Middle Eastern

Realistic fiction

Nonfiction

Traditional

Biography

Historical fiction

Poetry

Fantasy

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Realistic fiction:

Carmi, D. (2002). Samir and Yonatan. Blue Sky Press. (4-8)

Riding his bicycle down the market steps, a young Palestinian falls and smashes his knee so badly that he needs surgery. For the first time in his life, Samir leaves his home in the Occupied Territories to go to a Jewish hospital where an American doctor will operate on him. While waiting for the procedure, Samir gets to know the other children on his ward, all Jews. Beautiful Ludmilla is pining away for her home in Russia and refusing to eat. Razia hides under her bed in fear of her father. Hyperactive Tzahi can't urinate properly and, most importantly, Yonatan with the crippled arm introduces Samir to the stars, computer games, and the way imagination can take one away from a place of pain. As Samir thinks about the home he misses, details of his family life are revealed. Readers learn that his younger brother was killed, shot while playing in the street by a man wearing the same uniform that Tzahi’s brother wears when he visits. His older brother has gone to Kuwait to earn money and his mother works two jobs. His father has stopped talking. As the hospitalized children spend time together, they come to support one another, forming a team that crosses cultural boundaries. Samir and Yonatan take an illegal night outing to commandeer an office computer to play a game. Life in the hospital is described as clearly as life in the Occupied Territories and readers will sympathize with Samir’s fear and loneliness and welcome his new friendships. Written in Hebrew but published first in Germany, the book is smoothly translated and will have wide appeal. (School Library Journal)

da Costa, D. (2001). Snow in Jerusalem. Illustrated by C. Van Wright & Y. Hu. Albert Whitman. (1-4)

Although they live in different quarters of Jerusalem, a Jewish boy and a Muslim boy are surprised to discover they have been caring for the same stray cat. (card catalog)

Heide, F. P. & Gilliland, J. H. (1995). The day of Ahmed’s secret. Illustrated by T. Lewin. HarperTrophy. (1-4)

A young Egyptian boy describes the city of Cairo as he goes about his daily work and waits for the evening to share a special surprise with his family. (card catalog)

Matze, C. S. (2002). The stars in my Geddoh’s sky. Illustrated by B. Farnsworth. Albert Whitman. (K-3)

Alex’s Arabic-speaking grandfather comes to visit the United States, and Alex learns about his grandfather’s Middle Eastern homeland. (card catalog)

Mobin-Uddin, A. (2005). My name is Bilal. Illustrated by B. Ciwak. Boyds Mills Press.

(4-6)

A well-done treatment of a subject not often seen in children’s picture books. Bilal transfers to a school where he and his sister are the only Muslim children. After an incident in which a boy pulls off Ayesha’s headscarf, Bilal decides to hide the fact that he is Muslim until an understanding teacher, who is also Muslim, gives him a biography of Bilal ibn Rabah, a black slave who became the very first muezzin because of his steadfastness in the face of religious persecution. Attractive watercolor illustrations emphasize the parallels between the persecution faced by Bilal ibn Rabah and that faced by the American boy. This is an important book for most libraries as it will enhance discussions of cultural diversity and understanding. (School Library Journal)

Nye, N. S. (1999). Habibi. Simon Pulse. (5-6)

The day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very little about her family’s Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can’t understand. It isn’t until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home? (amazon.com)

Nye, N. S. (1997). Sitti’s secrets. Illustrated by N. Carpenter. Aladdin Picture Books. (K-3)

A young girl describes a visit to see her grandmother in a Palestinian village on the West Bank. (card catalog)

Stolz, J. (2006). The shadows of Ghadames. Translated by C. Temerson. Yearling. (5-8)

In the Libyan city of Ghadames at the end of the nineteenth century, Malika is dreading her twelfth birthday. That is the time when, according to her family’s Berber customs, she will be close to marriageable age and confined to the world of women. In Ghadames that means restriction to the rooftops, "a city above the city, an open sunny town for women only, where . . . they never talk to men.” Malika longs to live beyond the segregated city and travel, like her father, a trader. But the wider world comes to Malika after her father’s two wives agree to harbor, in secret, a wounded stranger. The story of an outsider who unsettles a household and helps a young person to grow is certainly nothing new, and some of the lessons here are purposeful. But Stolz invigorates her tale with elegant prose and a deft portrayal of a girl verging on adolescence. The vivid backdrop is intoxicating, but the story’s universal concerns will touch readers most: sibling jealously, confusion about adult customs, and a growing interest in a world beyond family. (Booklist)

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Nonfiction:

Boueri, M., Boutros, J. & Sayad, J. (2006) Lebanon A to Z: A Middle Eastern mosaic. Illustrated by T. Sabbagh. Publishing Works. (3-5)

This charming book, written with sensitivity, introduces the reader to Lebanon and the vitality of its people. It is indeed a mosaic of cultures that makes Lebanon unique in this part of the world. (Press release, Revolution Booksellers)

