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April is Arab American Heritage Month

A grid of eight book cover images overlays a dark green geometric-patterned background. On either side of the grid is a half of a green and white flower. The grid features books for children, teens, and adults by Arab authors.

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

  • 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:

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:

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:                                                       

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:

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