Reflection on Text Set

To be completely honest, I chose this subject with absolutely no prior knowledge. I knew that Islam is a religion, but I also thought “Muslim” was a type of religion as well. After looking into it, I soon found that Islam is the religion that Muslims follow. After figuring this out, I could then begin to choose my books. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. After looking in three different libraries and three different bookstores, I was still empty handed. I made a trip to the store Everybody Reads in Lansing and finally found something. (By the way, I suggest that everyone visit this wonderful store that has an awesome array of multi-cultural books). After visiting Everybody Reads and the Herrick District Library in Holland, MI, I finally had my text set. The books I chose include Ramadan by Suhaib Hamid Gahzi, The Hundredth Name by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim, and Muslim Child Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems by Rukhsana Khan.

All of these books involve the Islam religion, although they do so in very different ways. Khan’s book is a collection of short stories and poetry that focus on the different pillars of Islam faith. Ghazi’s book focuses on the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast and celebrate the revealing of the Quran. Oppenheim’s book isn’t based on Islam, but it does involve a Muslim boy whose Islamic faith becomes apparent in the story.

Although each of these books is a picture book, they vary in many ways. Muslim Child is a lot longer than the other two books—it offers a lot of information about Islam in sidebars that add to the short stories and poems in the book. Ramadan is also a picture book with characters, but it is more fact based, giving the reader a close look into the celebrations of Ramadan. The Hundredth Name does not include so many facts about Islam. The story is not written around the religion; rather, it is a story that includes some aspects of the religion. Another difference in this book is that it does not contain a glossary or pronunciation key, which can be found in the first two books.

I think that all three of these books are good representations of the topic I chose and I would include them all in my classroom library. I think that they are a good text set to have together because they cover different aspects of the Islam religion and in different styles. I think that Khan’s book may be the most well-rounded book as far as information to be learned about the religion, but the other’s offer just as important messages and ideas about the topic. Readers of different age and reading levels will be able to learn from each of these books.

Article Review: Muslims in Children's Literature (Khan)

Muslims in Children’s Literature by Rukhsana Khan

Khan, Rukhsana. "Muslims in Children's Books." School Library Journal 52(2006): 36-37.

This article regarding Muslims in children’s literature is written by Rukhsana Khan who is also the author of one of the books I chose for my text set titled Muslim Child: Understanding Islam through Stories and Poems. Within the article, Khan speaks of Islam, the Muslim religion and how it is depicted within children’s literature. She says that “It hurts that there are still so many misperceptions about Islam in Western society” and she points out some of these misperceptions that people make such as Muslim women’s rights are “trampled” by Islam, and that “Islam encourages terrorism”. Because so many people believe these misconceptions to be true, it is important for literature that challenges these beliefs to be available for readers of all ages.

Khan touches on the insider/outsider debate within the article, pointing out that often, a group that is underrepresented in literature will first be written about by outsiders. Often this results in books “dealing in such shallow stereotypes” and “these books do little to create genuine understanding” of Islam beliefs. Khan makes an important statement when she says “In the best of times, it is extremely difficult to write about another culture in a truthful and sensitive manner. In today's political climate, it seems even harder.” Because of the continuing conflicts going on between countries and peoples today, these topics often find their way into literature being published today. Stereotypes such as described above are often included in books that try to tackle these issues. Fortunately, there are books written on Islam that do not incorporate these stereotypes. Khan offers the titles of many such books within the article.

The amount of published children’s books pertaining to Muslims has increased post 9/11. Khan highlights the fact that these books are from a variety of styles including picture books, chapter books (novels), non-fiction and folklore. Even though the stereotypes of Muslims are found in literature being written today, Khan has a vision that this will change. She says “I'd like to see the trend move away from these ‘Muslim as victim’ scenarios. In these stories, being Muslim's part of the conflict. I'd like to see a character's Islamic identity be like wallpaper, part of the setting—providing flavor but definitely not part of the problem.”

Overall, this article makes valid and important points regarding literature that includes Muslims and Islam. Because Khan is considered to be an insider, her views and opinions can be taken to have more meaning than if an outsider were to make similar comments.

Muslim Literature: Third Look

Ramadan
by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi

Ghazi, Suhaib Hamid. Ramadan. 1st Edition. New York: Holiday House, 1996.

Hakeem is a young Muslim boy who is taking part in his first fast for the Islam month of Ramadan. Throughout the book, readers follow Hakeem’s daily life during the month of Ramadan—waking up early for Suhur, the early meal before dawn that will give him enough energy to fast throughout the day, playing with other Muslim friends at school during lunch (but not too hard) to keep his mind off of eating, and waiting for the sun to set and breaking the fast for the day with Iftar, the evening meal.

The fictional character Hakeem represents many Muslim children in the world who are part of the millions of people that observe Ramadan all over the world, and this book offers Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike a look into what exactly this observance entails. It is not simply a story of a young boy; it is an enjoyable yet educational look into the Islam faith and traditions. Ghazi includes a glossary at the end of the book, defining terms commonly used by Muslims and throughout the story. Readers will learn to appreciate the Islamic traditions such as Ramadan and fasting as they observe Hakeem and his family throughout the celebrated month.

