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
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Meet Yasmin!
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
Meet Yasmin! Yasmin is a spirited second-grader who's always on the lookout for those "aha" moments to help her solve life's little problems. Taking inspiration from her surroundings and her big imagination, she boldly faces any situation, assuming her imagination doesn't get too big, of course! A...

A Muslim American elementary school girl gains confidence in this series of early readers. Join her friend Ali in his own Easy Reader series, Ali the Great! (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

City of the plague god
Chadda, Sarwat
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. "An epic worthy of Gilgamesh. Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging...

A fantasy adventure story from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint features a modern Iraqi American middle schooler immersed in a world inspired by Mesopotamian myth. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Accidental trouble magnet
Mian, Zanib
Paper Book
An exciting middle-grade debut starring a Muslim boy with a huge imagination. An NPR Best Book of the Year. 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 is too...

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)

The magical reality of Nadia
Yūsuf, Bāsim
Paper Book
Inspired by the author's real life experiences, this rollicking, charming novel follows sixth grade Egyptian immigrant Nadia as she navigates the ups and downs of friendships, racism, and some magic, too! Nadia loves fun facts. Here are a few about her: * She collects bobbleheads -- she...

A souvenir from a trip to Cairo introduces an Egyptian American tween to a magical world inspired by Egyptian history and mythology. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Yusuf Azeem is not a hero
Faruqi, Saadia
Ebook
At a time when we are all asking questions about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the author of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who love Hena Khan and Varian Johnson--or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S. history and how it still...

A Muslim American middle schooler grapples with belonging in his small Texas town on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

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...

An award-winning novel in verse about a Syrian girl who immigrates to the US to live with relatives in Ohio when war breaks out in her homeland. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Wishing upon the same stars
Feldman, Jacquetta Nammar
Paper Book
This powerful and poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut novel follows an Arab American girl named Yasmeen as she moves to San Antonio with her family and navigates finding friendship--and herself. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home, Front Desk, and American as Paneer...

An Arab Christian girl with Palestinian heritage makes friends with a Jewish classmate after a difficult move to San Antonio. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Everything sad is untrue : (a true story)
Nayeri, Daniel
Paper Book
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award Christopher Award Winner Middle East Book Award Winner National Indie Bestseller NPR Best Book of the Year New York Times Best of the Year Amazon Best of the Year Booklist Editors' Choice ...

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)

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...

A Palestinian American girl deals with bullying as she prepares to apply for a competitive middle school. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Grounded
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the...

Four authors tell four intertwined stories about a group of Muslim kids trapped in an airport after a storm grounds their planes, great for kids who love behind-the-scenes stories like From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

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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