(2) 4-6 Nine-year-old Brandon Chavez has been suspended from school for fighting, so he goes to work with his father at Windows on the World, a restaurant on the 107th floor in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It is September 11, 2001. Brandon gets separated from his father before the disaster begins, then has to rely on, and help, strangers to survive. Fast-forward to September 2019, where Reshmina is an eleven-year-old Afghan girl living in a village miles from the capital of Kabul. Her older sister had been killed on her wedding day by an American drone, and her family struggles with the fear and poverty caused by a lifetime of war. Reshmina tries to talk her twin brother out of joining the Taliban for work and revenge, while reluctantly giving shelter to a wounded American soldier. Gratz (Refugee, rev. 11/17; Grenade, rev. 11/18) moves back and forth between the two narratives in short, nail-biting chapters that create a vivid picture of each setting and make readers feel invested in each character's relationships and choices, and in the high-stakes global forces that affect the intimate details of their lives. Big and small questions and lessons offered within the story worlds make this a great discussion starter (though some readers may benefit from additional context about Islam). A detailed author's note explains how Gratz used historical fact to inform his thought-provoking novel.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(3) PS Illustrated by Hatem Aly. "As-salaamu Alaykum!" Young readers are welcomed to a mosque brimming with faithful family, friends, and community. A child narrator tells us about the people, sights, and sounds encountered in their mosque; engaging digital illustrations incorporate scans of ink washes, textures, and patterns that add culturally meaningful detail to the colorful scenes. Both text and art convey some tenets of Islam and emphasize the mosque's role as a place for faith and celebration. An author's note provides some more information; an annotated list of historic mosques around the world might inspire further research. A glossary and source list are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) YA In a near-future dystopian world, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin, a Muslim, is ripped from her home and sent to a desert camp by a racist, Islamophobic regime. Layla and others resist, but freedom may come at the cost of lives. The line between speculative fiction and contemporary realism has never been fuzzier than in this emotionally authentic, devastatingly intimate, startlingly concrete portrait of democratic impotence and governmental oppression.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) YA Foreword by Firoozeh Dumas. Born to a French mother and Iranian father, Homayoonfarar moved from the U.S. to Iran in 1976 at age five. Short chapters follow the author's coming of age amid the abrupt cultural changes and turbulent historical backdrop of the Iranian Revolution and war with Iraq. Temporal shifts are sometimes hard to follow in this otherwise moving and relatable memoir. Includes an insert of family snapshots. Timeline.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey. The narrator recalls her childhood growing up in Iran. The child accompanies her grandma on her daily routines, including spending time with friends; as Grandma and her best friend laugh, drink coffee, and knit blankets for their mosque and church, respectively, the children (and readers) witness a beautiful interfaith friendship. Yankey's muted illustrations work well to convey cherished memories and love, with thoughtful cultural details incorporated throughout.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura K. Horton. As Sophia's family prepares for Ramadan, she decides she wants to fast so her heart will feel "sparkly." This sincere yet wordy story, with colorful, culturally specific illustrations, pays homage to a Muslim family's gentle support of a child's first fast. The author's note emphasizes the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of fasting.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(3) 4-6 Immigrant Experiences series. This series provides general glimpses into many immigrant groups' struggles in the U.S. Vignettes (with direct quotes) of real immigrants striving for citizenship and acceptance in America add intimacy and impact to the presentation; frank discussions of discrimination are included. Photographs extend the narratives. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Immigrant Experiences titles: Catholic Immigrants, Indian Immigrants, Chinese Immigrants, Central American Immigrants, Jewish Immigrants, Russian Immigrants, Filipino Immigrants and Muslim Immigrants

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shirin Adl. Twenty-one pithy tales starring the pan-Muslim trickster figure Mulla Nasruddin challenge readers' perceptions. In one story, a man asks Nasruddin, standing on the opposite bank of a river, how he can cross to the other side. Nasruddin replies, "What a birdbrain...You are on the other side!" With his towering turban, expressive face, and fluffy cotton gravity-defying beard, Nasruddin will elicit giggles even as readers contemplate the puzzles he poses. Mixed-media illustrations incorporate paper, tissue, felt, yarn, sticks, beads, and more. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) YA In post–Arab Spring Saudi Arabia, Leena and her best friend Mishail delight in small rebellions against their male-controlled, religiously strict society. But Leena's flippancy soon falls away to reveal the precariousness of both girls’ lives. In a growing oeuvre centering on experiences of young Muslim women, Deracine's debut stands out for its nuanced characterization and twisting plot. Arabic vocabulary and Saudi cultural concepts are explained for outsiders without bogging down the prose. Glos.