Once Upon an EID: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices - S.K. Ali & Aisha Saeed

Once Upon an EID: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices - S.K. Ali & Aisha Saeed

Bibliography: 

Ali, S. K., Saeed, A., Alfageeh, S., Thompkins-Bigelow, J., Hussein, A., Montgomery, C., Khan, H., Khan, R., Wilson, G. W., Senzai, N. H., Franklin, A., Alkaf, H., Al-Marashi, H., Mattu, A., & Abdel-Fattah, R. (2021). Once upon an eid: Stories of hope and joy by 15 Muslim voices. Amulet Books.

Plot Summary: 

A collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid! Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it's waking up to the sound of frying samosas and simmering pistachio kheer, maybe it's the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it's the gift giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations.

Critical Analysis:

This is such a winner and such an important book to share widely, including discussions and read-alouds. First, a collection of short stories is so rare these days, and so welcome to many readers (and teachers) in a climate of pushing forward minute-to-minute in academic and home experiences.

Each short story would fit perfectly in a short read-aloud period, as a bedtime reading, for keeping in the car to read between short trips or waiting for others to show up. I'd love to see more short story collections for this age.

Within that welcome structure are stories so well-written and so resonate with familiar relationships and emotions and challenges and joys that using the scaffold of Eid celebrations to frame the plots flows naturally and with universal appeal. What kids wouldn't love candies, pink bubble gum, presents, and "spreads" of favorite foods?

I love the various ways in which simple cultural practices and expressions occurred spontaneously so that a glossary or afterward were not necessary. Throughout my reading I was pausing to reflect the ways in which children of other cultures and/or languages are over-exposed to, exclusively provided "traditional" literature so that they certainly absorb the larger cultural language and patterns. The more widely and richly our literary lives can be shared, the more ALL of us, adults as well as kids, can become familiar with and integrated with lives different from our own, the better. Especially so in a social system that is deeply segregated, as is true in much of the US. That goes in all directions and for all ethnicities, religions, races, socio-economic levels, and on and on.

This is a welcome resource to launch among groups with no prior Muslim-based reading experience, and a rich addition for those collections and classrooms that have been growing reading choices for kids.

Review Excerpt: 

Booklist (starred review)

This special anthology about family traditions, sharing meals, giving presents, and delighting in the cultural uniqueness of people all over the world isn’t just for those who celebrate Eid; it’s for all who want to share and learn about the holidays.

Kirkus Review (starred review)

The diversity within the collection is impressive, including several blended families and a recently converted one, and while the writing varies in style and quality, each story is engaging, full of emotion and thought. . . This thoughtful and uplifting volume will keep readers turning pages year-round; here's to many more.

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

A range of diverse, multidimensional characters—among them Shia Muslim, converted Muslim, Algerian, Caribbean, and West African representation—results in a stimulating, celebratory read.

School Library Connection

Emotions seem to spill straight off the pages in this absolute triumph of a celebratory anthology.

Connections:

Religious Holidays 

Muslim

Short Stories - Story Collections - Anthology

Hummingbird - Natalie Lloyd

 

Hummingbird - Natalie Lloyd

Bibliography: 

Lloyd, N. (2023). Hummingbird. Thorndike Press.

Plot Summary: 

When twelve-year-old Olive, who suffers from brittle bone disease and has been homeschooled all her life, finally attends school in person she soon discovers fitting in is not that easy, but if she can find the magical wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives nearby, and prove herself worthy, maybe her deepest wish will be granted.

Critical Analysis:

