SJPL Picks: Arab American Voices in YA LitLike this list

24 items

• Six Truths and a Lie

  Shukairy, Ream,

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  As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig—resulting in chaos and worse, murder. At the center are six Muslim teens - six patriots, six strangers, and six suspects.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Portrait of a Shadow

  Metoui, Meriam,

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  A missing sister. A mysterious boy. And a painting that holds the truth beneath its peeling edge... Inez is missing, but missing things can always be found. Mae knows this as a fact, even though the police investigation has come to a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bright Red Fruit

  Elhillo, Safia,

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  An unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams. A MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR BOOK • A CALIBA GOLDEN POPPY AWARD FINALIST • A…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Something More

  Khalilieh, Jackie,

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  A contemporary teen romance novel, now available in paperback, featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Guide to the Dark

  Metoui, Meriam

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  You can check out of Room 9, but you can never leave. The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us. Something is building, simmering just out of reach. The room is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Next New Syrian Girl

  Shukairy, Ream,

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  A Syrian American and Syrian refugee who are at odds must chase a haunting secret that leads them all the way to Jordan in this sharp-witted novel perfect for fans of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Khadija Shami is a Syrian…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Cherished

  Ward, Patricia Sarrafian, 1969-

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  "Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands. Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange. The tenants mentioned in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

  Katouh, Zoulfa,

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  "This challenging read recounts some of the harsh realities Syrians have been facing over the last decade, told from the first-person perspective of hijabi teen Salama, who's struggling to decide between fleeing to (relative) safety or…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ida in the Middle

  Murad, Nora Lester,

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  Ida, a Palestinian-American girl, eats a magic olive that takes her to the life she might have had in her parents’ village near Jerusalem. An important coming-of-age story that explores identity, place, voice, and belonging. Every time…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Huda F Are You

  Fahmy, Huda,

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  Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old town, Huda knew exactly who she was: She was the hijabi girl. But in Dearborn, everyone is the hijabi girl. Huda is lost in a sea…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Home Is Not a Country

  Elhillo, Safia,

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  "A novel in verse follows the experiences of a misfit teen in a discriminatory suburban community who questions her mixed heritage before unexpected family revelations force her to fight for her own identity." -- Novelist.

• Misfit in Love

  Ali, S. K.,

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  In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad's getting married, and she's reuniting with her mom, whom she's missed the whole summer. And Nuah's arriving for the weekend…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Is All Your Fault

  Safi, Aminah Mae,

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  "Rinn Olivera is finally going to tell her longtime crush AJ that she’s in love with him. Daniella Korres writes poetry for her own account, but nobody knows it’s her. Imogen Azar is just trying to make it through the day. When Rinn,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• All-American Muslim Girl

  Courtney, Nadine Jolie, 1980-

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  "Allie Abraham is tired of being a "receptacle for unguarded Just Between Us White People ignorance" and discomfort. Moving from place to place with her Circassian Jordanian professor father and white American psychologist mother, Allie…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Hunt the Flame

  Faizal, Hafsah,

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  "In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, seventeen-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world." -- Novelist.

• A Very Large Expanse of Sea

  Mafi, Tahereh,

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  From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice. It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Driving by Starlight

  Deracine, Anat,

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  "Coming of age in a Saudi Arabia where they delight in small acts of rebellion against the Saudi cultural police, from secretly wearing Western clothing and listening to forbidden music to flirting and driving, best friends Leena and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Americanized

  Rebel Without a Green Card

  Saedi, Sara,

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  This hilarious, poignant and true story of one teen's experience growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant from the Middle East is an increasingly necessary read in today's divisive world. Perfect for fans of Mindy Kaling and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mirage

  Daud, Somaiya,

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  "In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Voices in the Air

  Poems for Listeners

  Nye, Naomi Shihab,

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  "Award-winning poet and author Naomi Shihab Nye has written more than 100 poems inspired by the artists, writers, poets, historical figures, politicians, ordinary people, and other diverse luminaries from past and present who inspire us,…Read moreRead more of this annotation