Youth book, written to explain basic practices of Muslims. Very informative. ( )

Its a very detailed about the five pillars of Islam. Each chapter is a pillar in itself, very good book for fourth and fifth graders. Also in the chapter, Islam is being compared to other main religions especially Judaism, Christianity. Even includes some recipes for Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims in which they fast from dawn till sunset. Apart from the pillars of Islam, the intro book about Islam talks about the holidays. They also contain twelve months of Islams calendar for social studies. The history of Islam, its spread and its sects are all included in this book. Its very informative and I personally enjoyed every bit of it. ( )

Ali-Karamali, S. (2012). Growing up Muslim: Understanding the beliefs and practices of Islam. New York: Random House/Delacorte Press. 214 pp. ISBN: 978-0-385-74095-1. (Hardcover); $16.99.

Growing up Muslim may not win any prizes for the best nonfiction of the year, but it is a book that middle school and high school libraries should purchase. Every day, it seems, there is some hue and cry clanging in the media about the perils posed by Muslims, the evils of Islam. Folks shout warnings about “Shariah law” and “jihad” with ignorant claims that Muslims have some sort of organized plot to overthrow Christianity. This book, in the first part, systematically defines the basic beliefs and practices of Muslims: what do Muslims eat, what is Islam, how does prayer work, why do Muslims fast, what holidays do Muslims celebrate, what behavior is allowed, what about clothing, and more. Just as Christianity has many forms of worship and many different types of worshippers, so to does Islam. Ali-Karamali is very good at explaining the range of belief, as well as the commonalities. The first part of the book is integrated with the five pillars of faith in the Islamic religion: the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and charity. The second half of the book explores the contemporary Muslim world and includes a rich discussion of the wide differences within the Muslim community over the proper way to follow God. Ali-Karamali does an especially good job of comparing the Muslim community and its differences to the Christian community and its differences. Readers will come away from this book with a better understanding of Islam; some may even be surprised by the similarities between Jewish faith, Christianity, and Islam. Be sure to share this book with the social studies department in your school.