Top 10 Religion Books for Youth: 2009
The American Muslim Teenager’s Handbook. By Dilara Hafiz and others. 2009. Atheneum/Ginee Seo, paper, $11.99 (9781416985785). Gr. 7–12.
Casual, colloquial, joking, contemporary, and passionate, this interactive handbook by two Arizona teens and their mom talks about their faith, what it is like to be both proud Americans and proud Muslims, and misunderstandings and stereotypes.
Note: AIF has copies of this book in our library
Other books on the list (for a variety of ages)*:
Blue Flame. By K. M. Grant. 2008. Walker, $16.99 (9780802796943). Gr. 7–10.
This story, with both adventure and romance, is set against thirteenth-century Catholic-Cathar strife. An inquisitor arrives to cleanse the land of heretic Cathars, and the fear he breeds causes horrific betrayals. A nuanced, thought-provoking look at religious conflicts that will resonate today.
Breathless. By Jessica Warman. 2009. Walker, $16.99 (9780802798497). Gr. 9–12.Boarding school comes as welcome relief for 15-year-old Kate, who needs to get away from her dysfunctional family. She begins a tender relationship with Drew, a fellow swimmer and a devout Christian who wants to maintain his virginity.
Evidence of Angels. By Suza Scalora and Francesca Lia Block. Illus. by Suza Scalora. 2009. Harper, $19.99 (9780061243431). Gr. 6–12.
This alluring book is for anyone who thinks angels are real—or hopes they are. The framework story is really a vehicle for Scalora’s catalog of angels, made abstract by lush sunbursts or vivid smudges, as if readers were seeing these heavenly beings through a crystal.
Hush Harbor: Praying in Secret. By Freddi Williams Evans. Illus. by Erin Bennett Banks. 2008. Carolrhoda, $16.95 (9780822579656). K–Gr. 3.
Evans takes a little discussed topic—the faith practices of eighteenth-century slaves—and turns it into a moving narrative. Illustrated with extremely stylized artwork that doesn’t prettify its subjects, this picture book captures some of the fear and horror of slavery, along with slaves’ devotion to prayer and song.
Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story. By Hena Khan. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. 2008. Chronicle, $16.99 (9780811860628). K–Gr. 2.
The Muslim holiday of Ramadan gets a vibrant, visually exciting treatment here. Told through the eyes of a young Pakistani American girl, the story focuses on the celebratory aspects of the holiday. Jewel-like art has the look of enameled design work.
Puppet. By Eva Wiseman. 2009. Tundra, $17.95 (9780887768286). Gr. 7–12.
When times are tough in a nineteenth-century Hungarian village, the townspeople blame the Jews. Based on actual court records, this searing novel dramatizes virulent anti-Semitism from the viewpoint of a Christian child, building to an electrifying climax.
So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother). By Micol Ostow. Illus. by David Ostow. 2009. Flux, paper, $9.95 (9780738714714). Gr. 8–12.
Ari, a Jewish day-school student, isn’t a likely candidate to start an indie band. But start one he does, and along the way, he must reconcile his musical ambitions with his religious beliefs. The comic-strip-style illustrations are showstoppers.
Something to Sing About. By C. C. Payne. 2008. Eerdmans, paper, $8.50 (9780802853448). Gr. 4–6.
Ten-year-old Jamie Joe Morgan must fight her fears in this fine, small story that harkens back to books such as Eleanor Estes’ Moffats series. This book, though, has a Christian bent and offers some opportunities to ponder the ways of the Lord.
Thank You, God, for Everything. By August Gold. Illus. by Wendy Anderson Halperin. 2009. Putnam, $16.99 (9780399240492). PreS–Gr. 2.
When a young girl mulls over what she can be thankful for, she sees a world of wonderment and God as her friend. This intriguingly illustrated offering invites readers to find their own answers.
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Board of Directors
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowhsip.com
*While AIF supports reading all books of all kinds, AIF does not necessarily agree with all points of view related by the books in this book list. AIF does, however, believe reading books with many different points of view encourages critical thinking and a thoughtful approach to held beliefs.
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