Friday, July 3, 2009

READ!

A list of favourite books – by the Ottawa Muslim Homeschooling Network

www.omhn.blogspot.com

 

 

Annotated Bibliography:

 

Hilmy the Hippo series by Rae Norridge; the Islamic Foundation

 

Hilmy is an endearing hippo who shows patience and thoughtfulness in his actions. Pictures are well-done, showing nature scenes that are peaceful but in which real questions and conflicts occur. Good for exploring feelings.

 

Allah Gave Me series; the Islamic Foundation

 

Lovely illustrations, easy and fun rhymes.

 

I CAN! Series; the Islamic Foundation

 

After one reading, my five-year-old tried reading the rhymes herself. She had already memorized most of the catchy phrases – or was trying very hard to!

 

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan, by Tony O’Brien and Mike Sullivan; Bloomsbury Children’s Books

 

We’re studying Afghanistan right now, so you’ll find a few books related to this country. This book is a lovely non-fiction collection of pictures and voices of Afghan children talking about their dreams. Brings their reality home to young children (my daughter is fascinated by the lives of Muslims abroad, particularly those in conflict zones.)

 

Listen to the Wind; the story of Dr. Greg and the Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth; Dial Books for Young Readers

 

Gorgeous collage photographs. Beautiful true-story with real-life photos at the end. Emphasizes the goodness of humanity and how people of different faiths and backgrounds can work for the common good. Absolutely splendid. There is also an early reader based on the ‘three cups of tea’ that we are in the queue for at our library.

 

The Rooster’s Gift by Pam Conrad; A Groundwood Book

 

Beautiful tale about a rooster who realizes it isn’t his morning call that brings up the day – an Islamic teacher would continue the story to explain that it is Allah Who Brings it on. Otherwise, the story does not lack in imagination, or attractive images. Reminds readers indirectly that every being has its purpose but it is Allah Who Controls everything (connection would be made by the educator).

 

Stem Series; Learning Roots

 

This publisher has a number of books out for different levels. We just happen to have borrowed the highest level from a friend but I’ve been able to modify it for my five-year-old. However, after looking at their website, I realize they have a lot more available! From the Stem Series, though, I can see these books are extremely well thought-out and challenge children to think, as well as absorb Islamic stories.

 

Qur’an Stories for Little Hearts; Goodword Kidz

 

Of course Goodword Kidz has a lot of titles to choose from and it makes for lovely introductions to the tales of the Prophets, etc.

 

The Roses in My Carpets by Rukhsana Khan

 

This is for mature six-year-olds or older. It is sensitive subject matter referring to war and pain. I am actually not yet sure if I will introduce it to my daughter yet. Perhaps mature seven-year-olds? But my daughter is so interested in learning about others and about war so I might try it with a lot of explanation and talking. I want her to be sensitive to the word, but not fearful of it.

 

Kids Will be Kids series, Nabeel Akbar; Kids Will be Kids

http://www.kidswillbekids.org/tb.html

videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/kidswbkids

 

On a lighter note, these books are terrific in showing Muslim kids having fun in typical pursuits – sledding down snow-covered hills, looking for bugs in the garden, going to the playground. The stories rhyme and are very enjoyable. Pictures are cute.

 

 

The following are further lists / comments submitted by OMHN members, (sorry if there are duplicates):

 

Islamic

 

"A to Z of Akhlaq" - Goodword

"Goodnight Stories from the life of the Prophet Muhammad" (may peace be upon him)- Goodword

Uthman ibn Affan (may God be pleased with him) adapted from the Arabic by Amal Khatab published

by Ta-Ha Publishers

The Wives of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) by Ahmad Thomson published by Ta-Ha

Portraits from the lives of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad

(may peace be upon him) 3 volumes by abdur Rahman Al-Basha translated by Alexandra S,

Al-Osh published by the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in

America

The Prophets of Allah by Suhaib Ghazi Vol 1-5 published by Iqra

The Prophets of Allah published by Safeer

The Great Light series of 12 books about the Seerah published by Safeer

My Moroccan Village by Nagy and the whole set

Avicenna

When the Moon Split by the same author of Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtoum

Books by Harun Yahya

 

Tell Me About.. series by Saniyasnain Khan, Harun Yahya, Luqman Nagy

published by Goodword Kidz

 

The Ramadan Adventures of Fasfoose Mouse

The Hajj Adventures of Fasfoose Mouse

Saladin Heroes of the East series

Muslim Nursery Rhymes by Mustaf McDermot

Books by Khurram Murad --some were liked better than others

Tapes by Anwar Al-Awlaki

 

We love the Arabic books produced by Scholastics. There is just so many of them. We ordered a set for grade 1, and it seems that Haajar enjoys most if not all, alhamdulillah.

 

Books by Noura Durkee

The Eman Series, edited by Bilal Philips

Muslim Child by Rukhsana Khan

The Amana Reading series by Uthman Hutchinson { Jamal's Jam,

Crocodiles Pray, etc}

 

 

Secular

 

"Ten little ladybugs" - Melanie Gerth

"If you give a mouse a cookie" - Laura Joffe Numeroff

"Cock-a-doodledoo! Barnyard Hullabaloo" - Giles Andrea & David Wojtowycz

"The Giving Tree" - Shel Silverstein (MY FAVOURITE)

"Sitting Duck" - Michael Bedard

-Most Robert Munsch books.

"HOP ON POP" - Dr. Seuss

"Green Eggs and Ham" - Dr. Seuss

"The Berenstain Bears and the dinosaurs" - Stan and Jan Berenstain

"Now you can read about Whale and Sharks" - Mary Hoffman

"Arthur's Reading Race" - Marc Brown

"Arthur's Promise" - Marc Brown

"Mole in a Hole" - Rita Golden Gelman

"Thomas' Big Storybook" - Random House Children's Books

 

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Charlotte's Web by E B White

Star Wars The Clone Wars by Karen Miller

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Secret Garden by F Burnett

Heidi by J. Spyri

The Swiss Family Robinson

The Meat Eating Vegetarian

Cheng Ho

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel

The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

The Bernstein Bears Go to the Moon by Stan and Jan Bernstein

Beatrix Potter books

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

There's a Wocket in my Pocket Dr Seuss

A Dragon in a Wagon by Jane Belk Moncure

Rabits' Habits by JB Moncure

"Let's Talk about... " (Tattling, Disobedience, Bossing etc)

 

Books by Robert McCloskey

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott

Some by Robert Munch

Some by Nancy Tafuri

Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

 

* * *

 

Toddlers to Preschoolers

Berenstein Bears (especially The Berenstein Bears and the Messy Room, ... and the Gimmes - mom's favourites - and the Great Honey Hunt

All of Richard Scarry

Are you my mother?  By PD Eastman

All of Dr Seuss (especially The Lorax, the Sneeches, Horton hears a Who ...all a profound social commentory - as well as the rest)

Some of Robert Munsch (Paperbag Princess; Andrew's Loose Tooth; Smelly Socks)

Silly Chicken by Rukhsana Khan

 

Early Readers

Amelia Bedelia

Berenstein Bear Chapter books

Beverly Cleary

Rohld Dahl - selected (Fantastic Mr Fox; the Enormous Crocodile)

Enid Blyton

Encyclopaedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

Joy Berry's Lets Talk About ...

Joy Berry's A Fun and Easy Way to .... (I remember the books, but think the series may have gone under another name, but the content still appears to be the same.)

The Boxcar Children

William (a series by Richmal Compton)

Bob Books

 




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