Posts Tagged muslim authors

Author Interview with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

By Shifa Safadi on September 22, 2023 / Articles, Author Interviews, Diversity, Fiction

image of the author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Debut Author Interview with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow on her Middle Grade novel GROUNDED

I’m so excited to be able to interview the talented author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow on her book GROUNDED, co-authored by S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed, and Huda Al-Marashi, and published by Abrams on May 9^th of 2023.

Jamilah’s picture books are absolutely breathtaking, and I am delighted to say that so is her Middle Grade writing! I loved every bit of this spectacular Muslim book!

I encourage every teacher and librarian to stock this wonderful book on their shelves, and I am sure every reader will love reading this book about four Muslim kids stranded at the airport (and their adventures within).

a picture of book cover of Grounded, showing four muslim kids in an airport running after a cat

About GROUNDED:

Description taken from the publisher:

Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors—Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali.

When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he’d rather be writing a poem that’s good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the airport—and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying. Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he’ll miss the karate tournament that he’s trained so hard for. And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos. These kids don’t seem to have much in common—yet.

Told in alternating points of view, Grounded tells the story of one unexpected night that will change these kids forever.

Interview with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow:

I loved getting to talk to Jamilah about her book and I think you will enjoy meeting her and her character Feek as well!

SSS: What is the inspiration behind Grounded? And how did you and the other lovely authors decide to co-author this book?

JTB: The inspiration initially came from Aisha Saeed. While waiting in an airport, she imagined four unlikely kids meeting and bonding there. She liked the idea of having different Muslim voices in the narrative and invited me, Huda, and S.K. Ali to join on the project. We had all worked together previously on Once Upon an Eid. From there, our ideas for the book came from fun, collaborative conversations. Aisha came up with some broad strokes suggestions about who the characters might be and we each took a character and developed those ideas more fully and added in our own specifics.

SSS: So many important and wonderful themes in your book- and I have heard mention by the other authors on the importance of the inclusion of Muslim joy in particular – could you elaborate on which themes resonate the most for YOU, and what you hope will be the most impactful for young readers.

JTB: One theme that resonated most was the self-acceptance piece. A few of the Grounded characters are struggling with accepting who they are and have to work through that. That theme comes up a lot in many of my other books because I think it’s such a huge thing for young people and even for older people as we make it through life. Another was about the difficulty of voicing our emotional needs. Kids need to learn how to advocate for themselves and I love how we built in moments where that is explicitly talked about amongst the characters.

SSS: The character of Feek is so adorable and I wanted to reach through the pages and hug him! How did you develop his characters?

JTB: Awww, thank you! Feek is a combination of a lot of preteen and teen boys I’ve seen who are trying to put on a tough and cool exterior when really they are softies inside. I’ve worked with a lot of Black boys in my career in that age group (not to mention having two sons), and it’s always struck me how fragile, sensitive, and multifaceted they can be in spite of the ways the world perceives them. I’m also interested in the challenges of performing masculinity as a young boy. I wanted to explore those things with Feek’s character. Additionally, I thought about the spoken word component of many Muslim conferences and was inspired to somehow add that into the book. As I was writing Feek’s character, he often spoke to me in rhyme and made it clear to me he was a lyricist dying to get out.

SSS: Diverse books are so important (and a passion of mine!). How does being both Black and Muslim affect your writing? (BTW we need MORE!)

JTB: I definitely agree we need more. I write my experience. Period. That can be hard when the expectation seems to be to erase either my Muslimness or Blackness in books. But I stick to writing my experience as unapologetically as I can.

SSS: Will there be more Middle Grade books from you in the future? (Please say YES!)

JTB: Yes! Although nothing is ready to be announced.

SSS: ****Excited Squeal***

Link to preorder Grounded here.

Writing Process

SSS: How long did it take to write Grounded? Do you find it a more difficult process to write Picture Books or Middle Grade books?

JTB: It was definitely over a year of time. Maybe closer to two years. Because it was a group effort, we had to meet to discuss each of our chapters and ensure the book seamlessly connected.

I feel like Middle Grade is challenging in different ways. I need to pull in so many elements to make a book feel complete. With Picture Books, I’m cutting out elements to make a book feel whole. A book feels complete when it’s concise and focused. A Middle Grade is the same in needing to be focused but there are so many elements in terms of the character arcs and plot to bring into that focus. It’s expansive and narrow, which makes it hard.

SSS: How was it to co-write a book where three other authors have distinct voices for their own three characters as well?

JTB: Co-writing was challenging but also a lot of fun. It requires a lot of communication. It helped that we had previously established friendships with each other and got along. The fun is in seeing what the other authors are doing with their characters and falling in love with these other voices. I also loved working out conflicts and creating bonds between these characters and Feek.

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus FUN question! Taking care of animals and finding a lost cat is a huge unifying factor in the book for the characters- Are you an animal lover in real life?

JTB: I do love animals! Especially cats. I don’t currently have any pets due to life circumstances but I watch cute animal videos for fun and am a member of too many Facebook cat groups.

If you liked this interview, check out this link to an article honoring Arab-American books!