Natalie Lloyd has done it again. She's crafted an incredibly moving story in words that flow in beautiful rhythms, added just a touch of magic, and builds empathy. Olive is a spunky and likable protagonist you can't help but cheer for. It is heartbreaking to see how going to school and hearing other tweens changes her view of herself, but she ends up in a positive spot. I loved the ending, and how it shows Olive's growth and ability to see others hidden hurts too. Her relationship with her stepbrother is heartwarming in how they grow together over the course of the book. Her friend Grace is the best. I liked the towns people that Grace and Olive got to know as they interviewed those who might have found the Hummingbird in the past. And the way the book takes readers into the mind of someone with a condition that results in frequent hospitalization and wheelchairs is special and important. It definitely deserved the Schneider Family Honor. This has some fantasy elements, but most of the book feels like contemporary fiction so hand it to both fantasy fans and contemporary fiction fans.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Olive's father and mother are no longer married, though her father lives on the same land in a yurt and is a regular part of her life. Olive's stepfather and stepbrother have recently joined the family. There is some bullying and unkind comments. A lady at church prays unsolicitedly for Olive in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable (Olive herself prays regularly and talks about God a lot, she isn't anti-prayer by any means but the way the lady did it wasn't the best). Olive struggles with her body image after going to school and hearing other kids' comments; her mom is great at reaffirming she's beautiful how she is, but Olive doesn't always take her words to heart. A death of a brother in a war is mentioned. Olive talks about the many broken bones she has had and the pain and emotional stress involved.

Review Excerpt: 

Booklist (starred review)

With eccentric family members, a distinctive setting, and a supernatural element that is strangely believable within this otherwise realistic story, there’s a lot to love here.

School Library Journal (starred review)

A must-have for any elementary school or middle school library, this magical and heartening novel will keep readers engaged until the end. A perfect fit for fans of realistic fiction and fantasy alike.

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Olive's sparkly personality roars to life through assured first-person narration, metaphors rooted in the natural world, and simple yet piercing free verse that distills her self-revelations.

Kirkus Review

The energetic first-person narration, interspersed with Olive's thoughts in free verse, is full of bold personality... Her grappling with fears and bold dreams offers a rare depiction of physical disability that is allowed to be both complicated and empowering.

Connections:

Physical Disabilities & Special Needs Novels

Overcoming Adversity Theme

Interview with Natalie Lloyd

Hurricane Child - Kacen Callender

Hurricane Child - Kacen Callender

Bibliography: 

Callender, K. (2021). Hurricane Child. Scholastic.

Plot Summary: 

Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.

Critical Analysis:

Hurricane Child is the story of a queer island girl, Caroline, learning about friendship, love, and where her mother went when she disappeared all those years ago. During this search, she falls in love, sees her parents in a new light, and grieves for the mother she lost. Add in a gorgeous cover, some magic, and a very emotional storyline written so beautifully and tenderly by an Own Voices trans author and you've got an amazing book. I really enjoyed this one. Queer identity, religion, grief, independence and freedom, island life, understanding the imperfections of people we admire.

The audiobook was narrated by a Caribbean-accented woman which was not only the only fitting and appropriate voice for Caroline, but also atmospheric and well performed.

Review Excerpt: 

Kirkus Review (starred review)

Writing in Caroline's present-tense voice, Callender draws readers in and makes them identify with Caroline's angst and sorrow and joy and pain. Embedding her appealing protagonist in a fully realized Caribbean setting, Callender has readers rooting for Caroline the whole way.

School Library Journal (starred review)

Lush descriptions bring the Caribbean environment to vivid life...An excellent and nuanced coming-of-age tale.

Booklist

Set against the richly evoked backdrop of the Caribbean, Callender's novel captures the exquisite agony and pain that accompanies rejection and abandonment. Caroline's search for answers provides a steady through line for the story, but it's the deeper questioning and reflection that set this book apart.... Visceral, pensive, and memorable.

Connections:

Gender Studies

LGBTQIA+ Lesson

Adventure/Natural Disasters

Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed

 

Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed

Bibliography: 

Saeed, A. (2022). Amal Unbound. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Plot Summary: 

In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family.

Critical Analysis:

This riveting story of a brave girl adapting to and affecting change in her circumstances is an inspiring story for all middle grade students and adults alike, and it serves as an introduction to the topic of indentured servitude as we experience forced labor through Amal’s circumstances. Nothing accomplishes building compassion and promoting understanding better than quality literature. Other themes include class structure, sexism, poverty, and the limitations that come from being born female.

One reason Amal Unbound is an important book is for children to realize how important education is in a girl’s life and that not every girl in the world has this access. Even during Amal’s time working as an indentured servant, she didn’t give up hope of an education. In fact, the meaning of Amal in Arabic is “hope.” The author points out that millions of young girls fight for their right to an education. We may be most familiar with the popular and well-known Malala, and Amal represents all the lesser known brave girls everywhere.

