(2) 4-6 Ma uses the plot device of a middle-school cultural fair to encourage tween readers to push their hesitations aside, explore all the different facets of their identities, and embrace new and changing friendships. Seattle seventh grader Sophie Hu enjoyed running the Chinese booth last year with her best friend, Katie Yang. This year, Katie, who is bisexual, creates a new LGBTQ+ booth, while Sophie is assigned the Muslim booth when her religion is accidentally revealed to her teacher. Sophie tries to figure out what being Chinese Muslim means while weathering some bullying and questioning why her parents, who aren't publicly observant, keep their faith secret. She finds support in Anna, a new student whose parents are from Turkey and who is also Muslim, and they attend a local mosque's neighborhood barbecue together. Sophie finds joy when she realizes there are different ways she and her friends can celebrate their respective backgrounds (trading calligraphy for Shakespeare and robotic remixes, for example) and they help each other with their various projects. Ma's accessible, relatable novel is a breath of fresh air that promotes self-discovery and diversity in a positive light.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Translated by Konstantine Matsoukas. Illustrated by Fotiniu Tikkou. This picture book invites readers to practice compassion by trying on others' shoes -- both literally and figuratively. On her walk home from school in her Paris suburb, Matou passes a mosque and sees "a sea of shoes" in front of the building (it is customary to take off your shoes before entering the prayer area of a mosque). A pair of pristine white sneakers stands out, and Matou can't help herself -- she tries them on. She continues trying on shoes, and when their owners claim their footwear, Matou notices that each pair reveals something about the person who wears it. The pristine sneakers' wearer forgoes walking home for a ride in a shiny car, suggesting wealth. A girl with worn, stretched-out ballet flats rubs her shoes together while waiting for her parents -- she's unhappy. Matou is miffed when her mother cancels a shopping date because she has to work late, but when she tries on Mom's shoes, she is able to see her perspective. The illustrations mix sepia-toned backgrounds with pops of color. Hand-drawn scenes in colored pencil are combined with photos, adding texture and variety to the illustrations. This endearing story about understanding others is an excellent read-aloud that is likely to spark activities, conversations, and possibly some exchanges of footwear.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey. A little girl and her father explore his hometown of Isfahan in Iran. They visit the ruins of a fire temple at dawn and meet her father's friend in his Jewish neighborhood, then meet up with another friend near the centuries-old Vank church. At the city center, the girl is awed by the grand palace and mosques and reflects on how the "lace-shaped windows" of the mosque mirror the arcs in the synagogue, church, and temple. They make their way to her father's house, past the coppersmith's bazaar, where her father laughingly recalls childhood antics. At home, they are greeted by his grandmother and his former nanny, who shares some freshly baked sangak bread. Later, they sit down for a winter's meal of chicken and rice with walnut and pomegranate sauce before sleep and dreams take over. This nostalgic story is framed through Isfahan's historical monuments and the interiors of the father's house. The mixed-media illustrations are in a muted palette with bright pops of color -- tiles, fabrics, household decorations. A glimpse into the rich architecture, cuisine, and interreligious history of Iran, this is also an ode to a cherished childhood and a shared past with people of different faiths. An author's note makes personal connections; a glossary is also appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui. Like Tavares's Hoops (rev. 3/23), this inspiring graphic novel is based on a real-life girls' basketball team -- here, on the all-Muslim, all-hijab-wearing Salam School's 2018 2019 varsity team. Ninth grader Aliya has just moved from Tampa to Milwaukee and is finding the transition to a new city, climate, and much-larger school challenging. She joins Peace Academy's basketball team despite its reputation as being "pretty bad." With nuance, humor, and depth, Khan conveys Aliya's experiences as the team at first falters and then begins to win under the leadership of new coach Jessica Martinez. Coach Jess teaches the girls skills and teamwork, and the girls educate their (very respectful) coach about Islamic culture. It's not all rosy for Aliya: her co-captain is initially reluctant to share the spotlight; her grades suffer; and she focuses too much on her mistakes. At tournament time, the team is unfairly seeded last and must play the top team, but despite losing that game, they celebrate how far they've come. The team's story has attracted much media coverage, and the book ends with a proud Coach Jess stating on a Bleacher Report–like TV segment that the girls "shifted the conversation and what people think an all-Muslim team can be." Zerrougui's visual storytelling is highly readable and makes excellent use of varied panel sizes and placements to convey character, setting, and b-ball action alike.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 Young readers are introduced to the thirteenth-century poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic Rumi in this accessible picture-book biography that spans much of its subject's childhood and adult life. Rumi develops his love of birds at a young age, leading to his discovery of stories about the Smurgh, a large mythical bird composed of thirty smaller birds, which becomes important to his developing identity. As a young scholar, he befriends a mystic named Shams (sun in Arabic), who "was a sun, shining in Rumi's heart and mind." His jealous students run Shams off, and Rumi falls into a deep period of sadness. During this time, he turns to writing as a form of solace and a way to work through complicated emotions and personal loss. The book contextualizes some of Rumi's most well-known writing, the "Masnavi," inspired by his friendship with Shams (although it does not address what many now suspect: that the two were likely more than friends). Kheiriyeh's illustrations use bold colors and gold leaf, and incorporate Arabic and Farsi script, along with traditional geometric designs and shapes common in Islamic architecture. Flora and fauna are an important part of the illustrations: pages are adorned with flowers, pomegranates, and a variety of birds, including Rumi's beloved hoopoe. A gentle, visually engaging introduction to one of the world's most enduring poetic voices.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Said Hossain and Tiwa Olatunji used to be best friends in their artsy village of New Crosshaven, Vermont. But after Said went to boarding school in Virginia, the two became "mortal enemies," each believing it was the other who abandoned the friendship. During one summer vacation, when Said returns home, he and Tiwa are entrusted with the care of the cat who belonged to a beloved, recently deceased librarian, and the two start speaking again, but only for the sake of joint feline custody. After a fire at the community Islamic Center, the town's mayor informs everyone that it will be razed to build housing. Tiwa and Said collaborate on ways to save the center, which involves a mural that Said plans to paint and also intends to use as a portfolio submission for art school. Narration alternates between the two protagonists, with interspersed third-person flashbacks, telling a story of friendship, loss, and misunderstanding through a series of Eid celebrations and one funeral. Even while touching on some thorny topics -- racism within the Muslim community, microaggressions -- the novel creates a dynamic sense of second-generation immigrant Muslim teenage life. Though the plot can feel overcrowded, the captivating characters and their unique voices make for an entertaining and lively read.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Fidawi. Samira, a young Iranian girl, is accompanying her grandmother, Mama Shamsi, to the outdoor market for the first time. As they walk through the streets of Tehran, Samira playfully proposes various ways that she can hide under Mama Shamsi’s chador so that she won’t get lost at the big, crowded, noisy market. Each time she does so, the long, black, cape-like garment takes on the shape of a different animal, to her grandmother’s mock dismay. The joshing gives way to an empowering conclusion, as Mama Shamsi affirms Samira’s ability to confidently explore and navigate the world around her. The book reflects the authors’ own childhood experience of the often-disparaged chador as a source of safety and comfort. Digital illustrations chock-full of interesting, culturally authentic details wrap this story up nicely.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(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