Tag Archives: tradition

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.

Aug29

Mona’s Scrapbook Adventure by Nouha Deliou illustrated by Kadhima Tung

Posted on August 29, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Mona’s Scrapbook Adventure by Nouha Deliou illustrated by Kadhima Tung

Algerian culture, as far as I’ve seen, is incredibly underrepresented in western literature and not represented at all in children’s books. I love that this author, who felt the same- did something about it. This 40 page colorful story incorporates Algerian traditions and culture with universal themes of sibling love, wedding excitement, and being sad about change. The OWN voice warmth shows Muslim characters in America holding to traditions and making new ones. The book is long, but is not text heavy. For toddlers and preschoolers up to second grade, I can see readers enjoying the detailed descriptions of the dresses and foods, and feeling the feelings of little Mona as her beloved older sister prepares for her wedding and ultimately leaving with her husband.

The book starts on the morning of the big day, Layla’s engagement. Mama explains to Mona that the Imam will do the kitab and that her older sister is excited because she has known Ahmed since school and likes him a lot. Once dressed Mona watches Layla get ready in traditional Algerian clothes.

When Ahmed and his family arrive, he and Layla announce that after the wedding they will be moving from New York to Arizona. Mona is devastated, as the women start to zaghreet in celebration. She wonders if she can go with them, but decides she can’t leave her parents. Later that night, Layla and Mona chat and decide that Mona will help plan for the wedding and they will make a scrapbook.

Over the next few months, clothes are bought, cakes are tasted, flowers are decided upon, and Arayech is made. The night of the henna is fun, but then it is the wedding, and then time for Layla and Ahmed to go. Happy tears and promises to always be connected conclude the story before a scrapbook page for the readers is revealed to make their own designs. That is followed by a glossary, and information about the author and illustrator.

I love the detail about the different cultural and regional Algerian dresses in the illustrations, the Algerian traditions shared through the text, and the connection between the two sisters. The book is available in hard back or paper back and I got mine from Crescent Moon Store

Mona's Scrapbook Adventure

Mar30

Wiil Waal: A Somali Folktale retold by Kathleen Moriarty illustrated by Amin Amir and Somali translation by Jamal Adam

Posted on March 30, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Wiil Waal: A Somali Folktale retold by Kathleen Moriarty illustrated by Amin Amir and Somali translation by Jamal Adam

This bilingual (English and Somali) book tells the folktale of a wise leader challenging the men in his province with a riddle, and it being solved by a poor farmer’s eldest daughter. Based on a real Sultan from the mid 19th century, the book does not claim the story to be true, and leaves it up to the reader to form their own impression. The lesson however, is rich with culture, insight, charm, and perhaps surprise. There is no Islam present or hinted at, but the illustrator’s and translator’s names suggest that they are Muslim as the majority of Somali’s are, and the picture at the back of the book of members of the Somali Book Project show multiple females in hijab- so I’m sharing it on my platform to inshaAllah encourage often rarely seen, in western literature, cultures and traditions to be brought to more peoples’ attention.

The book starts with an author’s note explaining the tradition in East Africa of having a nickname and that Wiil Waal was the naanay of Garad Farah Garad Hirsi, a man who was a sultan for a brief time. He was known to be a great leader who was brave, and clever, and used riddles to unite people. Like all folktales though, this doesn’t claim to be a true story, but one filled with wisdom.

Long ago Wiil Waal set forth a riddle, “bring me part of one of your sheep. The sheep’s part should symbolize what can divide people or unite them as one.” The one who can do so will be honored as a wise man.

The men pick different parts to bring to the sultan with little success: a rib, a liver, a shoulder of meat. In a distant province a poor farmer who had few sheep and many children half heartedly prepared to slaughter his finest animal to present to Wiil Waal. His oldest daughter comes to help him, and he tells her the riddle. They work through it, and she thinks she is certain she knows the answer.

Trusting his daughter the farmer presents the sultan with what his daughter recommended. Quick to see that the farmer is not confident, he asks who solved the riddle and the story of the daughter’s intelligence is conveyed.

The book ends hinting that she is a future leader of Somalia. And no, I’m not going to tell you the answer. Go read the book!

