the AR database as a level 4.1 book, but there are sexual references and rape, so while it is written very simply and linearly, I would not let an elementary student read the book.  The protagonist is 17, so really the story line is more high school relevant.

SYNOPIS:

Naila is a senior at a Florida high school with scholarships and dreams to be a doctor. She has friends and stability at home. However, she also has a boyfriend, a big no-no to her conservative Pakistani immigrant parents.  When she sneaks out to prom and gets caught her parents drag her to Pakistan and secretly work to marry her off.  The premise isn’t very original, but the author keeps it interesting by having the boyfriend also of subcontinent descent, and Naila being naively clueless about what her parents and extended family are doing to her.  As she begins to realize what her parents’ end goal is, she gets desperate to return home, putting her against her family.  The story is quick and Naila is definitely a girl of action as she tries to escape, as she gets drugged, gets married and pregnant.  And remarkably she doesn’t spend too much time bemoaning her situation, which is nice as the book is only 284 pages with the Author’s Note, Glossary, Resources, and Acknowledgements.  A long the way you meet some kind characters and minor villains, you see a bit of the culture and Naila’s determination.  The parents are underdeveloped and I wish they were fleshed out so that the reader could see their perspective.  They are presented as pretty vile and cold and nothing more than that unfortunately.

WHY I LIKE IT:

At first I found it odd that religion was not in the book, like at all.  Her rules regarding boyfriends and male friends are presented as being cultural.  While in Pakistan and being shown around a cousin points out a mosque, tells Naila her father is in there, and if she wants to see inside they can come back when it isn’t pray time. That is it. So, the characters are Muslim, but Islam is not mentioned.  The author on the jacket flap states that she is Muslim and had a good arranged marriage.  So as I’ve reflected back on the book, I think I kind of like how she left religion out of it.  Albeit leaving a gap in the narrative, it allows the book to be seen in a character driven way more than a “that’s how they do it” sort of way and thus opening it up to a wider audience.  Also, seeing both good and bad in the same cultural population removes the idea that different is bad, which is often lacking in these “cultural” novels.  I really want to meet the author and see what her reasoning is, but I think it was deliberate and thus I’m growing to appreciate her restraint on bringing the religious tinge into the book.  I wish it was written a little more complexly.  In addition to more about the parents, I wanted to know more about Saif, the boyfriend, I wanted to know about the future of her cousin Selma, who was her confidant, and about the aunt that never married, just to name a few.

FLAGS:

There is kissing, and while not detailed, Naila is raped by her husband and it is implied and reflected on. There is some additional physical violence as well.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would consider this for a selection if I did a high school book club. Definitely not middle or elementary.  I would possibly suggest the book to older middle school if they could handle it.  There are lots of talking points, and some girls are so drawn to the romance genre that at least this one isn’t too over the top.

Curriculum Discussion Guide

Author’s Blog 

Jul19

Saladin: Noble Prince of Islam by Diane Stanley

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saladin

This is a beautiful historical biography of Salah al-Din, known in the west as Saladin, that I felt worth sharing despite it not being fiction.  Written on an AR Level of 7.0 the 48 pages are highly wordy, and cover a lot of historical ground.  There is a post script, a glossary and bibliography at the end.  The pictures are detailed and bright and inviting, but even for a 7th grader, I think the book would be a challenge.  If one has an interest in the time, or has studied it and knows some of the supporting characters, the book in fantastically interesting, and insightful for the format.  To an average middle school or even high school student, they might thumb through it and keep it on the shelf as a reference tool, but that might be about it.

Saladin inside page

With any historical account, particularly those trying to simplify and appeal to children, the author gets to pick in what historical light to present the events.  The book starts with an Author’s Note detailing the fight for Jerusalem up until the first crusade. It then begins with the story of Saladin’s life.  Born in 1138, he was named Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and then tells a bit about his upbringing and the basic tenants of Islam.  It explains how he came to power and how the truce with the Franks was broken by Reginald.  It then details the battles, the follies and plans of both sides.  It shows the honor that Saladin had for his enemies and even the respect he had from Richard the Lionheart.  It shows the politicking in Europe and the toll of the Crusades on the people there and in the Middle East.  The book also tries to show Saladin outside of his battle armor as a family man who was devoted to his wife Ismat.  “When she (Ismat) died, Saladin was lying in his tent, seriously ill.  His advisors kept the news from him for three months, until he was fully recovered, for fear the shock might kill him.”