This book can be included in the diverse children's literature category because it tells the story of a child who is normally underrepresented in literature. There are not a lot of books for children written about Islam or Muslims, and this one is a book that is both well-written and well-illustrated.

Muslim Literature: Second Look

The Hundredth Name
by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Oppenheim, Shulamith Levey. The Hundredth Name. 1st Edition. Honesdale, PA: Caroline House, 1995.

A young Muslim boy named Salah is trying to figure out a way to make his camel, Qadiim, happy because he seems so down and sad all of the time. Salah’s father teaches him about how humans only know ninety-nine of the one hundred names of Allah; and Salah decides that if Qadiim could learn the hundredth name of Allah, then he would be happy. Salah has learned that prayer is very important and that Allah listens to prayer. Salah’s father tells him that “prayer had great power”, and so “he prayed to Allah with all his strength” one night. The next morning, Salah’s faith and prayer seem to have paid off, for Qadiim seems to be in better spirits.

This picture book written by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim offers a child’s point of view on faith and religion that can be related to by children from all religions and cultures. The setting, although not specifically named as a certain city or country, is “in a land where kings were once called pharaohs and the great river is still called the Nile”. A boy and his camel may differ greatly from a boy and his dog found in so many other children’s stories today, but a glimpse into Muslim culture and Islamic religion can be enjoyed and appreciated through this book by young readers.

This book can be included in the diverse children's literature category because not only does it address a religion that is often overlooked in children's literature, but it also tells a story about a culture that many students and readers will be able to relate to.

Muslim Literature: First Look

Muslim Child: Understanding Islam through Stories and Poems
by Rukhsana Khan

Khan, Rukhsana . Muslim Child: Understanding Islam through Stories and Poems. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 2002.

This collection of short stories and poems is a wonderful way to become better educated about Islam. The writings intended for children prove to be educational for adults as well with sidebars explaining Islamic terms and traditions, as well as a recipe for Samosas and directions for making an Eid card. The first four stories give the reader a better understanding of one of the five pillars of Islam (belief, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca) through the point of view of a Muslim child. Other aspects of the religion such as the history of Islam, dress, celebrations and diet are incorporated into the last four stories of the book. A pronunciation guide at the end of the book adds to the informational pieces throughout the book, aiding the reader in truly understanding the Islam faith.

All in all, Khan, an insider to the Islam religion, has created an informational book about Islam that will be sure to resonate with children from all religions. Themes of faith and everyday struggles are apparent throughout the text that readers of all ages will be able to relate to while reading this book. This book is a good example of diverse children's literature. The stories and poems offer a point of view on a religion and culture that is not represented enough within schools, libraries or bookstores. Khan's writing gives the reader a close look at the religion of Islam without sounding boring or repetitive. This work is a must have for a classroom of any grade level.

On Vampires & Volvos

I know that the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer doesn't exactly fit into the multicultural category, but I feel like I should comment on them, seeing that the movie (which was pretty good in my opinion) came out this past weekend.

I came across this saga by recommendation of a friend's younger sister. At first, I said no--no way am I going to waste my time reading books about vampires. The books sat on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks until, out of boredom one summer night, I picked up the first one, Twilight...four days later, I found myself looking up the release date for the fourth installment (which I had to wait over a month for) and noticing more silver Volvos on the road than ever.

I was strangely drawn in by the vampire stories...much like I was with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. I know these books are written for adolescents, but I think that it is a wonderful thing for adults to be able to enjoy the literature as well.

I have had many lengthy discussions with my eleven year old niece regarding Edward Cullen and Jacob Black; which is one more reason I love these books--Aunt Kim gets more cool points! Seriously though, I love being able to discuss books with my niece and it makes me feel good to know she loves reading as much as I do. Also, as a future teacher, I think that it's a good idea to keep up with what's new or what's hot when it comes to children's or adolescent literature.

"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty." --C.S. Lewis

Confessions & Coincidences

Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman made me cry...and then it made me think.

Before class and after my reading of this book, I had a discussion with my mother over the phone. Many times, talking to my mom leads to talking about religion. My mother is a very religious woman who has faith in God like no one else I know. I told her how this book had made me cry--because it reminded me of when my Grandma became sick and soon after died.

My mom lovingly tried to talk about these issues with me using the faith that keeps her standing (as she says). I, on the other hand, have had my faith tested (in the past few weeks and months more than ever) and I was voicing my thoughts and feelings to my mom about this. A lot of times, I feel like Jussy--my family is "religious" to some degree (some members more than others), but I don't always feel like I know where I fit into it. I challenged my mom's views and points and craved more answers than she could give me. The phone call did not end on too happy of a note.

When I got home from class that night, I received a phone call from my dad saying that my Grandma (my other one) was in the hospital and not doing so good. After hanging up the phone from that conversation, I once again thought about Jussy, who thought that her questioning of her family's religion had brought on her Bubbe's sickness--I had done the same thing.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this post...maybe it's just random thoughts and coincidences tied together. I don't really believe that I caused my 92 year old Grandmother's sickness, but I do think that it's just awesome that a piece of literature can bring about so much thought and discussion. I'm really glad we read this book and I intend to make good use of it in my classroom someday.