Mar23

ABC’s of Pakistan by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Michile Khan

Posted on March 23, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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ABC’s of Pakistan by Marzieh Abbas illustrated by Michile Khan

I absolutely love this ABC book, it truly does Pakistan proud and I’m thrilled that I could obtain it, it wasn’t easy, sorry not sure where you can get it in the USA, and it isn’t available even at Liberty Books in Karachi, but if you can find it, grab a copy, or two because it really is a well done tour of the country. My only suggestions would be thicker pages, the hardback 8.5 x 11 binding is nice, but the pages seem to have curled in the transporting from overseas. Also, some pages have a large A or E, but others such as the words for B, C, D, are just all flowing story style over a two page spread. I don’t mind one way or another, but I do side with consistency, either have the letter on all pages singled out, or on none. The effort to string the pages together makes it read very much like a story, and I appreciate that it features little snippets of fact and history in talking bubbles throughout.

Little Hassan and his cat Makhan introduce themselves and then take you on a tourney of Pakistan. Included are landmarks, handicrafts, foods, famous people, festivals, sports, and more. It concludes with a reminder to carry facemasks and hand sanitizers, which might date the book a little in the future, it was published in 2020.

The book works for non Pakistani’s to learn, especially those of us with children that have not been to the “homeland,” as well as for Pakistanis in Pakistan to feel proud of their culture, history, tradition, and landmarks. There are beautiful masjids and the azaan mentioned and hijab wearing and non wearing women, as well as famous men and women included. It is inclusive on the F for festivals page where it mentions Eid, Basant, Christmas, Diwali, and Children’s Literature Festival.

Enjoyable text and illustrations alike. InshaAllah, will be more readily available if we can convince the author and illustrator and publisher that there is demand, I hope, hint hint. Happy Reading!

Mar9

The Katha Chest by Radhiah Chowdhury illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

Posted on March 9, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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The Katha Chest by Radhiah Chowdhury illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

This 40 page picture book for preschoolers and up shows connection to family, memories, and Bangladeshi culture as a little girl explores the quilts made from her Maa and aunts’ worn out saris. This book has been on my radar for a while and while there is nothing wrong with the slow and thoughtful story, it didn’t sweep me up in a hug and wow me, as I had hoped it would. The illustrations are as critical as the words in conveying the message, and the illustrations are indeed beautiful, I guess I just needed more. More connection to the emotion the little girl was feeling recalling the strong women in her life, more impact to the fact that her Nanu is no longer with them, and more understanding about the history of Bangladesh that seems to shape the memories. I worry that most readers simply won’t get anything other than the surface level of the book, which is ok, the memories woven through generations manifesting in quilts, is tangible and perhaps enough. I feel like, however, the framing of the story and the textless illustration pages attempted to add more layers to the story, and I think to anyone not Bangladeshi, those layers might not be understood. I wish their was an afterward with notes about the pictured references, inclusion of such backmatter would really open the book up to a wider audience, and give the book discussion and staying power in my opinion. If you are Bangladeshi this book will be a treasure I’m sure, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Asiya loves going to her Nanu’s house, there are treasures there. Her favorite treasure is the katha chest. An old trunk full of the quilts made from the old worn out saris of her Nanu, Maa, and khalas. She snuggles in their warmth and listens to the stories they tell. Stories of hardship, joy, skills learned, moves made, loss, death, love and family.

Boro Khala’s looks like Khalu’s medal, from a sad time when he was away. Mejo Khala bright oranges and yellow like her fingers. Shejo Khala’s is stiff and neat, she is never messy. Choto Khala’s has a white streak like the white saris she wears since Khalu died. Maa’s katha is patchworked and different than the others, and Nanu’s is paper thin and smells of tea, old books, porcelain and wood.

There is an author’s note and illustrator’s note detailing the construction and value of kathas, but nothing about Bangladeshi wars, wearing white after a husband’s death, or the textile skills and artistry shown. The book would read well with context or activities about family heirlooms, connections, and traditions.

Mar3

Wake Up! It’s the Ramadan Drummer by Mariam Hakim and Dalia Awad

Posted on March 3, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Wake Up! It’s the Ramadan Drummer by Mariam Hakim and Dalia Awad

The beautiful shimmering cover of this new Ramadan book drew me in from the first few pages with the emotional impact of the father in the story losing his job. Unfortunately the fun illustrations and overall story are not quite enough to make the book an enjoyable read over multiple readings. By the time you read the book a second time, the missing punctuation, the assumptions and continuity holes, make the book unravel. It has merit and highlights, I just really hope that an editor is brought in before a second printing takes place to clean up the sentences, patch the holes, and polish it to make it shine. It has so much potential, but it is disappointing especially if you have been waiting, perhaps a bit impatiently, to share this with children to get them excited for Ramadan. Even more so if you had hopes of reading it again and again throughout the month.

The book summarizes Ramadan on the first page, presumably making the ideal reader a Muslim already familiar with Ramadan significance, and then jumps into revealing that the Baba has lost his job. The optimistic mama isn’t deterred and sends the Baba and kids to the store so she can cook up something special.

While at the store an elderly woman greets the kids and their father as, “Abu Tabla.” The son dismisses it until later that night when Baba has gone to the mosque and Mama surprises Adam and Anisa with the story of their Baba’s baba walking the streets before dawn to wake people up for suhoor. She even digs out an old photograph, and with that, Adam is determined to get his father to revive the tradition.

I love that Adam and his Baba work together to figure out lyrics and a beat. I also like that it isn’t an instant success, but rather takes some grit, determination, and perseverance. I also like that the whole family and eventually neighborhood come together, and that men and women go to the masjid for fajr.

There are some concerns I have though as well. There are a lot of missing commas, the text uses mosque instead of masjid which reads inauthentic, and the whole old lady character, Hannah, is all sorts of underdeveloped. She has to introduce herself, yet she knows where Abu Tabla lives, a drum magically appears in her hands, and her prodding is based on the premise that she knows what is going on inside people’s homes, what they are thinking, and what their intentions are. I get that it is a kid’s story, but by the second or third reading it is hard to unsee how erroneous the logic is. Especially when fasting like so many acts in Islam, are between a person and Allah swt, not for everyone else to judge.

Presumably the story takes place in an Islamic majority setting and the neighbors are all Muslim, which offers a great discussion starter for readers in non Muslim majority places to find ways to maybe share Ramadan or to imagine living where everyone is fasting.

I feel like the last few pages about the drummer going viral is unnecessary, and the story could have, and probably should have, ended with the family and parade entering the masjid. I particularly found it odd that a line reads, “News of the Ramadan drummer tradition starting up again reached as far as Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, Turkey and even Indonesia,” why is Indonesia called out like that? Seems off putting somehow, not inclusive. The book concludes by circling back to the Baba getting paid to wake people up and finding jobs through the people also coming to fajr, which seems a bit raw for a children’s book. A simpler, “even though Baba found another job, being the drummer was still the one he loved most,” would have tied everything up a little better for the demographic. I’m hoping to include this story during one of my weekly Ramadan story times in my local community, and will probably skip the last few pages and just read the hadith at the end about waking up for suhoor.

Feb14

Spirit of the Cheetah: A Somali Tale by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed illustrated by Julia Cairns

Posted on February 14, 2022 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Spirit of the Cheetah: A Somali Tale by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed illustrated by Julia Cairns

This timeless 40 page tale of a young boy as he prepares for his right of passage into adulthood is rich with wisdom, culture, and tradition. So many gentle lessons can be found in the book, as it leaves deeper understanding and connection to be felt and explored long after the book has been closed and returned to the shelf. There are seemingly hijab wearing #muslimsintheillustrations, and the author’s name would suggest she is also a Muslim, but with the line, “Called on the spirit of Shabelle,” and talk of the “Spirit of the cheetah,” it is hard to know for sure if the main character is.

The story starts with Roblay running everywhere in preparation for an upcoming race where he hopes to place in the top three, and prove he is a man and no longer a boy. On the day of the race he races his fastest, but he does not come out at the top.

His grandfather, his Awoowo, tells him that to be successful he needs to capture the spirit of their people and leave his thumbprint on a cheetah’s coat. His grandfather then tells him about the cheetahs long ago and how the river is named after them. He explains that thumbprints on a cheetah’s fur honor those that have proven themselves.

Roblay trains and searches for many days. He wonders if it is enough to mark a cub. But his grandfather asks him if he wants to remain a cub. This motivates Roblay to work harder. When a year has passed and the race is about to take place again, he finally touches his cheetah.

He lines up for the race strong, proud and sleek, and he has the chance again to prove he is a man and make his family proud. Nope, not going to tell you how it ends.

The book starts with an Author’s notes from both authors and concludes with Notes on the Cheetah.

Nov17

A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

Posted on November 17, 2021 by islamicschoollibrarian

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A Sari for Ammi by Mamta Nainy illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

This book combines knowledge with a sweet story and a spunky narrator. Over 32 brightly illustrated pages the reader learns about the art of dyeing yarn, weaving, and the tradition of weaving saris in India moving from Mysore to Kaithoon in Kota. The little girl loves it all, helping her father dye the threads, and watching her mother work the loom. It often takes a month to make a sari, and her mother makes beautiful saris, but she never wears them. With the help of her older sister Sadaf, the little girl hopes to earn enough money to gift her mother a beautiful sari to wear. It will take a lot of work, some community help, and some sacrifice, but Ammi is worth it and the girls are up for the challenge. Preschool to early elementary readers will enjoy learning about the daily life of these amazing Indian Muslim artisans and a craft that they perhaps were not aware existed.

The buffalo are sleeping, but in the afternoon Abba is busy dyeing threads, and mama is weaving colors into prints of mangoes, peacocks, birds, leaves, and flowers. The whole family helps. Abba goes to the haat to sell the completed saris. Sometimes Mama goes as well, but she doesn’t wear the saris, she wears worn-out salwar-kameezes.

One day, when Ammi finishes a particularly beautiful sari the little girl asks her to keep it, but her Ammi says, “If we keep the saris, how will we eat?” The little girl doesn’t understand, they don’t eat saris.

Sadaf explains to her little sister that the only way their Ammi will wear a sari is if they buy her one. So the little girl breaks her bank apart to count the money she has and convinces Sadaf that the things they wanted with the money are nothing compared to how much they want something for their mother.

But Sadaf says they only have enough money for a towel, not a sari, so the girls gather some items to sell to the junk man. They have enough to buy Ammi a duputta, but still not a sari.

They wander home through the wheat field trying to come up with other money raising ideas. The wheat remind the little girl of worshippers on Eid day- all praying together at the mosque. The little girl remembers that sometimes their neighbor Amina Khala purchases dyed threads from them and they rush over to see if she has any work for them. Luckily she does, and they have just enough to buy a sari for Ammi and be rewarded with a smile and tears from their beloved and talented mother.

The book has an information page at the end about The Saris of Kaithoon, as well as a glossary. The story ends a bit abruptly, but the teardrop in the illustrations, the hugging, and the smile, do provide a universal relatability to parents everywhere when their children gift them something so genuinely from the heart. The illustrations also show women with their heads covered going about their daily life.

Nov9

Arab Arab All Year Long! by Cathy Camper illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi

Posted on November 9, 2021 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Arab Arab All Year Long! by Cathy Camper illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi

This 40 page month-by-month celebration of Arab culture, both old an new, will be a source of pride and smiles for readers of all ages. The author is an Arab American of Lebanese decent and the illustrator was born in Lebanon. The book shows Muslim’s teaching others about Ramadan, looking up hijabi fashions, as well as making cookies at Easter and dressing in sleeveless shirts. To be Arab is not a monolith and this book seems to convey that culture and tradition and love are all it takes to be included in the broad diverse identity of being Arab.

January starts with finding stars with Arabic names, and February recalls how a comic about Martin Luther King, Jr. helped inspire the Arab Spring. The kids in turn make a comic to teach others about Ramadan. March is a chuckle about Arab time, and April is making maamoul with Sitti for Easter. May is learning to write Arabic and June for gathering grape leaves to make warak enab. July is picnics that remind mama of Morocco and making perfume with familiar smells and memories.

August is playing the doumbek with Dad who is in an Arab band. September is researching hijab costumes to wear to comic con. Dressing up like Umm Kulthum wins first prize. October is pomegranate time, which means the kids jump in the tub to eat and enjoy the messy fruit. Chilly November air requires the Palestinian keffiyeh to keep memories warm, and December when friends are busy over winter break it is time for sleep-overs and henna parties.

I like that dressing up is not for Halloween and that while some examples are country specific, many are general. The book specifically mentions a few Arab countries, but the electronic arc did not include all the supplemental information that the published hardback book will contain. I can’t wait to check it out and gift to my Arab friends and their children.

Sep17

Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed

Posted on September 17, 2021 by islamicschoollibrarian

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Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed

Make sure you are sitting in a comfy spot when you crack open this middle grades fantasy adventure, because it hits the ground running from the very beginning and doesn’t let up over 368 pages. The like-able and relatable brother sister duo snarkily banter and bicker about everything from cultural Indian (Desi) folklore, religious stories, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, He-Man, Arabic Sesame Street, Star Wars, hygiene, fears, potential science fair projects, and food, all while battling jinn, devs, peris, and reality as they work to save the worlds. The book is chalked full of STEM concepts, cultural touchstone, Islamic footholds, pop culture, and fun, as one character remarks, it is the ultimate fan fiction. I regularly Googled people, references, and concepts, and ended up learning quite a bit. And don’t fret if you ever get lost or confused, or something doesn’t make sense, you don’t have to worry that you missed something or that the author left a gap in the narrative, the book moves quick and Amira’s constant dialogue and commentary points out all the ridiculousness of what they are experiencing and the questions that she wishes she had time to ask, explore, and discover. The author never loses control of the narrative, and keeps the world building on level without skimping on details and understanding. I have not loved any of the author’s previous books in their entirety, I think this one, however, is her best one yet, and the switch to middle grades is a good fit.

