"Today's kids have lived their whole lives in a world where the topic of religious belief has become a serious social issue. The media and social media are full of stereotypes and misinformation about Islam in particular, and this atmosphere of fear and distrust has entered the everyday life of kids. When kids encounter conflict based on intolerance, inequity, and ignorance, they need the understanding and the tools to deal with the situation. Whether...

It's 2003, several months since the US officially declated war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down. She's too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots. Shadi is named for joy but she's haunted by sorrow....

"In this heartrending debut, Fatimah Asghar traces the intense bond of three orphaned siblings who, after their parents die, are left to raise one another. The youngest, Kausar, grapples with the incomprehensible loss of her parents as she also charts out her own understanding of gender; Aisha, the middle sister, spars with her "crybaby" younger sibling as she desperately tries to hold on to her sense of family in an impossible situation; and Noreen,...