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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The three Lucys
Charara, Hayan
Paper Book
Luli likes to sit in the shade of an olive tree with his beloved cats: Lucy the Fat, Lucy the Skinny, and Lucy Lucy. But when Luli and his parents go to the city to see his aunt and uncle one weekend, the cats must stay behind at home. After a fun visit with family, Luli is looking forward to...
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...
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, Haley Joy. ...
Sitti's secrets
Nye, Naomi Shihab.
Paper Book
Mona's grandmother, her Sitti, lives in a small Palestinian village on the other side of the earth. Once, Mona went to visit her. The couldn't speak each other's language, so they made up their own. They learned about each other's worlds, and they discovered each other's secrets. Then...
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. ...
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 ...
Amazing women of the Middle East : 25 stories from ancient times to present day
Tarnowska, Wafa'
Paper Book
Discover Sheherazade, the famous storyteller, dive into the musical world of the beautiful singer Fairuz and meet Amal Clooney, an outstanding international lawyer. Feel inspired by twenty-five amazing women from the Middle East, who have created a legacy through strength of vision, leadership,...
Tasting the sky
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...
Honeybee : poems & short prose
Nye, Naomi Shihab.
Paper Book
"Nye's sheer joy in communicating, creativity, and caring shine through."--Kirkus Reviews A moving and celebratory poetry collection from Young People's Poet Laureate and National Book Award Finalist Naomi Shihab Nye. This resonant volume explores the similarities we share with the people...
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...
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
A USA Today Bestseller · A stunning middle grade fantasy inspired by Arabian legends about a girl who becomes the guardian of Ali Baba's 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...
All-American Muslim girl
Courtney, Nadine Jolie
Paper Book
A Kirkus Best Book of 2019 A 2021 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book Nadine Jolie Courtney's All-American Muslim Girl is a relevant, relatable story of being caught between two worlds, and the struggles and hard-won joys of finding your...
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? A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century Huda and her family just moved to...
This is all your fault
Safi, Aminah Mae
Paper Book
Set over the course of one day, Aminah Mae Safi's This Is All Your Fault is a smart and voice-driven YA novel that follows three young women determined to save their indie bookstore. Rinn Olivera is finally going to tell her longtime crush AJ that she's in love with him...
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
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Tempest of Tea An Ignyte Award Winner A TIME Magazine Top 100 Fantasy Book of All Time A Paste Magazine Best YA Book A PopSugar Best YA Book A TeenVogue Book Club Pick A New York...

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