Saladin died in 1193 and  knowing that he was dying he passed on advice to his son oh how to be king.  “Win the hearts of your people and watch over their prosperity; for it is to secure their happiness that you are appointed by God and by me. . . I have become as great as I am because I have won men’s heart’s by gentleness and kindness.”  The book states that he was so generous and unconcerned with money and luxury that when he died he didn’t even have money to pay for his simple burial.  

Admittedly I know very little about the historical accuracies or slant of the author.  I do know that it does inspire pride for Muslims and hope that people of different faiths can one day again co-exist in Palestine and the world, inshaAllah.

 

Jul11

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif

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Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif

Bestest.-Ramadan.-Ever.-by-Medeia-Sharif

This book fails on so many levels: the writing quality, the title, the representation of Islam and Ramadan, messages about weight and beauty, and female self-worth to name a few.  This 299 page 5.0 AR book looked great as I was skimming through the library book catalog.  I knew it was young adult romance and saw that it would involve crushes and boys, and “typical” teenage stuff, but really this book has so few redeeming qualities for any demographic, I’m not sure why it was written, why it was published, and why the library shelves it.

SYNOPSIS:

Almira is a 15-year-old girl of Persian-Syrian descent living an all American life in Florida. She has good friends, is a good student, and is financially well off.  She is Muslim, but doesn’t really know what Islam is, “I’ve been to a mosque exactly twice in my life” she says.  She doesn’t pray, her parents only do on occasion, yet she feels “different.”  This over stretch is the first of many plot holes, that make the tone of the book more whiney and shallow, than the premise requires.  Having tried fasting the year before and been found cheating by her culturally strict grandfather, Almira is determined to fast this Ramadan to lose weight and prove she has willpower.  There is a glimmer that her shallowness will fade, but the weight issue is mentioned every few paragraphs and thus there is no pushing it away.  The author presents Ramadan as one giant weight loss program.  There is no mention that Ramadan as a spiritual time or reflective time.  Nope.  She is fasting to lose weight, and everyone around her is supporting it, by constantly commenting at how much better her size 8 is looking as the month progresses.  The biggest storyline in the book is that Almira wants a boyfriend.  Again, this is contrary to Islamic practices, but naturally crushes and crossing rules is a reality.  However, even to girls not faced with a religion that forbids boyfriends, the messages in this book regarding boys is pretty pathetic.  Almira changes her self to impress the boy, pretending to have interests that she doesn’t have.  She is willing to sacrifice her best friend since Kindergarten to get said boy, and while they mention that everyone treats them superficial based on their looks, they too treat each other the same way.  Almira and her friends get so much of their self worth and confidence from how boys ogle them that I found myself often cringing with disappointment.  Now, granted it is a YA book, and 15-year-old romances probably are pretty shallow, but again the whininess just starts to be too much.  There is a brief glimmer of hope when the family goes to the mosque and prays and breaks fast together, but it is short lived as Almira finally gets the boy, finishes Ramadan, and celebrates in a bikini on the beach, “And look at us, half naked on Eid,” she says to her Muslim friend, Shakira, as if that is the epitome of making it in America.

