99 Arab Children Books {Resource}
I created this list of 99 Arab Children Books because as a public library storyteller, I’m always on the lookout for Arab children books to use while I’m at work that are for or about Arab kids.
Unfortunately, the lack of diversity in children’s books is overwhelming and books about/for Arab children aren’t even enough to make a statistic chart.
Back in 2010, I compiled a List of Children’s Books about/for Arab Children. Since then I’ve branched off part of this list for dictionaries, folktales, and books with strong Arab protagonist. I hope to be working on a list for Muslim children books next.
Now that the original list is nine years old, I thought it might be time to update it with a few new additions and links, plus take out books I’ve placed on other lists.
My goal is to make this 99 book list pure #OwnVoice from authors of the 22 countries of the Arab world, or it’s diaspora.
Please feel free to email me at ACraftyArab at gmail if you find errors or would like to make suggestions. If you enjoy lists, be sure to check out my other 99 Creative Projects.
Most of the books below are on my shelves that I use for storytelling to children, teaching Arabic, or speaking at teacher workshops. If you are a visual person, check out the list on Pinterest.
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Abawi, Atia. A Land of Permanent Goodbyes.
Abawi, Atia. Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan.
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does my head look big in this?
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Ten things I hate about me. New York: Orchard Books, 2009.
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Lines We Cross.
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Where the streets had a name. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
Abdel-Magied, Yassmin. You Must Be Layla.
Aboulela, Leila. Minaret: A Novel.
Aboulela, Leila. Bird Summons.
Al Abdullah, Queen Rania of Jordan. Sandwich Swap.
Al Kabani, Abeer Ali. Nour’s Escape.
Al Mansour, Haifaa. Green Bicycle.
Alalou, Ali. Butter Man.
Al-Maria, Sophia. The Girl Who Fell to Earth: A Memoir.
Alsanea, Rajaa. Girls of Riyadh.
Aoneh, Roula. My Alif-Yaa Book (K-1). California: Thaqafa Publishing, 2015.
Aoneh, Roula. My Alif-Yaa Book (Pre-K). California: Thaqafa Publishing, 2015.
Azzoubi, Rana. Million Star Hotel. Charleston, SC: BookSurge Publishing, 2009.
Azzoubi, Rana. Through a Mud Wall. Charleston, SC: BookSurge Publishing, 2007.
Bahous, Sally. Sitti and the cats: A tale of friendship. Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1997.
Barakat, Ibtisam. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Barakat, Ibtisam. Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine.
Bashir, Rabia. Two Pigeons On A Pilgrimage: A Hajj Story
Bsharat, Ahlam. Trees for the Absentees.
Bsharat, Ahlam. Code Name: Butterfly.
Daud, Somaiya. Mirage.
Dunn, Patricia. Rebels by Accident.
Ellabbad, Mohieddine. Illustrator’s Notebook.
El-Magazy, Rowaa. Ali and the Spider.
Faizal, Hafsah. We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya). London, UK: Macmillan Children’s Books, 2020.
Faizal, Hafsah. We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya). London, UK: Macmillan Children’s Books, 2019.
Farmer, Nancy. Clever Ali. New York: Orchard Books, 2006.
Faruqi, Reem. Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story.
Fayad, Susan Daniel. My Grandfather’s Masbaha. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2013.
Fayad, Susan Daniel. Stomp the Ground: Build a Home. Self-Publish, 2015.
Hajoc, Gulnar. Dot that Couldn’t Sit Still.
Hamid, Rasha. Kadis.
Hassib, Rajia. A Pure Heart.
Hawes, Louise. Muti’s Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006.
Heide, Florence Perry and Judith Heide Gilliland. Day of Ahmed’s Secret. New York: Clarion, 1990.
Heide, Florence Perry and Judith Heide Gilliland. Sami and the Time of Troubles. New York: Clarion, 1992.
Heide, Florence Perry and Judith Heide Gilliland. House of Wisdom, The. New York: DK, 1999.
