April is Arab American Heritage Month, a time to commemorate the history, culture, and contributions of the nearly four million Americans who trace their roots to one or more of twenty-two Arab countries. To honor the occasion, we’re browsing our shelves for titles that highlight Arab authors and stories. Read on for a list of books to get you started. You can learn more about Heritage and Identity Months through Henrico County’s Outreach and Engagement Department.
PICTURE BOOKS
- Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library by Hena Khan – Founded in 859 by a Muslim woman in Morocco, readers are invited to discover what’s behind the doors of the oldest library in the world!
- These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh – It’s 1967, and Oraib, a young girl living in a Palestinian refugee camp, vows to protect the legacy of her home’s beloved olive trees, even as her family is forced to flee war.
Be sure to also check out:
- The Arab Quilt by Aya Khalil (also available on Hoopla)
- Halal Hot Dogs by Susannah Aziz
- Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
- Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina AlHathloul
- My First Book of Arabic Words: An ABC Rhyming Book of Arabic Language and Culture by Aya Khalil
- Salma the Syrian Chef by Ahmad Danny Ramadan (also available on Hoopla)
- Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home by Zahra Marwan
KIDS
Daughters of the Lamp by Nedda Lewers – Sahara’s summer takes a turn for the unexpected when she ends up in Egypt for her uncle’s wedding. It’s there she discovers she comes from a long line of treasure protectors. Can the science-loving twelve-year-old learn to leave logic at the door and harness her magic to guard Ali Baba’s fortune?
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi – Seventh-grader Kareem is having a tough year. In addition to navigating football tryouts, his friend moving away, and having to show the new kid around school, Kareem finds out that his mother, who’s visiting family in Syria, will not be allowed to return home. Through it all, he’ll make tough choices to find himself and some hope.
Some additional titles include:
- Arab Arab All Year Long! by Cathy Camper
- Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi
- Mariam’s Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope by Leila Boukarim (also available on Hoopla)
- Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan
- Shad Hadid series by George Jreije (also available on Hoopla)
- Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumani (also available on Hoopla)
- The Three Princes of Serendip: New Tellings of Old Tales for Everyone by Rodaan Al Galidi
- Umm Kulthum: The Star of the East by Rhonda Roumani
TEENS
- Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy – Huda has always identified as “the hijabi girl,” but when her family moves to Dearborn, Michigan, Huda becomes just one of many hijabi girls in town. No longer sure how to define herself, Huda navigates new friend groups and interests to discover who she is (and isn’t.)
- Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi – In this female-led Robin Hood remix, sisters Rahma al-Hud and Zeena gather their band of misfits to stop the evil Queen Isabella from seizing power in 12th-century Jerusalem.
You might also enjoy:
- A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui
- As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
- Call Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant by Abdi Nor Iftin
- Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo
- The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani
- Nayra and the Djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata
- The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy
- Squire by Sara Alfageeh (also available on Hoopla)
ADULTS
- Fundamentally: A Novel by Nussaibah Younis – A dark comedy that follows Nadia Amin as she charts a new career path with the United Nations after publishing an article about deradicalizing ISIS brides. Eager to leave London after a recent breakup, Nadia lands in Iraq with a team that’s unimpressed by her experience and skeptical of her work. But just as the program gains momentum, a secret threatens to upend it all, forcing Nadia to ask herself some tough questions.
- The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem – Presumed dead with the rest of her family, Sylvia, the sole heir to the kingdom of Jasad, manages to escape and go into hiding. But when the armies of Nizahli discover her village—and her magic—she is forced to hedge a dangerous bet to save herself and determine the fate of her kingdom.
Be sure to browse our collection for additional titles, including:
- Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora by Reem Assil
- A Short History of the Gaza Strip by Anne Irfan
- But You Don’t Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging by Hala Gorani
- The Coin: A Novel by Yasmin Zaher
- Dearborn: Stories by Ghassan Zeineddine
- Love is an Ex-Country: A Memoir by Randa Jarrar
- Shubeik Lubeik by Dīnā Muhammad
- Silken Gazelles: A Novel by Jokha Alharthi (also available on Hoopla)
- The Thirty Names of Night: A Novel by Zeyn Joukhadar
- What Will People Think? A Novel by Sara Hamdan
- The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser