Children's Book Suggestions | Middle Eastern & North African Heritage Month

Celebrate Middle Eastern & North African Heritage Month with these books for older readers! (For younger readers, we have Middle Eastern & North African Picture Books list.)

Updated April 29, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Once upon an Eid : stories of hope and joy by 15 Muslim voices
Saeed, Aisha
Audiobook

A collection of short stories set around Eid by 15 Muslim authors. A great way to try short samples of writing by a variety of authors! (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Accidental trouble magnet
Mian, Zanib
Paper Book
The first book in the exciting middle-grade series starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination--now in paperback! Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar! Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work...

A British Muslim kid struggles with prejudice and fitting in when his family moves to a new neighborhood in this Diary of a Wimpy Kid style hybrid graphic novel. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Tagging freedom
Roumani, Rhonda
Paper Book
Out of the revolutions across the Arab world, comes this inspirational story of hope, freedom, and belonging, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and A Good Kind of Trouble. Kareem Haddad of Damascus, Syria,...

A Syrian refugee and his American cousin bond over graffiti after he leaves war-torn Damascus to join her family in New Jersey. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Muzoon : a Syrian refugee speaks out
Almellehan, Muzoon
Paper Book
"Muzoon takes readers on her perilous and ultimately hopeful journey from refugee child to advocate for others in need." -Malala Yousafzai, bestselling author and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize When her family had to flee Syria, 14-year-old Muzoon was told to pack only the...

A Syrian refugee tells her story in this memoir for older readers. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

Nayra and the djinn
Ata, Iasmin Omar
Paper Book
In this coming-of-age graphic novel with a fantastical twist, Nayra Mansour, a Muslim American girl, is helped on her journey to selfhood by a djinn. Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There's the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her...

A bullied Muslim American girl befriends a djinn in an online chatroom and gets drawn into a world of magic inspired by Islamic folklore. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

Everything sad is untrue : (a true story)
Nayeri, Daniel
Audiobook
At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and...

An award-winning fictionalized memoir from an Iranian American author about his experiences immigrating to Oklahoma as a young teen. His 2023 Newbery Honor Book The Many Assassinations of Samir, The Seller of Dreams is also a great choice! (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The wonders we seek : thirty incredible Muslims who helped shape the world
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant...

A collective biography chronicling Muslim contributions to art, science, and culture. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)


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