SYNOPSIS:

Twelve-year-old Amira and her 10-year-old brother Hamza are heading to the Shriner’s Madinah Temple in their hometown of Chicago to explore the exhibit of Ancient Astronomy artifacts, or as Hamza calls it “tools that belonged to dead Muslim Astrologers.” Hosted by the Islamic Society of Ancient Astronomy corresponds with the eclipse viewing party of the incredibly rare super blood blue moon. In typical Hamza fashion however, a Nerf gun is brought and things are touched. When Amira is tasked with bringing her brother up to the roof to learn how to use the telescopes, the two scuffle over a small box with a tiny moon inside, a series of snatching and tussling between the siblings cause the Box of the Moon to break, or rather start working. As day turns to night, the moon seems to be breaking a part, and everyone in the world is suspended in sleep except for Amira and Hamza, and an entire jinn army is heading their way.

When jinn leaders Abdul Rahman and Maqbool reach the children they must convince them that they are not there to harm them, but rather to recruit them as the chosen ones to save the worlds: Qaf and Earth and the barrier, the moon, that keeps the realms separate from destruction at the hands of Ifrit. The confusion over there being two of them creeps up, but is squashed as Suleiman the Wise left tests to prove that the chosen one is properly equipped to battle Iftrit as it has been prophesized. The children must work together to prove themselves they must then actually seek out and defeat Ifrit. As tests and challenges arise, it becomes clear (pun intended) that the two are not the chosen ones, but with no option of turning back they must forge ahead none-the-less.

“What? We’re Indian, dude, we were basically born half doctor.”

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love Amira and Hamza’s banter. The references are at times laugh out loud funny. Similarly, I was impressed by all the historical and STEM concepts intertwined in the story, there is even a tiny bit about mental health. I learned about parts of the moon, historical figures, folklore, and more. The characters are Muslim, Amira wears Ayatul Kursi around her neck and they talk of Sunday school. The book isn’t religious though, in they aren’t saying Bismillah before they embark on things, or supplicating when in danger, but they greet different beings with peace, and the framing is clearly from an Islamic paradigm. I think the high speed pacing works for most of the book, and somehow you still get to know and connect with the characters, but at times a slight pause to clarify a point would have been nice. I would have liked to have the kids proving they were the chosen ones a bit more articulate and dramatic before hand rather than in retrospect. I feel like the jinn transportation of cauldrons could have used a bit of backstory as well. And a little fleshing out of the scroll, the government structure and communication methods of Qaf, would have helped some of the transitions between the action. I read a digital ARC and it had a page reserved for a map, and I think when the physical book comes out that will be really helpful, as I didn’t quite fully understand the 18 realms and their locations in comparison to the locations the children encounter.

FLAGS:

UPDATE: I TOOK THIS BOOK AS COMPLETE FICTION. THAT THE ISLAMIC PREMISE WAS A STARTING OFF POINT, AND DIDN’T DWELL TOO MUCH ON THE ACCURACY. I READ AN ADVANCED READER COPY OF THE BOOK THAT DID NOT HAVE ALL THE SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHOR’S NOTES AND RESOURCES AT THE END. I WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AUTHOR FELT SHE WAS INCOPERATING FACT AND ACCURACY IN THIS INCREDIBLY FICTIONALIZED BOOK. AND AS A RESULT I AM NERVOUS TO SUGGEST THIS BOOK TO THE MIDDLE GRADE INTENDED AUDIENCE. IF YOU HAVE A MUSLIM CHILD THAT IS WELL VERSED ON PROPHET SULAIMAN, THE CONCEPT OF FICTION, AND IS OLDER THAN THE IMPRESSIONABLE EIGHT OR NINE YEAR OLD INTENDED AUDIENCE, ONLY THEN PERHAPS WOULD THIS BOOK WORK FOR YOU. IT WOULD BE VERY MISLEADING IF YOUR CHILD TAKES THE TWISTED STORY AS FACTUAL AND BASED ON THE NOTES AND RESOURCES AT THE END, THIS VERY WELL COULD HAPPEN. To read more about the concerns you can click here and head over to Muslim Mommy Blogs take on the book.

There is magic and magical beings. A transgendered jinn. It mentions Amira and Hamza celebrating Halloween. Death and fighting.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I think this would be a great audio book to listen to with the family or a read aloud in a middle grades classroom. It is too young for middle school readers to not find it slightly predictable, but if you had it on a classroom or home shelf I am sure it would be picked up, read, enjoyed by middle grades and middle schoolers alike. It reads much like the Rick Riordan Presents series and I hope that there are more books featuring Amira and Hamza in the future.