Shirin Shamsi

The cover and illustrations throughout this book are gorgeous. The story is simple but very sweet. There are beautiful life lessons to be learned from the story. First is that you receive blessings when you give, especially when you expect nothing in return. I loved seeing Zahra’s family donate clothing and toys to a refugee center. They also gave their time to volunteer there.

For non-Muslim children, the book is excellent for learning of other cultures. Zahra awakens at the beginning of Ramadan and offers a prayer that she will get a sister. The story shows her family giving to others, partaking of the iftar meal at sundown each day of Ramadan, and then celebrating of Eid at the end of Ramadan. At the back of the book is information on Ramadan, fasting, Eid Al-Fitr, displacement, shelters, and foster care.… (more)

This book is a multicultural, time-travel adventure story set in present-day Chicago and seventh-century Arabia, the time when the Prophet Mohammed lived. Thirteen-year-old Laila is struggling with complicated and emotional events in her family. She feels grief, anger, resentment, fear, even self-hatred. She teeters back and forth between helplessness and courage. As a young Muslim child she dreamed of going on a pilgrimage to Mecca with her beloved Dad. This book will help children process these strong emotions stemming from traumatic family events, like death and parents remarrying.

I was enchanted by the beautiful descriptions of Mecca and the desert of Arabia. The author skillfully painted them so I could see, hear, smell, taste and touch a land foreign to me. The book is a rich stew of characters, foreign locations and different centuries. The author has a website with a Curriculum Guide for Educators and Parents with reference to Common Core information for grades 4 through 8… (more)