Books in this category reflect the people of the world's nations, religions, and cultures, sometimes as a central feature of the story and other times as part of the story's background.
Drita, My Homegirl Written by Jenny Lombard Drita and her family come to New York as refugees from war-torn Kosovo. Even though she barely speaks English, Drita can’t wait to start school and make a new best friend. But her new classmates don’t make it easy, teasing her about virtually everything. The worst is Maxie, a tough African-American girl whose sassy attitude hides a painful secret. When Maxie takes things too far, their teacher assigns Maxie a paper on Drita and her journey to America from Kosovo. Suddenly, Maxie realizes she and Drita have more in common than she thought. And when Drita’s mother gets sick, there’s only one person who can help—Drita’s new homegirl. [Grade Level: 3 - 5]
3.
Jerusalem Sky Written by Mark H. Podwal According to legend, the Jerusalem sky held off the rains for seven years while King Solomon built his temple. In the Jerusalem sky, the Bible says, a rising star announced the birth of Jesus. Through that same sky, Islamic belief holds, Muhammad climbed to heaven. Now the Jerusalem sky fills with the sounds of worshippers praying for peace in the synagogues, churches, and mosques. [Grade Level: 3 - 6]
My Name Is Bilal Asma Mobin-Uddin (Author), Barbara Kiwak (Illustrator) Bilal and his sister transfer to a school where they are the only Muslim students. Bilal tries to hide his identity, until his teacher gives him a biography of an important figure in the history of the Islamic faith also named Bilal. [Grade Level: 2 - 6]
Ramadan Suhaib Hamid Ghazi (Author), Omar Rayyan (Illustrator) Describes the celebration of the month of Ramadan by an Islamic family; describes the meaning and importance of the holiday in the Islamic religion. [Grade Level: K - 6]
