Arab American Heritage Month - Books for Children

National Arab American Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Arab culture and the contributions of Arab Americans in the United States.

Arab Americans are people who came from or whose ancestors came from one of twenty-two Arab nations in northern Africa or the Middle East. An Arab nation is one where people speak the Arabic language. There are twenty-two Arab nations, and the largest by population include Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. Other Arab nations include Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

In 2021, the world’s Arab population was estimated to be about 436 million. Oregon’s Arab American community is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. with more than 31,000 Arab Americans living in Oregon.

To celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, check out one of these recommended books!

Updated April 24, 2024
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Eleven words for love : a journey through Arabic expressions of love
Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Paper Book
A lyrical narrative of a Palestinian family in exile explores universal bonds of family, loyalty, and friendship through the lens of eleven Arabic expressions for love. A family has fled their homeland in search of safety in another country, carrying a single suitcase. As their...
The book that almost rhymed
Abed, Omar
Paper Book
Every great adventure needs a hero-or two! This playful take on storytelling and equity proves that two tellers can make a rhyming tale twice as nice. What do you do with an interrupting sibling? Especially when she's stepping all over your story with wild ideas that don't...
Arab Arab all year long!
Camper, Cathy
Paper Book
Celebrate the beauty and diversity of life in the Arab diaspora throughout the year. Wrapping grape leaves, playing doumbek, drawing henna tattoos, we're Arab, Arab, Arab, the whole year through! Yallah! From January to December, join some busy kids as...
Ten ways to hear snow
Camper, Cathy
Paper Book
A snowy day, a trip to Grandma's, time spent cooking with one another, and space to pause and discover the world around you come together in this perfect book for reading and sharing on a cozy winter day. One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It's the sound of snow -- the...
These olive trees
Ghanameh, Aya
Paper Book
The story of a Palestinian family's ties to the land, and how one young girl finds a way to care for her home, even as she says goodbye. It's 1967 in Nablus, Palestine. Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Each harvest, she...
We are Palestinian : a celebration of culture and tradition
Kassis, Reem
Paper Book
A stunning non-fiction children's book celebrating everything Palestinian! BOOKSTAGANG BEST BOOK OF 2023 WINNER  From culture and food, to music and literature, We Are Palestinian is a celebration of Palestinian heritage....
The cat man of Aleppo
Latham, Irene
Paper Book
The Caldecott Honor-winning true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War courageously offered safe haven to Aleppo's abandoned cats.   Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and...
Where butterflies fill the sky : a story of immigration, family, and finding home
Marwan, Zahra
Paper Book
A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book One of NPR's Best Books of 2022 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Informational Books for Younger Readers of 2022 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022 The Society of...
Homeland : my father dreams of Palestine
Moushabeck, Hannah
Paper Book
A father and his daughters may not be able to return home . . . but they can celebrate stories of their homeland! As bedtime approaches, three young girls eagerly await the return of their father who tells them stories of a faraway homeland--Palestine....
Muhammad Najem, war reporter : how one boy put the spotlight on Syria
Najem, Muhammad
Paper Book
A 2024 YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novel for Teens * An NPR Best Book of 2023 * A 2023 NCSS Notable Social Studies Book   "Inspiring and exciting, powerful and very poignant" --Anderson Cooper   ★ "...
The turtle of Oman : a novel
Nye, Naomi Shihab.
Paper Book
Praised by the Horn Book as "both quiet and exhilarating," this novel by the acclaimed poet and National Book Award Finalist Naomi Shihab Nye follows Aref Al-Amri as he says goodbye to everything and everyone he loves in his hometown of Muscat, Oman, as his family prepares to move to Ann Arbor,...
Egyptian lullaby
Pliska, Zeena M.
Paper Book
A rich, beautifully layered ode to the great city of Cairo, Egypt, its people, and culture. Every night, my Ametti Fatma sings the sounds of Egypt to me as I fall asleep. This is the Nile, that flows through the city. ...
Salma makes a home
Ramadan, Ahmad Danny
Paper Book
Charming, creative Salma takes on big feelings with even bigger ideas as she navigates life in a new country, Syrian identity, family changes and new friendships in this engaging and heartfelt early chapter book series. After a year, eleven months, and six days apart, Salma's dad is...
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 ...
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...
The magical reality of Nadia
Yu?suf, Ba?sim
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...

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