I don’t expect all books to have a message, but if you are going to have a moral message in a book, I would hope that a book written on a 5th grade level would have a good one.  This book’s lesson is to lie and lead a double life.  And no that is not me over simplifying and putting my own bias on the author’s storyline choices.  “I’ll sneak out with Peter whenever I can, while I show my parents a goody-two-shoes facade that will be impenetrable.  I can keep this secret,” thinks Almira as the book concludes (page 287) and everything is right in her world. She feels a tinge of guilt that she can’t talk to her parents, not guilt at her actions, which is really the epitome of my confusion to why the book has an Islamic implied title.  Ok I get maybe she wants a bit of cultural layers to add depth to the characters, but why structure the book on religion when religion is made to be such a joke by failing to give it any substance? Had she made it more cultural and the characters culturally are Muslim, even that would have worked better.  But, they aren’t.  The parents are really really one dimensional.  Mom is “hot” and even when the family is talking she is in the corner doing crunches.  She loves karaoke and doesn’t like grandpa is about all we know about her.  Nothing about her dreams, her family, her life growing up, her fears, her education.  Dad similarly is pretty flat.  He is a dentist and just looks at people’s teeth. He goes from being uber mellow and cool, to deleting pictures on her computer and yelling at her that she can’t date.  Neither trait seem to define him, and make an already shaky premise, more awkward.  Almira whines and complains about her parents, but they overall seem supportive and kind, again a plot hole that makes the book lose traction.  Grandpa is the scary old-world stereotypical character, that calls everyone a prostitute that doesn’t dress modestly, but goest out of his way to teach Almira to drive.  The grandma fades into the back ground, but oddly enough the author takes time to mention that recently she started wearing a scarf and used to wear heels and make-up, so did grandpa call her a prostitute? Again things don’t line up and once again the female characters are defined by their looks, and the males as being hot tempered and judgemental.  It is unfortunate that the foundation of the book is so weak.   Additionally, all the pop culture references, already start to date the book (it was written in 2011), most 15 year olds today probably are not obsessed with Robert Pattinson and Angelina Jolie. The author tries really  hard to sound like a teenager, that at times it seems overly forced.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Obviously I’m not a big fan of the book, so finding things I like is a bit of a stretch.  I have more hope that girls can be strong and independent and not completely boy and appearance obsessed.  And while I know that is wishful thinking, this book just validates the sad idea that self worth is tied to looking good in a swimsuit and having a boyfriend.  I feel like our daughters deserve more, are capable of more.  I like that Almira is willing to try new things, like fasting and going to the mosque. And I do like that she more or less puts up with her grandfather in a kind manner, even though they disagree about most everything.  In terms of the “romance” aspect at least the author didn’t go overboard.  The characters kiss and hold hands, it does stay within the PG-13 guidelines. So, Alhumdulillah, if a young Muslima picks it up thinking she might actually read about an amazing, spiritual Ramadan experience, she will be terribly disappointed, but at least she wont be exposed to something R-rated.

FLAGS:

The flags are with content, presentation, and writing style. There is no language.  The idea of violence, if her grandfather caught her with her boyfriend stoning her, seems out of place and not a realistic threat.  There is nothing negative per se about Islam, as there really is no Islam in it. I doubt even someone with no Islamic knowledge would equate anything in the book with Muslims.  They may wonder if in fact we lose weight during Ramadan, but that is about it.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

There isn’t much to discuss in the book, just criticize unfortunately. The author’s blog reveals that Islam and cultural characters seem to be a common back drop in her books, but I doubt I’ll muster up the desire to read any other novels of hers to see if they ever serve more than that.

Feb26

The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi

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The Secret Sky A novel of Forbidden love in Afghanistan

This was another book I stumbled upon in the Scholastic Teen Book Flyers, and I wanted to read it to see, once again, how Muslims are being portrayed in books presented and widely distributed in the school markets.    I didn’t figure given the “romantic element” it would be a candidate for our Book Club, but none-the-less wanted to know if it should at least be on our library shelves in the Middle School section.  The book is not in the Accelerated Reader data base, bur for content I would think 11th or 12th grade.  The book is written by a woman whose family left Afghanistan right before she was born and later returned as a television correspondent.  Her story is included as the introduction of the book and a glossary at the end make the total length 292 pages.