Boueri, M. (2005). Lebanon 1-2-3: A counting book in three languages. Illustrated by M. T. Dabaji. Publishing Works. (K-3)

In this simple counting book, two Lebanese children go to their grandparents’ house, where they spend the day playing and feasting with many relatives. Each double-page spread features a large, colorful painting and a brief couplet written in English, French, and Arabic. The pleasing, naive style art is occasionally reminiscent of Matisse in its simplicity of form, vibrancy of color, and use of pattern. The verses, which sometimes rhyme, point out things in the picture to count, such as "Nine neighbors gather, young and old.” Appended are pronunciation guides for all three languages, a few pages that show each scene in miniature and list more objects for children to count, and a map of Lebanon. The last page presents a brief text about the country and notes that most of its people speak English, French, and Arabic. Written by an American with Lebanese ties and illustrated by an artist who lives in the country today, this is one of the few picture books that offers American children a glimpse of Lebanon. (School Library Journal)

Douglass, S. L. (2003). Ramadan (On my own holidays). Illustrated by J. Reeves. Carolrhoda. (1-4)

An introduction to Islamic observances during the month of Ramadan and the subsequent festival of Eid-al-Fitr. (card catalog)

Fitterer, C. A. (2002). Arab Americans (Spirit of America: Our cultural heritage). Child’s World. (3-5)

Introduces readers to the Arab American culture, immigration aspects, customs, religion, foods, and holidays. Famous Arab Americans, as well as noted contributions and inventions by Arab Americans, are also presented. (amazon.com)

Ganeri, A. (2003). Muslim Festivals through the year (A Year of Festivals) . Franklin Watts. (1-4)

No synopsis available.

Ghazi, S. H. (1996). Ramadan. Illustrated by O. Rayyan. Holiday House. (1-4)

Describes the celebration of the month of Ramadan by an Islamic family and discusses the meaning and importance of this holiday in the Islamic religion. (card catalog)

Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (2001). Celebrating Ramadan. Illustrated by L. Migdale. Holiday House. (2-5)

An Islamic family observes a month of prayer and fasting, which is followed by celebration. (amazon.com)

Moreno, B. (2003). The Arab Americans: We came to America (We came to America). Mason Crest. (4-6)

No synopsis available.

Stamaty, M. A. (2004). Alia’s mission: Saving the books of Iraq. Knopf. (3-6)

New York Times Book Review cartoonist recounts the heroic story of Iraqi librarian Alia Muhammad Baker in a swift, 32-page, comic-book format. Stamaty’s soft gray-and-beige panels realistically capture Baker’s tremendous undertaking as she rescues over 30,000 volumes from her library in Basra before it’s besieged. The drawings themselves intensify the traumatic story, and the in-your-face, all-caps dialogue bubbles enhance the sense of impending doom about to befall the library and the people. A fast-paced and informative Middle Eastern study for younger audiences. (School Library Journal)

Winter, J. (2005). The librarian of Basra: A true story from Iraq. Harcourt Children’s Books. (3-5)

Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand books within it--will be destroyed forever.
In a war-stricken country where civilians--especially women--have little power, this true story about a librarian’s struggle to save her community’s priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries. (amazon.com)

Wolf, B. (2003). Coming to America: A Muslim family’s story. Lee & Low. (3-5)

Addressing the surprising scarcity of books designed to introduce young readers to American adherents of this rapidly growing faith, Wolf adds impersonal, but specific, commentary to a generous set of big, bright photos to profile a family of Egyptian immigrants living in New York City. Hassan Mahmoud works nights and frets about not seeing enough of his family. His wife, Soad, hampered by her lack of English, seems practically a shut-in, except when she goes to language class. On the other hand, the three Mahmoud children have adapted to their new country well, and are seen doing familiar tasks at home and at school, being with non-Muslim friends, enjoying both traditional foods at dinner and an American-style cake brought in to celebrate a birthday. Wolf ends on a formal note, with photos of the family at prayer in a Manhattan mosque. Though the character portraits in this photo-essay are more generalized than those in Hoyt-Goldsmith's Celebrating Ramadan (2001), and larger issues, such as post-September 11 tensions, remain unexamined, children will come away more likely to consider the Mahmouds, and immigrant families like them, neighbors, rather than strangers. (Booklist)

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Traditional:

Climo, S. (1991). The Egyptian Cinderella. Illustrated by R. Heller. HarperTrophy. (K-3)

In this version of Cinderella set in Egypt in the sixth century B.C., Rhodopes, a slave girl, eventually comes to be chosen by the Pharaoh to be his queen. (card catalog)

Hickox, R. (1999). The golden sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella story. Illustrated by W. Hillenbrand. Holiday House. (K-3)

An Iraqi version of the Cinderella story in which a kind and beautiful girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister finds a husband with the help of a magic fish. (card catalog)

Johnson-Davies, D. (2005). Goha the wise fool. Illustrated by H. H. M. Fattouh & H. E. S. Ahmed. Philomel. (2-4)