Thank you so much Jamilah for answering my questions! I hope everyone picks up a copy of all your beautiful books!!

About Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is a Philadelphia-based bestselling children’s book author. Her books, which center around Black and Muslim kids, have been recognized by many, including TIME and NPR, and she is an Irma Black Award silver medalist. A former teacher and forever an educator-at-heart, she is probably most proud that her picture book Your Name Is a Song was named the December 2021 NEA Read Across America book and that it is included in the curriculums of major school districts throughout the United States.

You can find Jamilah on Social Media!

A Ramadan Booklist and Guide for Educators and Librarians

By Shifa Safadi on March 24, 2023 / Articles, Book Lists

A Ramadan Booklist and Guide for Educators

A Ramadan booklist and guide for educators just in time …. Ramadan is here, and all over the USA and world, Muslim students are preparing to fast. And very often, educators and librarians play such an important and valuable role in helping these students feel comfortable and more confident in following their faith and belonging.

Read on for more information about Ramadan … plus, we have a Ramadan booklist at the very end of this post.

Ramadan by the Calendar

In 2023, Ramadan started around March 23, and the reason I use the word around is because it actually depends on where you are in the world.

Since Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, it moves backwards every year around 11 days, and is confirmed based on the sighting of the crescent moon in the night sky. Some Muslim communities use NASA calculations to determine when Ramadan is long before the month starts, and many wait for the moon to show in the sky- which could mean different starting days around the world, and even sometimes in the same city according to different Masjid (Mosque) leadership.

This has always been humorously nicknamed “the moon wars” by Muslims, due to the passionate debates on if the moon was sighted or not, and I have come now as an adult to appreciate the vast diversity of the Muslim community all over the world, and actually find it a lovable fun mystery of every year.

Ramadan Schedules

The holy month of fasting for Muslims all over the world means a change in daily schedules, and for many children aged 7-9, it might even be their first year attempting the fast.

Fasting in Ramadan means no food or drink (yes, not even water!) being consumed from dawn until sunset. So for many middle-grade students, that means waking up earlier with their families to eat suhoor or the pre-dawn meal. After a short prayer, kids go back to sleep, but this interruption might cause more sleepiness during the school day, and a need for a nap after school. Fasting continues all day until sunset, and families gather after for Iftar, a meal to break the fast.

Ramadan schedules also include a lot of extra time for doing good deeds and praying, and there are special night prayers done at the Masjid each night called Taraweeh. Many Muslim students and kids also go to these prayers, and so their sleep schedules might be a little delayed due to this as well.

Lack of eating or drinking also means not eating lunch at school (although some students may decide to break their fast at this time, which is completely okay! It depends on each kid and their comfort level).

Fasting might make it difficult for many to be in the cafeteria at this time. So where do most students go? (Where did I go as a young kid?)

The Library as a Safe Haven

As a young Muslim American, school libraries were truly my safe haven. I spent my fasting days between book shelves, passing the time by flying away on another middle grade adventure. Librarians have always looked out for me, and been there to make sure that I find the perfect middle grade book to enjoy.

Another cool library use- a place to pray!

Muslims pray five times a day- dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and a night prayer. These prayers are standing rituals, with bowing and prostrating, specific motions and words recited, with a Muslim focusing completely on their prayer. Many use prayer rugs to help keep the place they put their heads down on clean from any dust.

I often found the area between bookshelves the perfect place for me to pray my noon prayer, and the books really felt like the perfect quiet supportive company. The librarians were truly the coolest, always being very careful to make sure no one disturbed me while praying.

Allies

So how can non-Muslim allies help Muslim students who are fasting during this month?

Ramadan lasts around 29 to 30 days (again based on the sighting of the crescent moon to signal the ending of the lunar month), and so students might find themselves in need of extra compassion and support, especially as the days go by.

Books, libraries, librarians, and educators play an important role in helping students with finding a safe haven to stay during lunch, as well as providing an understanding and supportive place these students can depend on.

A Ramadan Boooklist

Get those awesome middle grade book recs ready, (maybe even some Muslim middle grade options-linked below) and most of all, please make sure to completely be supportive. Muslim students often just want to feel like they belong, and being an ally goes a long way in helping them feel proud and confident in their faith.

For a school Ramadan educator guide, check out:

A great resource on educators and learning more about Ramadan is linked here and made by Muslim authors Aya Khalil and Huda Fahmy.

And a super fun Muslim Middle grade list by Muslim authors to help Ramadan students pass the time:

OMAR RISING by Aisha Saeed

A BIT OF EARTH by Karuna Riaz

ONCE UPON A EID by Aisha Saeed and SK Ali

GROUNDED by SK Ali, Aisha Saeed, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, and Huda Al-Marashi

SHOOTING KABUL by N.H. Senzai

NURA AND THE IMMORTAL PALACE by M.T, Khan

AHMED AZIZ EPIC YEAR by Nina Hamza

WORLD IN BETWEEN by Kenan Trebincevic

A PLACE AT THE TABLE by Sadie Faruqi

BHA FOR NOW by Maleeha Siddiqui

HAMRA by Hana Alkaf

OTHER WORDS FOR HOME by Jasmine Warga

((For more, check out this archived Melissa Roske interview with Muslim author Hena Khan))

Thank you so much librarians and educators!

We Need Diverse Middle Grade: What it Means to Write Diverse Books

By Heather Murphy Capps on October 21, 2020 / Articles, WNDMG

Artwork by Aixa Perez-Prado

I’ve been looking forward to this day with great excitement: today marks the debut post for our new series, We Need Diverse Middle Grade.

Our mission: We celebrate and promote diversity in middle-grade books, and we examine the issues preventing better equity and inclusion on the middle-grade bookshelf. We intend to amplify and honor all diverse voices.

We Need Diverse Middle Grade will post once a month, drawing on work from our own team of contributors as well as from guest authors, editors, agents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers. You can count on our presence here on Mixed-Up Files to shine a light on the stories, work, and truth of all those who are still underrepresented in this field. You’ll be able to recognize our monthly posts by seeing our WNDMG logo: the diverse world we envision. Our artwork is by contributor Aixa Perez-Prado.

Guest Posts for We Need Diverse Middle Grade

If you’re interested in being considered for a guest post slot on WNDMG, please feel free to email: mufcommunications@gmail.com. Please Note: We do not pay for guest blog posts.

And without further ado, I want to introduce our first WNDMG author, the talented Saadia Faruqi. Saadia is a former MUF contributor, and she is also the author of the YASMIN series, A PLACE AT THE TABLE (with author Laura Shovan) and A THOUSAND QUESTIONS.

WHAT IT MEANS TO WRITE DIVERSE BOOKS

By Saadia Faruqi

Every time I write a post on Instagram, I chose from a number of hashtags. One of these is #DiverseAuthors and I always chose it with an internal cringe. Why do I need to be called a diverse author? What’s so diverse about me?

I’m just a person writing books about my and my children’s experiences, and for all that to have a label – no matter how well meaning – is often a source of discomfort for me. At the same time, I realize that the work I do is important, and needed. My life experiences as an immigrant, as a mom of first-generation brown kids, inform everything I do, and every single word I write. I share our family’s journey in so many different ways. So many diverse ways.

A Series of Diverse Firsts

The good news is that books about marginalized communities and identities – diverse books – are becoming more popular. When I wrote the Yasmin series, it was the first traditionally published early reader series written by a Muslim American author. It was also the first series with a Muslim girl on the cover, wearing her traditional Pakistani dress and using Islamic words like “salaam”. Nobody knew what the reception of such a unicorn among books would be.

But the success of Yasmin and so many other “diverse” books has shown that there is definitely a huge market for them. “Diverse kids” are hungry for books that center them and their experiences. “Diverse parents” are eager to buy books like mine for their children. Teachers and librarians, even if they aren’t “diverse” themselves, are realizing the value of introducing a different culture and identity in their spaces.

Branching Out

Over the years, I’ve grown more daring. From Yasmin I progressed to writing middle-grade novels. With co-author Laura Shovan, I wrote A Place at the Table, a multi-diverse book about not one but several marginalized identities. Muslim. Jewish. Pakistani. British. Immigrant. Mentally ill. The response has been heartwarming. We’ve spoken with teachers and parents and students themselves. Everyone loves this story, because they can all see something of themselves in this book.

((Read our interview with Saadia and Laura about A PLACE AT THE TABLE here.))

Universal Diversity

Does that mean we are all “diverse”? This is an interesting question. If “diverse” means different from the norm, then most of us are diverse in some way or the other. If diverse means unique, we are definitely all so.

My most recent book A Thousand Questions is perhaps the most unlike my other work, because it’s set in another country. This is the story of Mimi, a Pakistani American girl who spends her summer vacation in Pakistan with her grandparents. It is also the story of Sakina, the Pakistani servant girl who works at Mimi’s grandparents’ home. Both are foreign to the other. Both look at the other and see DIVERSE.

I choose to set A Thousand Questions in Pakistan because I wanted to explore how we are all different, yet the same. How we tend to look for differences in others and forget the similarities. I wanted my readers to see how one can travel half-way across the world and still find people who are exactly like us in terms of their feelings and their dreams and their fears.

Diverse Books are Just Good Books

Although A Thousand Questions is a perfect example of a diverse book, it actually is the opposite in terms of what it hopes to achieve. It shows how we are similar, alike, comparable. It shows that maybe what we think of as “diverse books” are actually just good books. Amazing stories about amazingly diverse experiences that we can all learn from, whether we are adult or kid readers.

My stories are “diverse” only because they’re outwardly different. They may be set in a different country, or the characters may speak a different language, or eat foods you’ve never heard of. But under the skin, these stories are universal in nature. Similarly, I may have brown skin or wear a hijab or speak Urdu, but underneath all that I’m a human being just like you. I’m a writer just like any other.

I hope that my books – all diverse books – bring home this essential message to readers.

Saadia Faruqi is an interfaith activist and author. Visit her website at www.saadiafaruqi.com.

Posts Tagged muslim authors

Author Interview with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

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A Ramadan Booklist and Guide for Educators and Librarians