The story may seem idealistic and simplistic to an adult, but reading it as if you were the target audience (4th grade and up) will enable you to appreciate the introduction of a difficult and troubling topic to a young audience. In addition, I feel it’s important that children from every culture are able to find themselves in stories (realizing that Amal is only an example of one girl, from one family, and she is not a stereotypical representation of all girls from Pakistan culture). If we are buying these stories, publishers will take notice and more diverse literature will find its way into bookstores and classrooms. This is a great example of a book to read with your children to generate important discussions.

Amal, our strong-willed protagonist, is a likeable and memorable character who is brave, smart, realistic, determined, smart, kind, inspirational, and a fighter. We read about her in honor of brave girls everywhere. A great companion read for this would be I Am Malala.

Review Excerpt: 

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Saeed (Written in the Stars) infuses this true-to-life story of unjust power dynamics in a poor Pakistani village with a palpable sense of dread regarding the fate of the inquisitive, industrious, poetry-loving titular character. . . . Amal’s experience navigating an unfamiliar social hierarchy in the landlord’s lavish estate exposes her to pervasive gender inequities and unfair labor practices. . . . Saeed’s eloquent, suspenseful, eye-opening tale offers a window into the contemporary practice of indentured servitude and makes a compelling case for the power of girls’ education to transform systemic injustice.

Kirkus Review (starred review)

A Pakistani girl’s dreams of an education dissolve when she is forced into indentured servitude. . . . Amal narrates, her passion for learning, love for her family, and despair at her circumstance evoked with sympathy and clarity, as is the setting. Inspired by Malala Yousafzai and countless unknown girls like her, Saeed’s timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice.

Booklist

Readers will find that a little perseverance and a heart filled with hope can eventually surmount a harsh reality. Saeed fills her prose with lush descriptions of Pakistani life, while still managing to connect with readers whose surroundings and experiences will be starkly different. Hand to any reader who struggles with definitive gender roles, norms, and expectations held in place by societal structures.

The Horn Book

This heart-wrenching yet hopeful contemporary novel about class, gender, and literacy features a narrator who takes great risks in the name of justice and self-determination. . . . Short chapters and unadorned prose make the story accessible and direct, with Amal’s emotions, perspective, and strength anchoring the narrative. An author’s note asserts that Amal represents real women and girls who fight injustice across the globe, often without recognition

Connections:

Middle Eastern Studies

Social Themes - Courage

Amal Unbound Discussion Guide - Penguin Random House

Front Desk - Kelly Yang

 

Front Desk - Kelly Yang

Bibliography: 

Yang, K. (2019). Front desk. Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary: 

Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was an engineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants--not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao's son, Jason.

Critical Analysis:

Front Desk is loosely based on author Kelly Yang’s life experience, as explained in an author’s note at the end of the book.

Her straightforward writing makes this book perfect for younger middle grade readers (Mia is 10). Yet Yang tackles difficult issues like interpersonal, systemic, and institutional racism. She writes so simply and honestly, it’s hard to imagine a young person walking away without understanding these powerful messages.

Front Desk is infused with dark truths about America and still manages to be light, heartwarming, and fast-paced. Lovable Mia solves problems by using her writing skills—not her math skills as her mother wishes she would. She beats the system by using her words, often disguised as the words of adults, to point out injustices and find pathways to a better life for her family and friends.

Mia’s and her parents’ find—actually, create—community at the Calavista Motel. They fight back when multiple systems conspire to make life impossible for Hank, an African American man who lives at the hotel. They devise a system to hide desperate Chinese immigrants in vacant rooms. This is deep social justice work, accompanied by anecdotes of Mia’s follies at the front desk and problems at school.

The book ends on a hopeful note, with the Tangs’ community surrounding them to help them take the first step off the poverty rollercoaster. The solution they come up with has a chance at helping others get off, too.

Front Desk shifts the narrative about the American experience, acknowledging that there are many American experiences. The pathway to the American Dream can take many forms, and Yang has described one that is heart wrenching, hopeful, and a lot of fun along the way.

Review Excerpt: 

School Library Journal

The hefty and satisfying dose of wish fulfillment that closes the story feels fully earned by the specificity and detailed warmth of Yang's setup. Many young readers will see themselves in Mia and her friends.