SYNOPSIS:

A boy from a landowning family, Samiullah, and a girl whose family works the land, Fatima, have known and played together their whole lives.  When Sami comes home, however, after realizing that the madrassa, religious school, he was sent to is a sham, he  finds he is still in love with his childhood friend.  Knowing that their families would never allow their union, Sami is in the midst of working up the courage to share his feelings with Fatima and try to convince her family, when Rashid, a cousin discovers them talking in the woods alone and rats them out.  The role of culture and religion make this turn of events a dire one for the couple.  As shame has been brought to Fatima’s family, her father arranges to have her married to a good friend of his, as a second wife.  Fatima’s mother, responds very harshly by beating her and pouring boiling water on her arms.  Sami is beaten as well, but not to Rashid’s satisfaction and thus he decides to go “tattle” to the local Taliban leader.  As the story unfolds it becomes clear that Mullah Latif is not religious in the least and that he has no conscious.  Latif and his gang leave a path of murder and suffering as they set out to make an example of the couple in the name of religion and culture.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The author actually does a pretty good job of making in clear that Latif and Rashid are one extreme of bad; manipulating religion to justify their acts.  As Rashid realized how little Latif even knows about Islam he sets to distance himself from the gang.  Latif at one point doesn’t even want to enter a mosque.  The opposite of the Latif character is Mullah Sarwar who is good, and kind, and gentle, and loving.  Overall the author doesn’t paint one group with a broad stroke, there are good and bad land owners, workers.  There is even a grandma who supports women being educated and marrying for love, contrasted with a mother who wants to see her daughter killed for her actions.  The story is also pretty universal and has some Romeo and Juliet similarities, simply set in Afghanistan.  Some of the culture shines through to add context and understanding outside of the story alone, and that is nice.  Fatima logically works through why she can’t marry her fathers friend.  And in some ways you see why the country struggles as it does in real life, and why there isn’t an easy fix.  Each chapter is told from a different perspective, either Fatima’s, Samiullah’s, or Rashid’s which does give a more rounded view of the events.  But in some cases, not quite enough.  One thing I didn’t find believable was how purely evil Rashid was one minute, and then his quick change (SPOILER).  The reader is not given much insight into him and yet he has such a huge influence on every aspect of the story that it seemed a little abrupt and unrealistic.

FLAGS:

The love story aspect is actually pretty clean and sweet in many ways.  The unexpected violence, however, is a huge flag to me. (SPOILER ALERT) It mentions in some detail that Sami left the madrassa when he caught the head of the school sodomizing a young village boy.  It isn’t graphic, but it is detailed enough to be noted.  Fatima’s younger sister is also killed when Latif breaks her neck with his bare hands, again incredibly brutal, horrific and sad.  Mullah Sarwar is murdered and hanged in the village.  All reasons why the book in my opinion is for older and mature audiences.

A small religious point, that I think most would be fine with, but just in case should be mentioned, is that Sami goes to pray at a shrine.  The author explains how it evolved as a place to pray to Allah for matters regarding love, but it could be construed as being inappropriate.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t teach this book to the ages I currently work with, but here is a little insight from the author about what she wanted the readers to take away from her novel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2rMD16g23E

 

 

Feb23

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson

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the tyrant's daughterI was intrigued to see this book offered by Scholastic in the teen Reading Club Catalog as it sounded both action packed and cultural.  The jacket cover summary was vague in describing the characters as being from an “unnamed Middle Eastern country,” but with the slightly veiled girl on front, I figured they probably are Muslim, and I should at the very least how they/we are being portrayed.  The book is 295 pages long and that includes the story, the Author’s Note, and a  Truth in Fiction section.  The author is a former undercover CIA officer and the intense action, intertwined with cultural  understandings, leave the reader second guessing and on the edge until the end.  The AR level is 5.1, but with the profanity, sexual situations, and violence I would recommend the book to those in high school and up (15+).

SYNOPSIS:

Fifteen-year-old Laila flees her homeland, when her father, the head of the county, is killed.  Trying to fit in, in Washington, D.C. is not easy for a girl raised like a princess.  She has to navigate not only the social norms and high school drama that most kids her age do, but she also has to examine what type of ruler her father was and what price her privilege came at.   There are a lot of plot twists, and her mother’s efforts to broker deals with rebel fractions and CIA operatives, keep the plot moving forward.  The interpersonal relationships in the background give the characters some depth and memorable traits by contrasting the intensity of a country on edge with the daily dramas of daily life.  Surprisingly with so much going on, I thought the book was well written, my only major critique being,  I wish i knew more about Laila, the main character telling the story.

