Himalaya: The Wonders of the Mountains that Touch the Sky by Soledad Romero Mariño and illustrated by María Beorlegi (Orange Mosquito, 2022). Himalaya, (or jimālaia in Sanskrit), means “abode of snow” is a rich non-fiction …
Award Year
All My Rage
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2022). The story chronicles the lives of Noor and Salahudin, close high school friends who share their Pakistani-American heritage. Their familial challenges unfold as Noor …
Meet Me in Mumbai
Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan (Scholastic Press). A story about love and family that spans two generations – a connection that brings Ayesha as a visiting graduate student to the US, and Mira, …
The People of the Indus and the Birth of Civilization in South Asia
The People of the Indus by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and Illustrated by Nikhil Gulati (Penguin Random House India, 2022). The People of the Indus is a unique, well-researched approach to the history of a region. …
American Fever
On her first journey away from home, sixteen-year-old Hira experiences many unfamiliar situations, including the threat of tuberculosis. Through it all, Hira faces her own misconceptions about America while dealing with Islamophobia from her new friends and host family in Oregon. (Grades 10-12)
The Katha Chest
The Katha Chest by Radhiah Chowdhury and Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu (Young Asiyah learns her family history through her grandmother’s chest of richly patterned katha quilts, hand-stitched from layers of repurposed, memory-laden, sari fabric. Asiyah’s …
Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes
Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain; illustrated by Anu Chouhan (Annick Press, 2022). A young girl named Paro comes from a family of Bharatanatyam dancers, and feels out of place at her first ballet …
The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition
In 1947, Azra and her family took an unforgettable train ride from Dehradun to Lahore, leaving her home and her beloved doll behind. Throughout her journey, Azra draws hope and resilience as she sees the same moon each night amidst the ever changing landscape. (Grades PK-4)
Words in the Dust
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy (Scholastic Inc., 2011). Zulaikha, a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan, faces a series of frightening but exhilarating changes in her life as she defies her father and secretly meets with …
The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World
The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World by Shahrukh Husain, illustrations by Micha Archer (Barefoot Books, 2011). Meet Mulla Nasruddin, a legendary character whose adventures and misadventures are enjoyed across the Islamic world. (Grade 5 …