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) YA After a scandalous modeling photo of Ghazala appears on a Times Square billboard, the NYU student and her friends Mariam and Umar go on a road trip to New Orleans to decompress. In this humorous and hard-hitting new-adult novel, the South Asian Muslim Americans confront Islamophobia in the Deep South and take on personal issues such as locating an absent parent and reconciling Islam with homosexuality.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(3) 4-6 Orca Origins series. This introduction to Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, balances information with personal stories and uses a variety of visual storytelling techniques (sidebars, pull-out quotes, recipes, etc.). Mindfulness of cultural nuances ("there really is no such thing as a single 'Muslim world'"); a chatty, down-to-earth narrative voice; and an attractive, photo-heavy design make the volume both informative and engaging. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Geometric shapes are compared, in simple rhyming stanzas, to shapes found in traditional Islamic architecture, art, and rituals. Minarets are cone-shaped, the Ka'aba is a cube, and so on. Mixed-media illustrations are ornate and richly colored; depicting a different country on each spread, the pictures showcase the ethnic diversity within Islam yet focus on traditional (and sometimes archaic) attire. An author's note is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(4) YA In an America where Muslims live in internment camps, Sarah-Mary confronts her Islamophobia after she discovers a fugitive Muslim who asks for her help to flee to Canada. Because the Muslim character is never fully developed, the novel's anti-racist sentiment feels dubious. Though well-written and suspenseful, the book doesn't do enough to parse the difference between representing racism and ignorance and condoning it.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(4) YA Understanding World Religions and Beliefs series. These primers take on each faith's history, beliefs, politics, and contemporary issues. The well-designed, accessible volumes include plenty of photos and other images; the series' broad scope results in a few errors (Judaism doesn't mention Halacha (Jewish law) or the Shulchan Aruch, which codifies the law; Christianity conflates communion with confirmation in the Catholic Church). Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Understanding World Religions and Beliefs titles: Understanding Christianity, Understanding Hinduism, Understanding Hinduism, Understanding Buddhism, Understanding the Nonreligious, Understanding Scientology, Understanding Islam, Understanding Sikhism, and Understanding Judaism.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ebony Glenn. A young girl admires her mother and the bright khimars she uses to cover her head in observance of her Muslim faith. As she plays dress-up with her mother's yellow khimar, cheerful illustrations show the girl's imaginative play ("I am a superhero in a cape") and love for her family. A sweet family story with an affirming depiction of a black Muslim family in a supportive multicultural community.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(3) YA Lada (And I Darken; Now I Rise) has finally claimed the Wallachian throne. Now she must defend her crown and her country's borders from threats of all kinds, including the good intentions of her brother, Radu. With the series' hallmarks--a fifteenth-century setting evoked with copious historical and sensory detail and two diametrically opposed yet equally compelling protagonists--in full force, this volume brings the saga to a satisfying close.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Brooklyn neighbors Moses (Moe) Feldman and Mohammad (Mo) Hassan meet while grocery shopping. One is Jewish and the other Muslim, but they look like twins and become great friends. Both text and illustrations mirror their similar experiences, emphasizing cultural and religious commonalities. Amini's multimedia collages combine photorealism, wild color combinations, and expressively stylized faces. Notes discuss Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan and include recipes for holiday treats.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam

(2) 4-6 Born Lewis Alcindor, "Lew" changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ("noble servant of God") in 1971 at age twenty-four, marking a religious, cultural, and political awakening for the basketball great. In clear and straightforward prose, Abdul-Jabbar writes a rich and nuanced sports story of growing up in the civil rights era. A sixteen-page insert of well-captioned black-and-white photos is a nice bonus.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) YA After hijab-wearing sophomore Janna Yusuf is assaulted by a "monster" who presents himself as a pillar of the Muslim community, she resigns herself to silence. But his continued harassment leads friends and family to join her attacker in expressing criticism, and Janna reaches her breaking point. Ali brings to life a nuanced intersection of culture, identity, and independence.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(3) YA This inclusive history of Jerusalem's Temple Mount and the Noble Sanctuary profiles its several incarnations as a holy place of worship for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Beginning almost four thousand years ago, Cooper relates the site's convoluted, volatile history through objective text, black-and-white photographs, maps, and detailed architectural drawings. It's a valuable source for research or general enlightenment. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore