Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan

Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan
by Farida Zaman (Author / Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Ramadan is coming, and as Abba and Ammi prepare for their month-long fast, Aliya hugs a secret to her chest: she’s going to fast too! Ammi says she’s still too young to fast, but Aliya is determined. At school, she refuses her snack, her lunch–even the cupcakes Sanjay’s mom drops off for his birthday. But when she gets home, she can’t resist Ammi’s sweet, syrupy baklava. Before Aliya can stop herself, she reaches out and takes a big bite.

Aliya is disappointed in herself, but Ammi explains that there are many other ways to celebrate Ramadan besides fasting, like performing acts of kindness! Together, Aliya and her parents spend the month preparing and delivering meals to people in need.

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Copyright © 2024 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)

The Light She Feels Inside

The Light She Feels Inside
by Gwendolyn Wallace (Author) and Olivia Duchess (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Maya feels a warm glow when she picks strawberries in the community garden, hears music in her neighborhood, or spends time with the people she loves.

She feels a different kind of glow when she gets pushed down on the playground, overhears her family worrying about bills, and sees her favorite cousin stopped by police. Sometimes that glowing seems like too much to carry.

But Maya is learning that others feel the same glowing light. Black women throughout history, like Ida B. Wells, Nina Simone, June Jordan, and Maya’s own ancestors, found ways to honor these glowing feelings. They were guided by their light to make a difference. The light Maya feels inside is an important part of her that she’ll share as she works toward a brighter world.

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Copyright © 2024 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)