Henty, G.A. Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt, The. New York: Dover Publications, 2002.
Husain, Shahrukh. Wise Fool, The. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Book, 2011.
Ichikawa, Satomi. My Father’s Shop. San Diego, CA: Kane/Miller Book Pub, 2006.
Jarrar, Randa. A Map of Home: A Novel.
Joukhadar, Zeyn. A Map of Salt and Stars.
Khali, Aya. The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story. Thomaston, ME: Tilbury House Publishers , 2020.
Khoury, Jessica. Forbidden Wish.
Khoury, Najla Jraissaty Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales.
Knight, Margy Burns Africa is Not a Country. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 2002.
Kotb, Hoda. I’ve Loved You Since Forever.
Krebs, Laurie. We’re Sailing Down the Nile. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 2007.
Makhoul, Reem. The Girl Who Lost Her Imagination. New York: Ossass-Stories, 2015.
Marston, Elsa. Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria.
Marston, Elsa. Olive Tree, The. Bloomington, Indiana: Wisdom Tales Press, 2014.
Mohammed, Khadra. My Name Is Sangoel.
Mohammed, Khadra. Four Feet, Two Sandals.
Mohja Kahf. Girl in the Tangerine Scarf.
Muaddi Darraj, Susan. Farah Rocks Fifth Grade. Mankato, Minnesota: Stone Arch Books, 2020.
Nagda, Ann W. Dear Whiskers. New York: Holiday House, 2000.
Najjar, Taghreed. Little Green Drum.
Najjar, Taghreed. Whose Doll is this?
Najjar, Taghreed. The Ghoul.
Najjar, Taghreed. My Brother and Me.
Najjar, Taghreed. Who Hid The Eid Lamb?
Nasrallah, Emily. What Happened to Zeeko.
Nimr, Sonia. Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2008.
Noor, Razana. A Whale of a Wish!
Nuurali, Siman. Sadiq and the Desert Star
Nuurali, Siman. Sadiq and the Green Thumbs.
Nuurali, Siman. Sadiq and the Fun Run.
Nuurali, Siman. Sadiq and the Pet Problem.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 19 Varieties of Gazelle.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. A Maze Me: Poems for Girls. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2014.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Baby Radar.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Flag of Childhood: Poems from the Middle East
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Habibi. New York: Simon Pulse, 1999.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Honeybee: Poems and Short Prose. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2008.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Sitti’s Secrets.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Turtle of Oman: A Novel, The. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2014.
Rauf, Onjali Q. The Boy At the Back of the Class. London, UK; Orion Children’s Books, 2018.
Rauf, Onjali Q. The Star Outside My Window.
Rosenberg, Liz. Silence in the Mountains, The. Chicago, IL: Orchard Books, 1999.
Salim, Dana. Dreamland with Mommy. China: Self published, 2015.
Schami, Rafik. Damascus Nights.
Schami, Rafik. A Hand Full of Stars.
Shami, Wafa. Olive Harvest in Palestine: A story of childhood memories
Sharafeddine, Fatima. Amazing Travels of Ibn Battuta, The. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2014.
Sharafeddine, Fatima. Amazing Discoveries of Ibn Sina.
Sharafeddine, Fatima. Ghady & Rawan.
Sharafeddine, Fatima. The Servant. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2013.
Shelo, Jameeleh. Laith the Lion Goes to Palestine.
Simpson, Juwairiah J. L. The Princess Who Wanted to Be Poor. Plainfield, IN: American Trust Publications, 1987.
Smith, Chris. One City, Two Brothers. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books, 2007.
Spalding, Elizabeth and Sarah. Dahman: The Mystery of the Champion Arabian Horse. Saudi Arabia: Al Mutawa Press, 2006.
Taha, Lubna. Trees for Absentees.
Thomas, Helen. The Great White House Breakout.
Warga, Jasmine. Other Words for Home.
Wilkes, Sybella. Out of Iraq. London, UK: Evans Brothers Limited, 2010.
