The Muslim Bookstagram Awards 2023: Meet The Finalists!
After a small delay due to our hearts hurting and praying for our Ummah, the judges of the Muslim Bookstagram Awards 2023 have moved forward with the awards, as Muslim books are more important than ever.
We are honored to announce our finalists for the #MuslimBookstagramAwards2023!
From adorable board books and vibrant picture books, to heartwarming middle grade reads and powerful young adult fiction, it’s been another wonderful year from Muslim authors.
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It was hard to choose, but the judges have managed to put together the finalists list!
Note that any of the books can be ordered from our sponsor, Crescent Moon Bookstore, and a link has been provided for each title. Read through the whole post to find our special Coupon Code at the end, and get a discount off your order!
Toddler Books
Little Umar’s Search is a super cute board book following Umar as he looks for his older brother – and finds his family members all engaged in different acts of worship. This sturdy life-the-flaps book will be a favourite with toddlers!
We Know What To Say: Phrases Commonly Used By Muslims
The deceptively basic cover of this picture book hides just how cute it is! With simple text (So-and-so, what do we say when…?) and adorable illustrations, this book will definitely be a hit with very little ones who are learning (or need reminding) of which Islamic phrases to say for specific reasons.
Have you ever heard your child complain: “I can’t do it!”? This unique song book (with a QR code to access the vocals-only song online) is a fun way to show show our little ones that learning new things can be fun, and how to perform good deeds for the Sake of Allah.
“Come to Prayer” is the perfect example of how a picture book can be very simple, yet wonderful when paired with the right pictures! From chilly Reykjavik to humid Kuala Lumpur, this book shows Muslims around the world prioritizing their salah with the refrain, “Come to prayer, come to success!”
“Allah Made Me Different” is a sweet rhyming book that answers a toddler’s burning question: “Why am I different from you?” From height to eye colour, languages and skin colour, this book lovingly tells little ones how Allah made us all different. This is bound to be a bedtime regular!
Picture Books
Allah Made Me a Boy Alhamdulillah and Allah made me a Girl, Alhamdulillah
“Allah Made You A Boy, AlHamdulillah” and “Allah Made You A Girl, AlHamdulillah” by Rafia Syed (illustrated by Rosiana Ervianti) are two companion picture books – and don’t be fooled by the titles! Each book highlights important Muslim men and women and the values that boys and girls can learn from them, respectively. These books are a wonderful way to introduce/ familiarize our children with specific Islamic characteristics associated with notable Islamic figures.
“Hamza Attends a Janaza” by Shabana Hussain is a thoughtful, gentle way to discuss the concept of death and Islamic process of funerals with young children. Hamza’s weekend plans change when Uncle Sameer dies, and Hamza’s family goes to attend the funeral at the masjid. Hamza takes part in the whole experience, learning important lessons along the way.
Mimi & Unicorn Get to Know Allah
Mimi and Unicorn are determined to learn more about Allah, so they go to Mimi’s older sister, her grandparents, her mother and her father to understand who Allah is and why we love Him and worship Him. This is such an adorable way to help little ones conceptualize a basic foundation of belief in Allah and loving Him – the illustrations truly take it to the next level in keeping them engaged!
“Zain’s Super Friday” by Hena Khan, illustrated by Nez Riaz, is a sweet father-son story about a little boy going to Jumu’ah with his dad – who has to remind Zain that doing wudhu, sitting quietly, and praying are all important superpowers!
From the friends Kamal meets at Jumu’ah, to playful splashing while doing wudhu, to the imam’s wisdom and the smiles of other believers – this book highlights the very essence of loving the masjid and its experiences. This book is a beautiful example of Muslim joy.
Sitti’s Key is a powerful picture book that tells the story of the Nakba in age-appropriate ways.
When Amal’s grandmother comes to visit, she’s disappointed that her gift is an “old lady” dress – a red, tatreez-embroidered thoub. Amal is even more confused when Sitti pulls out a large, old key – why is she carrying a big old key with her?! Eventually, Amal’s grandmother explains the story behind the key: the last physical reminder of their home in Haifa, from which they were driven out by Zionist settlers.
Muhammad receives his first real sujjaadah (prayer mat) at the age of 7, with his father’s words ringing in his ears: “Never delay salat.” But when Muhammad realizes that he has to pray at school… the challenge is a little more than he expected it to be. It is when he witnesses his father living up to his principles no matter what that he realizes what it truly means to make salat the ultimate priority.
Chapter Books
Madrassah Mysteries: The Case of the Great Gerbil Escape
4 madrassah friends come together to solve a classroom mystery! The escape of the classroom pet, Bobby the gerbil. Their number one suspect, their madrassah teacher, because he always complains about the stink that permeates from the cage. But can they prove it?
Nadia & Nadir: Architect Assistants
Nadia and Nadir’s Aunty Azra has come to visit – and they discover that she’s an architect who is designing a new masjid! Nadia and Nadir help with the mosque’s design, learning about all the important things a masjid needs to become a truly welcoming hub of worship and community.
Meet the Maliks: Ramadan Mayhem
Maysa and Musa Malik are twins and troublemakers – well, it’s actually just Maysa who is the troublemaker. Maysa desperately wants to go to a camp and to do that she has to prove that she is mature to her parents. So Maysa tries to be better, but she just has a knack for Mayhem. When the Ramadan cookies are stolen, it’s Maysa who figures out the solution, and learns on the way that gossiping is wrong.
Middle Grade
Majdi Mansoor and the Book of Miracles
This dystopian YA novel is set in the year 2212, featuring a 12-year-old boy who has stumbled across something forbidden: a copy of the Qur’an. When Jacob meets a Muslim boy named Majdi Mansoor, he finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, with brilliant scientists and a mission to go up against the mysterious, deadly Executive and the Corporation that rules this dystopian world.
Four Muslim tweens – Hannah Chen (Adam’s little sister from Love From A to Z!), Feek Stiles (and his little sister Ruqi!), Nora Najjar, and Sami Iqbal – are all returning from a large Muslim conference with their families, when a storm hits and all flights are grounded. While each child struggles with something of their own, they end up an unlikely band of friends in search of a missing cat.
Maria Latif’s parents have died, and she is shipped from home to home- most caretakers complaining of her surliness. When she lands with her parents’ friends in New York, she expects it’s just going to be another disappointment. But she discovers a secret garden in the yard that brings her and some friends together. Can the bit of earth she found bring her the family she deeply yearns for?
Kareem and Samira are cousins living across the world from each other – Kareem in Damascus and Samira in the USA – and both are contending with their own struggles to stand for freedom and what’s right. When Kareem is sent to America, the two cousins must grapple with the complications that threaten to pit them against each other.
“Huda F Cares” is the latest chronicles of @yesimhotinthis – this time, following Huda and her family to Disney World.
Between Huda’s fears that her family stands out a little too much, Umm Huda’s nefarious plot to force some sisterly bonding, and the awkwardness of praying in public, this graphic novel lives up to its laugh-out-loud predecessors.
Young Adult and Adult
[Note: We recommend these titles for 16 and above due to heavy and serious themes such as grief, violence, war, and more. These stories feature real-life, complex situations, including flawed Muslim characters. Read more about navigating such stories here.]
Khadija is a Syrian American living in Michigan, struggling against her moms expectations, her absentee workaholic doctor dad, and Syrian cultural requirements in the community (which frown upon her passion of boxing). Leene is a Syrian refugee, who is finally in America with her mom after a long journey of loss and sadness.
When both girls collide- they are complete opposites. Leene is everything Khadija is not, and Khadija is someone Leene doesn’t get- but when an unexpected discovery brings them closer, their friendship helps both of them realize they have a lot to learn from each other, and heal.
Dear Mother: Letters from the Heart by Suma Din is a collection of fictional letters written to mothers at many different stages of their lives – whether they are new mothers, mothers of children with disabilities, mothers living through abuse, mothers far from home and family, mothers of empty nests… there is something for everyone.
This retelling of the 1001 Arabian Nights’ heroine Scheherazade is unlike any other: this evokes her as a Seljuk noblewoman, swept into the historical context of a waning Seljuk empire, a jealous Abbasid caliphate, a painful jihad alongside Salahuddin Ayyubi against the crusading Franks. And throughout it all – Scheherazade’s tales, told to save her life and that of the fair maidens of her home, to a Shahryar who is and is not the monster everyone thinks he is… and Scheherazade herself, who caused it all to happen.
Loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” Much Ado About Nada is more a lighthearted rom-com with an unexpected twist on the genre of second-chance love. Nada Syed is going on 30, struggling with her start-up business idea – and coming face-to-face with a figure from her past. Will Nada’s heart be in danger as it was many years ago, or does she have a second chance at love?
Muslim Holiday
A Cat Like Me! A Fun Hajj Tale
“A Cat Like Me!” is a cute visual, rhyming guide to Hajj – with the help of Bissa, the Clock Tower cat. For kids (and adults) who always get a little confused by the order of the rites of Hajj, this colourful picture book takes us along each stage of Hajj.
