Arab American Heritage Month, Vampires, And More Great Kids’ Books!

Since today is Eid, it seemed fitting to include an Eid-themed book. This adorable picture book follows Safa as she and her family prepare for Eid al-Fitr. Her mom draws henna patterns on her hands, she helps her dad with the decorations, and she helps welcome guests. She’s looking forward to the presents she will receive, but her family tells her that the most special part of Eid is sharing with neighbors, which is exactly what they then do.

This gentle autobiographical picture book tells the story of three Palestinian diaspora daughters learning about their homeland through their father’s stories. Their father grew up in the Old City of Jerusalem and tells his daughters many vibrant stories about his life there before bed. The book is full of warmth and joy, even amid the father’s sorrow at never being able to return and the daughter’s knowledge that they will never visit. Family photos are included as endpapers.

This middle grade graphic novel is the hilarious sequel to Huda F Are You? Huda and her family are taking a vacation to Disney World. The Muslim community in Dearborn, where they live, is strong, and it’s a culture shock to travel to Florida, where Huda’s hijab is mocked by some white girls her age at the park and where people stare when they pray. Huda does befriend another girl at the amusement park, but in so doing, accidentally loses track of her sisters. This is a fun graphic novel and a great glimpse into life as an Arab American tween girl.

I reviewed this last year, but I wanted to highlight it in this list as well. This is a fantastic middle grade novel told from two perspectives. Kareem lives in Damascus, Syria, and becomes a graffiti artist with a group of other boys to protest against the government. Worried about his safety, Kareem’s parents send him to live with his cousin Samira, who lives in a suburb in Massachusetts. Samira is the only Muslim Arab student at her school and longs to fit in. While initially she’s excited to have Kareem live with her and her family, she soon realizes that his presence sets her even more apart at school.