Posted in Books, Reviews

Review: Muslims in Story

This review was originally published in School Library Journal, February 2019.

PROFESSIONAL READING

Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature

by Gauri Manglik & Sadaf Siddique
264p. illus. index. photos. ALA Editions. Sept. 2018. pap. $49.99. ISBN 9780838917411.

RedReviewStarManglik and Siddique, the CEOs of KitaabWorld, a literary organization that spreads awareness about South Asian children’s literature in the United States, take a proactive approach to combating Islamophobia. Presenting an overview of the history of Muslims in the United States as well as current demographic information, the authors broaden understanding of the diversity of American and worldwide Muslim communities. Readers will appreciate lists of books that spotlight Muslim kids as heroes, Islamic contributions throughout history, inspirational Muslim leaders, and lesser-known folktales from Islamic traditions that reclaim Orientalist narratives. Coupled with useful discussion questions, programming activities, and author interviews, these titles feature Muslims with diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religious practices (or non-practice). Appendixes include frequently asked questions about Islam, guidelines for evaluating Muslim children’s literature, educational resources, a time line of Muslims in America, and a glossary of words used in the text in Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Bangla, and other languages.

VERDICT This timely and essential purchase for public and school libraries humanizes Muslims and gives Muslim children authentic mirrors while creating important windows for non-Muslim readers.