Meet Goha, that funny little man with the faithful donkey, whose tales, beloved for their wit and wisdom, have been passed down through the streets of the smallest villages of the Middle East for centuries. Meet Goha, who in making us laugh at him, shows us—young and old everywhere— that we can laugh at ourselves.
Collected by one of the Middle East’s most prestigious translators and illustrated in whimsical handsewn khimeyas, this is a joyful celebration of the best of Goha, one of folklore’s most unexpected and beloved heroes. (amazon.com)

Kimmel, E. A. (1995). Rimonah of the flashing sword: A North African tale. Holiday House. (K-3)

A traditional Egyptian version of Snow White. (card catalog)

Kimmel, E. A. (1994). The three princes: A tale from the Middle East. Illustrated by L. E. Fisher. Holiday House. (1-4)

A princess promises to marry the prince who finds the most precious treasure. (card catalog)

Sunami C. (2002). How the fisherman tricked the genie. Illustrated by A. Hirao. Atheneum. (3-5)

This story-within-a-story begins when a poor fisherman catches a brass bottle. Opening it, a genie that has been imprisoned for 3000 years is released and angrily expands to a great size, announcing that he will kill his rescuer. The fisherman tells him a story of a man who kills the doctor who healed him of a disease because the monarch found the cure humiliating, and another story in which a prince kills his faithful dog. The genie is not moved by the tales and demonstrates his great power by making himself even larger. The clever man then asks if he can make himself tiny, and the foolish genie is soon back in the bottle and cast into the sea. "The rising of the moon./The setting of the sun./The teller is tired./The story is done.” The illustrator’s effective use of shape creates a sense of mystery and magic in this original tale that incorporates motifs from the "Arabian Nights,” folktales, fables, and biblical accounts. Readers will take satisfaction in seeing the poor fisherman outwit evil in this complex and creative story cycle. (School Library Journal)

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Biography:

Demi. (2003). Muhammad. Margaret K. McElderry. (4-6)

Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith. (card catalog)

Rumford, J. (2001). Traveling man: The journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325 – 1354. Houghton Mifflin. (3-6)

Ibn Battuta was the traveler of his age—the fourteenth century, a time before Columbus when many believed the world to be flat. Like Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta left behind an account of his own incredible journey from Morocco to China, from the steppes of Russia to the shores of Tanzania, some seventy-five thousand miles in all.
James Rumford has retold Ibn Battuta’s story in words and pictures, adding the element of ancient Arab maps—maps as colorful and as evocative as a Persian miniature, as intricate and mysterious as a tiled Moroccan wall.
Into this arabesque of pictures and maps, James Rumford has woven the story not just of a traveler in a world long gone but of a man on his journey through life. (amazon.com)

Rumford, J. (2000). Seeker of knowledge: The man who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs. Houghton Mifflin. (2-5)

To a child, the future is a magnificent dream. For Jean-Francois Champollion, the dream was to sail up the Nile in Egypt and uncover the secrets of the past. In 1802, when Champollion was eleven years old, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs. He faced great challenges over the next twenty years as he searched for the elusive key to the mysterious writing -- and the fulfillment of his dreams. (amazon.com)

Stanley, D. (2002). Saladin: Noble prince of Islam. HarperCollins. (4-6)

Forty years before the boy was born, a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians thundered out of the west and conquered his native land. They had succeeded because his people, ever at war with one another, had not fought together to defend their cities. In time the boy was destined to become the very leader that was needed, a man with the courage and vision to unite his people and face the most fearsome and brilliant warrior of the age. The time was the twelfth century; the barbarian horde was the armies of the First Crusade; the great warrior was Richard the Lionhearted; and the leader was Saladin. This is more than the other side of a familiar Western story, the Crusades. It is the tale of an extraordinary man, remarkable for his generous and chivalrous ways, a warrior who longed for peace. Courageous in battle and merciful in victory, he would be revered even by his enemies as the "marvel of his time.” In her vibrant narrative and magnificently detailed illustrations inspired by the Islamic art of the time, Diane Stanley presents a hero whose compassion, piety, tolerance, and wisdom made him a model for his time -- and for ours. (amazon.com)

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Poetry

Nye, N. S. (2002). The flag of childhood: Poems from the Middle East. Aladdin. (3-6)

In this stirring anthology of sixty poems from the Middle East, honored anthologist Naomi Shihab Nye welcomes us to this lush, vivid world and beckons us to explore. Eloquent pieces from Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and elsewhere open windows into the hearts and souls of people we usually meet only on the nightly news. What we see when we look through these windows is the love of family, friends, and for the Earth, the daily occurrences of life that touch us forever, the longing for a sense of place. What we learn is that beneath the veil of stereotypes, our human connections are stronger than our cultural differences. (amazon.com)

Yolen, J. (1996). O Jerusalem: Voices of a sacred city. Illustrated by J. Thompson. Scholastic. (4-6)

A poetic tribute to Jerusalem, in honor of the 3000th anniversary of its founding, celebrating its history as a holy city for three major religions. (card catalog)