Kirkus Review (starred review)

Debut author Yang weaves in autobiographical content while creating a feisty and empowered heroine. The supporting characters are rich in voice and context, with multiple villains and friends that achingly reveal life in America in the 1990s for persons of color and those living in poverty. Heavy themes, including extortion, fraud, and racism, are balanced with the naïve dreams and determination of a 10-year-old.... With bittersweet information on Chinese immigration to America added in an author's note, this book captures many important themes to explore individually or in the classroom. Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages.

Booklist (starred review)

It's the details that sing in this novel, particularly the small moments that feel like everything when you're a kid...This book will help foster empathy for the immigrant experience for young readers, while for immigrant children, it is a much-needed and validating mirror....Deserving of shelf space in every classroom and library.

The Horn Book

Mia's gradual understanding of racism and prejudice in America and her subsequent activism are at the heart of this triumphant tale. Readers will admire Mia for her audacity and her creativity.... Yang threads both comedy and social issues through Mia's relatable and entertaining storyline from a few decades ago (the 1990s) and makes it relevant to 2018 America.

Connections:

Author Study - With Kelly Yangs other books in her Front Desk Series - (total 5 books)

First Person Point of View - Perspective

Kelly Yang Website - Provides a ton of goodies for teachers to use while reading the novels

Watercress - Andrea Wang & Jason Chin

 

Watercress - Andrea Wang & Jason Chin

Bibliography: 

Wang, A., Chin, J., & Lu, S. (2023). Watercress. Findaway World, LLC.

Plot Summary: 

Embarrassed about gathering watercress from a roadside ditch, a girl learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage after learning why the plant is so important to her parents.

Critical Analysis:

This book is beautiful. Both Wang's poetic narrative and Chin's watercolor paintings provide an emotional punch. The book is quiet, slow and lovely as it illuminates one Chinese American family's day with watercress.

At the same time, the book is filled with dramatic power and raises both raw feelings and honest questions around the issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the lived experiences of first generation Chinese American children, Chinese immigration, Chinese history, memory, food, family, Whiteness, and assimilation.

This book looks at pain and poverty. But, it also centers how we, humans, and particularly this Chinese American family move through trauma by creating new memories of joy, family, and food.

Review Excerpt: 

The New York Times

Wang's multilayered, poetic text allows anger, guilt and grief to coexist with love and hope. Chin's captivating watercolor art, executed with a mix of Chinese and Western techniques, combines meticulous, gut-wrenching realism with dreamlike panoramas.

Kirkus Review (starred review)

Understated, deep, and heart-rending—bring tissues.

School Library Journal (starred review)

Simple text and beautiful illustrations pack a strong emotional punch . . . A powerful story sure to awaken empathy and ­curiosity.

The Horn Book (starred review)

this quietly affecting book encourages honesty, communication, and sharing of family history.

Connections:

Award Winning Book - Include in Award Winning Display

Immigrants & Refugee

Social-Emotional Learning 

The Year of the Dog - Grace Lin

 

The Year of the Dog - Grace Lin

Bibliography: 

Lin, G. (2018). The year of the dog: A novel. Little, Brown and Company.

Plot Summary: 

Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.

Critical Analysis:

I thought this book was so cleverly written - you are enmeshed in their culture, learning about the things they eat, the holidays they celebrate, and their traditions - but the story is incredibly accessible. I especially loved the cartoon like drawings throughout, particularly those illustrating Taiwanese foods etc., because it made it easier for my students to visualize what we were reading about.

Probably my favorite aspect about the book was the "stories" told throughout the book to Grace by her parents. These tales always followed some sort of problem or issue the children were having, and the stories were of their ancestors (or parents) who dealt with a similar problem. These stories tied the children into their roots and their history, and made things feel manageable and even funny.

I can't think of one thing about this book that I didn't like. I highly recommend The Year of the Dog as an introduction to Taiwanese culture and as a fun, thoughtful read.

Review Excerpt: 

Booklist (starred review)

Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers.

Kirkus Review

This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life.

Publisher's Weekly 

Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here.

The Horn Book

Entertaining and often illuminating.

Connections:

Asian Holidays and Traditions

Friendship - Theme

Back Story and Lessons to include with the novel