Papa isn’t a Muslim, but he’ll be spending Ramadan with his grandson, Rayan, and his family. Rayan worries his grandfather won’t fit in and might even do something embarrassing. When Papa suggests bringing cookies made from his favorite Christmas recipe, Rayan panics. How will Rayan handle the challenge of having his Christian grandfather at his Ramadan gathering? Can he and Papa find common ground and respect each other’s traditions?
Umama tends to accidentally cause havoc in the masjid whenever she goes for taraweeh, but she’s determined to make sure everything goes smoothly for Laylatul Qadr! Too bad her frog has other plans… This is a hilarious book about an adorable girl’s unintentional hijinks, and in the end, everything works out and there are valuable lessons learned along the way.
Moon’s Ramadan by Natasha Khan Kazi is a sweet Ramadan story from the moon’s perspective.
Moon loves watching people prepare for Ramadan, worship and give sadaqah during its days and nights, reciting Qur’an and sharing traditions from around the world. Each page demonstrates the waxing and waning of the moon throughout the month, which makes for a nice visual understanding of what a lunar month is.
Deenie is excited for Ramadan but nervous about her first time trying to fast…can she do it? While abstaining from food, Deenie notices that the slowing down has helped her notice so many “roses” in life that she can find joy in, and her good deeds help fill her up until iftar. And by the end, Deenie realizes that this month can make her whole year.
Best Illustrations
The Blessed Pomegranates: A Ramadan Story About Giving
It is Ramadan, the holy season of giving! But Adam and Alyha can’t help wondering: what is the real meaning of Ramadan? Fortunately, wise Grandma Essi knows just what to do. With ruby pomegranates picked from Grandma Essi’s magnificent tree, the two grandchildren set off to visit their friends and neighbors, share their blessings, and discover, as Grandma Essi no doubt intended all along, to feel the spirit of the holiest month of the year.
Faizah dreams of a kind world, and spends her day trying to make it so… and the time comes when she’s the one in need of kindness from those around her.
Non-Fiction and Best Selling Legacy
Due to lack of quality submissions for the category of non-fiction, only one book made the finalists list – and will be announced as the winner!
This year, we are also introducing a new category: the Best Selling Legacy book, chosen by our sponsor Noura of Crescent Moon Bookstore. Stay tuned for the final winners’ announcements to find out the winners of these categories!
Judge’s Choice
The Judges’ Choice nominees are a category where YOU, the reader, help choose the winner! If you’ve read any of these books, head over to this form and cast your vote!
Samira is worried and anxious about all the noises at the bazaar. So she uses her grandmother’s chador to hide- but each time, Mama Shamsi, lovingly pretends they are an animal- and redirects her granddaughter to stand by her side. And by the time they reach the market, Samira has confidence enough to use her senses (and hold her Mama Shamsi’s hand) to navigate it together.
Khadija is a Syrian American living in Michigan, struggling against her moms expectations, her absentee workaholic doctor dad, and Syrian cultural requirements in the community (which frown upon her passion of boxing). Leene is a Syrian refugee, who is finally in America with her mom after a long journey of loss and sadness.
When both girls collide- they are complete opposites. Leene is everything Khadija is not, and Khadija is someone Leene doesn’t get- but when an unexpected discovery brings them closer, their friendship helps both of them realize they have a lot to learn from each other, and heal.
This retelling of the 1001 Arabian Nights’ heroine Scheherazade is unlike any other: this evokes her as a Seljuk noblewoman, swept into the historical context of a waning Seljuk empire, a jealous Abbasid caliphate, a painful jihad alongside Salahuddin Ayyubi against the crusading Franks. And throughout it all – Scheherazade’s tales, told to save her life and that of the fair maidens of her home, to a Shahryar who is and is not the monster everyone thinks he is… and Scheherazade herself, who caused it all to happen.
Ramadan Nights by Jenny Divleli hits all the right notes in evoking Ramadan vibes!
From home-made decorations to sighting the moon, the joy of praying taraweeh and being woken by a Ramadan drummer for suhoor, this lovely book will fill readers hearts with true Ramadan joy. Simple scenes of reciting Qur’an, struggling with hunger, sharing with others and gratitude for Allah’s blessings all encapsulate the beauty of Ramadan in a way that will connect with young children and create memories to drawn upon for years to come.
Don’t forget to stay tuned for our announcement of the winners next week, inshaAllah!
[SPECIAL COUPON CODE: Use the coupon code “MBR” for 15% off all products ordered from Crescent Moon Bookstore!]
