New Mainers

Guess what? We're not all lobstermen, lumberjacks, or exiles from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Stroll down the streets of Portland and you'll find a startling diversity of faces, languages and YES! restaurants.

From Amazon: "Who are these new Mainers, and why have they come here? They are from war-torn countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Cambodia; from poor Latin American nations; and from economically vibrant places like Hong Kong, India, and Europe--in other words, from across the global spectrum. They came to Maine for a job or to reunite with their family or because they fell in love or to attend college here or to flee persecution in their homelands.

Although the twenty-five immigrants who tell their stories had widely varying reasons for coming to Maine, many have made remarkable contributions to the state. Some contribute high-level skills in medicine, engineering, academia, law, public-school education, hotel management, and social services. Others have enriched the state's arts and sports worlds. Several are used to going back and forth across borders, either as transnational professionals or as migrant workers. About one-third of these immigrants are successful entrepreneurs.

As you will find out, the journeys of these immigrants have not been easy, but all of them are glad they wound up in this state and are proud of their new identities as Mainers."

This terrific book is written by Pat Nyhan and Reza Jalali; photography by Jan Pieter van Voorst von Beest

Curious George Does Ramadan

What can I say? My "kids" are 20-something adults now, but it feels like yesterday we were cuddling together reading Curious George. To this day, whenever one of us screws up (which is fairly often) we'll comment, "Sometimes little monkeys forget!"

So, this is terrific, right? A board book to introduce the very young to Ramadan.

In  It's Ramadan, Curious George by H.A. Rey and Hena Khan, it's the first day of Ramadan, and George is celebrating with his friend Kareem and his family. George helps Kareem with his first fast and joins in the evening celebration of tasting treats and enjoying a special meal. Then, George helps make gift baskets to donate to the needy, and watches for the crescent moon with the man in the yellow hat. Finally George joins in the Eid festivities to mark the end of his very first Ramadan. 

     This playful tabbed board book would be good not only for those who celebrate Ramadan, but also for those who are learning about it for the first time!

#RamadanReads

The Good Braider

I remember the day I first heard author Terry Farish read from her novel, The Good Braider. It was the section where the main character, Viola, a Sudanese refugee girl/rape survivor who has been relocated to Portland, Maine with her family, reflects on who she is now and what remains of her shattered, former self.

Terry's voice is gently haunting, and the section she read was particularly honest. We were sitting together at a long table, part of a YA panel at some book conference, and I couldn't help it: I started to cry. I wasn't a colleague in that moment, speaking "professionally" before an audience. Her words transformed me into another reader/listener, moved to tears by this powerful story.

A summary of the book: "In spare free verse laced with unforgettable images, Viola's strikingly original voice sings out the story of her family's journey from war-torn Sudan, to Cairo, and finally to Portland, Maine. Here, in the sometimes too close embrace of the local Southern Sudanese Community, she dreams of South Sudan while she tries to navigate the strange world of America—a world where a girl can wear a short skirt, get a tattoo, or even date a boy; a world that puts her into sharp conflict with her traditional mother who, like Viola, is struggling to braid together the strands of a displaced life. Terry Farish's haunting novel is not only a riveting story of escape and survival, but the universal tale of a young immigrant's struggle to build a life on the cusp of two cultures."

The Good Braider received the Maine Literary Award and the Lupine Award.
#RamadanReads

New Arrivals

Why focus on a single book when I can recommend a few thousand at once? Today, it's I'm Your Neighbor.

The creation of Kid Lit Grande Dame Kirsten Cappy (Curious City) and author Anne Sibley O'Brien, I'm Your Neighbor is an incredible resource for teachers, librarians and parents looking for diverse books for young readers.

Inspired by the influx of "new arrivals" to Portland, Maine, Kirsten and Anne have curated a list which is organized by setting, groups represented and theme. The books cover a wide range of age needs and reading levels and adults will find a wealth of good reads here as well.

#RamadanReads #WeNeedDiverseBooks

The Telling Room

I'm a big fan of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement but frankly that's not enough. We need diverse voices. If you've ever attempted to crack the publishing business and see your writing bound and displayed on store shelves, you know getting to that stage is akin to getting struck by lightening.

So the books out there are a slim reflection of the stories that beg to be heard.

The Telling Room in Portland, Maine is a hub of diverse, soul-searing stories. A non-profit writing center that works with children all the way through high school age, it draws not only the reluctant but also the inspired writer. And the writer "from away." In Maine, anyone who wasn't born here is considered "from away," and Portland in particular, as a refugee relocation center, is home to many from FAR away.

Working with young people who represent myriad cultures, races and religions, The Telling Room publishes anthologies of their  stories. They are honest, funny, inspiring and devastating. You won't find them in Barnes and Noble or trending on Twitter, but they are the stories you'll want to, need to, hear. Check them out: The Telling Room.

#RamadanReads #WeNeedDiverseVoices

Early Ramadan Reader

With beautiful illustrations by Sue Williams, Under the Ramadan Moon, by Sylvia Whitman, tells the story of a modern family's traditions during Ramadan. Good for grades 2-4.

There's also a detailed note at the end about Ramadan.

#RamadanReads

Culture, or Religion?

Wearing the hijab: is it a religious requirement, or a cultural practice? I have Muslim friends who are covered from wrist to ankle, and others whose gorgeous long hair flows freely. All are observant Muslims.

The delightful YA novel, Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah addresses this issue. When sixteen-year-old Amal decides to wear the hijab full-time, her entire world changes, all because of a piece of cloth...

She makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.
Can she handle the taunts of "towel head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.