WHY I LIKE IT:

It’s a fun story, simple as that. The plausible political plot, the young adult characters with their own heightened sense of self worth, is well crafted by-in-large and the book was engaging.  I read it quickly because I wanted to see how it unraveled and it kept my interest.  Will I remember it a month from now? Probably not, but often books like this as YA or adult fiction are delicious empty calories and nothing more-or-less than that.

FLAGS:

The “royal” family is “Muslim.” Yes, the quotes are intentional, because they don’t identify as Muslim, yet those in America identify them as such.  A teacher asks her if she is ok with dissecting a fetal pig and she seems confused as to why that would be a problem.  A boyfriend is nervous to make a move, and again she seems taken aback that there would be a religious reason not to, as she sees it as a cultural one only.  Even at the end when she is discussing going back to her country her mother remarks that she hates wearing a veil and Leila says she never really minded it.  Laila’s mom drinks alcohol and always has, as many heads-of-states of Muslim countries are assumed to do. There is violence, some crude language, and some relationship situations.  Again I would not recommend it for younger teens.

One aspect that is worth noting is how the “bad guy,” Laila’s uncle, is painted as being “religious.”   I would hope that readers would realize that he is an extremist, an exception to the mainstream followers of Islam.  But I don’t know if they would.  He is harshly critical of how Laila and her mom dress calling them “whores,”  he uses religion as a means of power to oppress and condemn others and is just generally awful.  I think the author by largely leaving religion and the name of the country out of the book, isn’t making a judgement on the faith or region, as much as providing plausible pieces to craft an interesting story.  That is just my opinion though, and it could probably be changed.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t teach this book, or use it for Book Club, but the supplemental information in the back of the book is definitely interesting, and I think among friends, good discussions about the story’s origins would be fruitful, speculative and engaging.

In a high school setting you could definitely connect it to a Social Studies unit or the Arab Spring.

 

 

Apr21

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced By Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui

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nujood

I don’t often read non-fiction, but like I am Malala, I am Nujood , Age 10 and Divorced seemed too compelling to turn down, plus it isn’t a long book, just 188 pages even with the epilogue, reading group guide, notes and acknowledgements.  Written on a 6.2 reading level, the story of this young girl, is not well developed.  Her plight is powerful, but the telling of her story is awkward, unrelatable and in no way does her justice.  I never felt a connection to Nujood, naturally on the premise I was cheering her on, but I would have cheered anyone in her position on.  I don’t feel like I know her, or know her family, or really any characters in the book.  It seems that Delphine Minoui  tried to write the book as if she were Nujood, a ten year old with minimal education,  instead of finding away to balance Nujood’s voice and story, while adding the detail and back story to give the reader a connection and understanding to what and why this was allowed to occur.

SYNOPSIS:

Nujood is a Yemeni girl from the small mountainous village of Khardji, after scandal rocks the sister just older than Nujood, there are too many kids that the order and ages of them all is a mental workout for her mother, the family leaves everything and moves to the city of Sana’a.  Poor and with little hope, Nujood is given/sold to a man three times her age.  After months of abuse she sneaks away and finds a judge at a court house where she finds courage and her voice to proclaim, “I want a divorce.”  From there she must recount her story to both lawyers, journalists, and anyone that can help her as she works to break a long tradition of girls marrying young and save herself.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that something that is perhaps a societal norm in Yemen was made public and that we can hopefully now do something to help these young girls.  I don’t think it would work as a book club book or a novel study in a middle school setting as the details of rape and drug use are present.  They are not explicit, but I think that sharing excerpts from the book would be sufficient in explaining why this is such a tragedy and needs to be stopped.  The characters are all Muslim with various levels of belief and practice. While sad and heartbreaking, her story is hopeful at the end.

FLAGS:

Details of her rape, her sister’s affair is mentioned, and some minor drug use is common amongst the men.