Muslim
Ten Things I Hate About Me
Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
Description: Ten Things I Hate About Me is a contemporary novel set in Australia about a Muslim teen who is living a double life. At home, she is everything her dad wants her to be, a stereotypical Muslim girl. At school, she is blonde and goes by an anglicized name. She is just trying to figure out who she really is.
Includes: #muslim #femaleprotagonist #contemporary
Citation: Abdel-Fattah, R. (2007). Ten Things I Hate About Me. Marion Lloyd.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Yes No Maybe So
Author: Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
Description: Yes No Maybe So is a contemporary novel about two teens, one who is a Jewish boy and one who is a Muslim girl. The book is told through alternating perspectives over the course of one summer as they become more politically active, campaigning for a liberal candidate during a special election in Georgia. They two are spurred to action when the existing politician is trying to pass a law banning Muslim women from wearing hijab and his constituents start plastering cars with anti-semitic bumper stickers. As they campaign they become closer and closer, caring more about the issues and each other.
Includes: #muslim #jewish #judaism #islamophobia #antisemitism #contemporary #femaleprotagonist #maleprotagonist #youngadultliterature
Citation: Albertalli, B. & Saeed, A. (2020). Yes No Maybe So. Balzer + Bray.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Love, Hate, And Other Filters
Author: Samira Ahmed
Description: Love, Hate, And Other Filters is a contemporary novel about an Indian American Muslim teen. The story follows her experience in high school as her mom tries to set her up with a Muslim boy, she falls for a white boy in her class, and everyone in her community gets affected by a local terrorist attack.
Includes: #muslim #asianamerican #indian #femaleprotagonist #interraciallove #contemporary
Citation: Ahmed, S. (2018). Love, Hate, And Other Filters. Soho Teen.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Saints and Misfits
Author: S.K. Ali
Description: Saints and Misfits is about a Muslim-American girl dealing with trauma, inter-faith dating, and figuring out who she wants to be.
Includes: #muslim #asianamerican #contemporary #femaleprotagonist
Citation: Ali, S.K. (2017). Saints and Misfits. Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for young readers.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
A Girl Like That
Author: Tanaz Bhathena
Description: A Girl Like That is a contemporary novel about a girl in Saudi Arabia, a Muslim country. She is rebellious, orphaned, and the type of girl that parents do not want their daughters hanging out with. When she dies in a car crash, the religious police arrive and everyone thinks they know what happened. As her story is pieced together through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that no one really knew who she was.
Includes: #muslim #contemporary #femaleprotagonist
Citation: Bhathena, T. (2018). A Girl Like That. Farrar Straus Grioux Books for Young Readers.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Watched
Author: Marina Budhos
Description: Watched is a contemporary novel about an immigrant Bangladeshi Muslim boy, who is conflicted about being asked by the police to watch community members at his mosque. He asks himself: Am I a hero or a traitor?
Includes: #muslim #contemporary #maleprotagonist #asianamerican #bengali
Citation: Budhos, M. (2016). Watched. Wendy Lamb Books.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Mirage
Author: Somaiya Daud
Description: Mirage is a science fiction fantasy novel by a Muslim author. Though the story does not have any directly described Muslim characters, the author draws on her own experience to worldbuild. The story follows a teen who lives under a brutal intergalactic occupation and who writes poetry and dreams of adventure. After being kidnapped and finding out that she looks almost identical to the evil princess, she is forced to play the role of the princess if she ever wants to see her family alive again.
Includes: #muslim #sciencefiction #fantasy #femaleprotagonist
Citation: Daud, S. (2018). Mirage. Flatiron Books.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
Here To Stay
Author: Sara Farizan
Description: Here To Stay is a contemporary sports novel about a Muslim American boy who loves to play basketball. When he is called off of the team’s varsity bench and makes the winning shot, everything in his life changes instantly. He shoots from anonymity to popularity and everything seems great until an anonymous cyberbully sends the entire school a photoshopped image of him looking like a terrorist. It is during this difficult time that he finds out who his true friends are.
Includes: #muslim #asianamerican #basketball #maleprotagonist #contemporary #sports
Citation: Farizan, S. (2018). Here To Stay. Algonquin Young Readers.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
I Am Thunder
Author: Muhammad Khan
Description: I Am Thunder is a contemporary novel about a Muslim teen girl set in Britain. After being bullied about her beliefs, she is influenced by another Muslim teen to adopt more extreme religious views. As she starts to loose her freedoms, she asks herself: Will I keep quiet or speak out?
Includes: #muslim #femaleprotagonist #asian #contemporary
Citation: Khan, M. (2018). I Am Thunder. Macmillan Children’s Books.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
The Love & Lies Of Rukhsana Ali
Author: Sabina Khan
Description: The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali is a contemporary novel about a lesbian Bengali Muslim teen. When her parents catch her with her girlfriend, her plans to move away for college and become an Engineer all start to fall apart. Sent away to Bangladesh, she realizes that she needs to find the courage to fight for her identity and her love.
Includes: #muslim #asianamerican #bengali #LGBTQIA #lesbian #contemporary #femaleprotagonist
Citation: Khan, S. (2019). The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali. Scholastic Press.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.
A Very Large Expanse Of Sea
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Description: A Very Large Expanse Of Sea is a contemporary novel set three months after 9/11. The book follows a young Iranian American Muslim teen as she deals with prejudice within her new school, falls in love, and becomes involved in a break dancing team.
Includes: #muslim #asianamerican #iranian #contemporary #interraciallove #femaleprotagonist
Citation: Mafi, T. (2018). A Very Large Expanse Of Sea. HarperTeen.
Image retrieved from: Goodreads.