April 4 is National School Librarian Day and April 11 is National Library Day. Every year Muslim Space delivers book bundles to the public schools in the Austin area as a way to enhance an understanding of Islam, Muslims, and other non-dominant cultures.
The goal of this annual project is to promote authentic narratives of Muslims and/or other marginalized groups and identities. The result is two-fold, it places a familiar image and identity for Muslim youth to relate to and it normalizes the Muslim experience for non-Muslims.
Since 2017 we have delivered over 1,000 books to local area schools showcasing Ramadan, Islam, Muslim and non-Muslim heroes and superheroes, and diversity in cultures, abilities, and history.
This year we plan on delivering two books showcasing strength in adversity - “Huda F Are You?” by Huda Fahmy and “As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows” by Zoulfa Katouh.
Each school sponsorship costs $15 and we plan on delivering to 100+ local schools.
You can sponsor a school by donating here: www.paypal.me/muslimspace or Venmo (@MuslimSpace)
Book Descriptions:
“Huda F Are You?” by Huda Fahmy
From the creator of the hugely popular webcomic Yes I’m Hot In This comes a graphic novel about a young American Muslim growing up and figuring out who she is
Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. But Huda doesn’t fit in–when everyone is Muslim, there’s no Muslim clique like there was in her last town, and Huda’s not a sporty hijabi or a fashionista hijabi or a gamer hijabi. She’s just Huda, and she’s not sure what that means. She tries on all kinds of identities and friends, but nothing fits quite right. Until she realizes she can get back to the basics.
“As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows” by Zoulfa Katouh.
A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.