Arab American Heritage Month

This book list includes books for children and teens by Arab-American authors and illustrators that are available to borrow throughout the LMxAC Consortia.

Updated April 17, 2023
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Time to pray
Addasi, Maha
Paper Book
A visit with Grandmother in the Middle East is always special for Yasmin, but this time it is even more so in this picture book about faith and family. On her first night visiting her grandmother, Yasmin is wakened by the muezzin at the nearby mosque calling the faithful to prayer. She...
The Arabic quilt : an immigrant story
Khalil, Aya
Paper Book
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...
Mirage
Daud, Somaiya
Paper Book
"A refreshing and unique coming-of-age story...a beautiful and necessary meditation on finding strength in one's culture." --Entertainment Weekly, Top Pick of the Month "A YA marvel that will shock breath into your lungs. If you loved The Wrath and the...
I've loved you since forever
Kotb, Hoda
Paper Book
New York Times #1 Bestseller! I've Loved You Since Forever is a celebratory and poetic testament to the timeless love felt between parent and child. This beautiful picture book is inspired by Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb's heartwarming adoption of her baby girl,...
Nour's secret library
Tarnowska, Wafa'
Paper Book
★ "A beautiful and poignant coming-of-age book . . . Based on the author's and illustrator's personal experiences, this unique war story is full of hope and resilience that shines through even the worst of situations" - School Library Journal, starred review ...
Tasting the sky : a Palestinian childhood
Barakat, Ibtisam.
Paper Book
Winner, Arab American National Museum Book Award for Children's/YA Literature, among other awards and honors. "When a war ends it does not go away," my mother says."It hides inside us . . . Just forget!" But I do not want to do what Mother says . . . I want to...
Other words for home
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book! A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Jude never thought she'd be...
Golden girl
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah's Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what...
Hello, little one : a monarch butterfly story
Pliska, Zeena M.
Paper Book
Caterpillar crawls from leaf to leaf, eating and waiting, all alone in a big, green world. Then Orange appears--Orange floats, and flits, and flies, graceful and beautiful. In this sweet, moving story of intergenerational friendship, a small caterpillar is befriended by a glorious monarch butterfly,...
Unsettled
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year · Kid's Indie Next List · Featured in Today Show's AAPI Heritage Month list · A Kirkus Children's Best Book of 2021 · A National Council of Teachers of English Notable Verse Novel · Jane Addams 2022 Children's Book Award Finalist · 2021...
Daughters of the lamp
Lewers, Nedda
Paper Book
Percy Jackson meets Arabian fairy tales in this stunning middle grade fantasy debut about a girl who becomes the guardian of Ali Baba's legendary treasure. Believe in fairy tales. Sahara Rashad lives by logic. Loves science. And always has a plan...
Silverworld
Abu-Jaber, Diana
Paper Book
Fall under the spell of this fantasy-adventure story about a Lebanese-American girl who finds the courage to save her grandmother. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Teta, Sami's Lebanese grandmother, has been ill for a while, slipping from reality and...
Farah rocks summer break
Darraj, Susan Muaddi
Paper Book
It's summer break, and Farah is eager to attend an enrichment camp at her new school. But with car trouble and other family expenses, Farah's parents won't be able to pay for the camp this year. Taking matters into her own hands, Farah takes various odd jobs, including selling items at a yard sale,...
A rover's story
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller * Best Book of the Year from The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library The One and Only Ivan meets The Wild Robot in this unique and deeply moving middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars...
The shape of thunder
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
An extraordinary new novel from Jasmine Warga, Newbery Honor-winning author of Other Words for Home, about loss and healing--and how friendship can be magical. Cora hasn't spoken to her best friend, Quinn, in a year. Despite living next door to each other, they exist...
Driving by starlight
Deracine, Anat
Paper Book
In this debut YA friendship story set in Saudi Arabia, two girls navigate typical teen issues--crushes, college, family expectations, future hopes, and dreams. Sixteen-year-olds Leena and Mishie are best friends. They delight in small rebellions against the Saudi cultural...
Home is not a country
Elhillo, Safia
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD   "Nothing short of magic." --Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X   From the  acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa's "30 Under 30" list, this...
Huda F are you
Fahmy, Huda
Paper Book
From the creator of Yes, I'm Hot In This, this cheeky, hilarious, and honest graphic novel asks the question everyone has to figure out for themselves- Who are you? Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old...
Farah rocks fifth grade
Darraj, Susan Muaddi
Paper Book
Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah's world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah's little brother, Samir, Farah begins...
Travelers along the way : a Robin Hood remix
Safi, Aminah Mae
Paper Book
Winner of the 2022 Middle East Book Award in Youth Literature In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This thrilling female-led Robin...
My heart and other black holes
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a...
We hunt the flame
Faizal, Hafsah
Paper Book
An Ignyte Award Winner 2020 A TIME Magazine Top 100 Fantasy Book of All Time A Paste Magazine Best YA Book of 2019 A PopSugar Best YA Book of 2019 A TeenVogue Book Club Pick for 2019 A Barnes & Noble Teen Book Club Pick for 2019 ...

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