Adult Picks

New Moons: Contemporary Writing by North American Muslims

edited by Kazim Ali

The goal with this anthology is to represent that full range of contemporary expressions of Islam, as well as a full range of genres—poetry, fiction, essay, memoir, political writing, cultural writing, and of course plenty of texts which mix and match and blur all of these modes . . . the trajectories between the pieces—like that of kismet—will be multiple, nonlinear, abstract. The Muslim community is plural and contradictory. This collection of voices ought to be symphony and cacophony at once, like the body of Muslims as they are today.

Temple Folk

 by Aaliyah Bilal

In Temple Folk, Black Muslims contemplate the convictions of their race, religion, economics, politics, and sexuality in America. The ten stories in this collection contribute to the bounty of diverse narratives about Black life by intimately portraying the experiences of a community that resists the mainstream culture to which they are expected to accept and aspire to while functioning within the country in which they are born.

Zahra's Paradise

by Amir and Khalil

A graphic-novel release of the acclaimed online serialized story follows the desperate search for a young Iranian protester who went missing in the aftermath of Iran's fraudulent 2009 elections, a search kept alive by his dedicated mother and tenacious blogger brother.

Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman's Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim

by Sabeeha Rehman

Threading My Prayer Rug is a richly textured reflection on what it is to be a Muslim in America today. It is also the luminous story of many journeys: from Pakistan to the United States in an arranged marriage that becomes a love match lasting forty years; from secular Muslim in an Islamic society to devout Muslim in a society ignorant of Islam, and from liberal to conservative to American Muslim; from student to bride and mother; and from an immigrant intending to stay two years to an American citizen, business executive, grandmother, and tireless advocate for interfaith understanding.

Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of longing and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel, at its heart it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home.

We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders: A Memoir of Love and Resistance

by Linda Sarsour

Linda Sarsour, co-organizer of the Women’s March, shares an “unforgettable memoir” (Booklist) about how growing up Palestinian Muslim American, feminist, and empowered moved her to become a globally recognized activist on behalf of marginalized communities across the country. Now heralded for her award-winning leadership of the Women’s March on Washington, Sarsour offers a “moving memoir [that] is a testament to the power of love in action”.

Kid and Teen Picks

The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story

by Aya Khalil

Ages: 4-8

Kanzi's family has moved from Egypt to America, and on her first day in a new school, what she wants more than anything is to fit in. Maybe that's why she forgets to take the kofta sandwich her mother has made for her lunch, but that backfires when Mama shows up at school with the sandwich. Mama wears a hijab and calls her daughter Habibti. When she leaves, the teasing starts. That night, Kanzi wraps herself in the beautiful Arabic quilt her grandma in Cairo gave her and writes a poem in Arabic about the quilt. In the end, Kanzi's most treasured reminder of her old home provides a pathway for acceptance in her new one.

Do You Even Know Me?

by Reem Faruqi

Ages: 4-8

Salma is Muslim, an identity she takes pride in. But not everyone understands Salma’s religion the way she does, including news reporters, and even a boy in her class, who bullies Salma for belonging to the culture and faith she loves. However, when things go too far, Salma says, “Enough is enough!” and finds the courage to defend herself while also spreading a message of peace.

Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library

by Hena Khan

Ages: 5-10

Merhaba! Welcome! Meet Al-Qarawiyyin Library--the oldest library in the world. Do you want to see what magical treasures are behind its doors? You'll find special reading rooms where young and old gathered to discuss, debate, and discover the world. And, most important, the collection of books that hold knowledge more valuable than any jewels! Open its doors, unlock its story, and discover an adventure that only a library can share.

The Turtle of Oman

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Ages: 9-12

Aref does not want to leave Oman. He does not want to leave his school, his friends, or his beloved grandfather, Sidi. He does not want to live in Michigan, where his parents will go to graduate school. His mother is desperate for him to pack his suitcase but he refuses. Finally, she calls Sidi for help. But rather than pack, Aref and Sidi go on a series of adventures. At each stop, Sidi finds a small stone that he later slips into Aref’s suitcase—mementos of home.

Other Words for Home

by Jasmine Warga

Ages: 9-12

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before.

Home Is Not A Country

by Safia Elhillo

Ages: 14-17

Nima wishes she were someone else. She doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land. She doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town; yet somehow, she isn't different enough to belong elsewhere. Her best friend is the only person with whom she can truly be herself. Until she can't, and suddenly her only refuge is gone. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen—the name her parents meant to give her at birth—Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And the life Nima wishes were someone else's. is one she will need to fight for with a fierceness she never knew she possessed.