A mysterious and noteworthy place, the Middle East has not always been viewed favorably. However, as the birthplace of modern civilization, the Middle East has shaped modern society. The books in this list are selected for young adult readers and feature authors and characters from and settings within the Middle East. Realistic fiction and fantasy tell stories that connect young adult readers of all backgrounds with this unique part of the world.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Does My Head Look Big in This? By: Randa Abdel-Fattah Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be challenging enough. Still, it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim headscarf, full-time as a badge of her faith—without losing her identity or sense of style.
	Down and Across By: Arvin Ahmadi His friends know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott Ferdowsi can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With his parents pushing him to settle on a “practical” career, Scott sneaks off to Washington, DC, seeking guidance from a famous psychologist who claims to know the secret to success. He meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. Now Scott is sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try. Will he be able to find out who he is—and who he wants to be?
	An Ember in the Ashes By: Sabaa Tahir Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars claiming that they will help save her brother from execution.
	A Girl Like That By: Tanaz Bhathena In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sixteen-year-old half-Hindu/half-Parsi Zarin Wadia is the class troublemaker and top subject for the school rumor blogs, regularly leaving class to smoke cigarettes in cars with boys. Still, she also desperately wants to grow up and move out of her aunt and uncle’s house, perhaps realizing too late that Porus, another non-Muslim Indian who risks deportation but remains devoted to Zarin, could help her escape.
	The Glass Collector By: Anna Perera A fifteen-year-old boy lives amongst the rubbish piles in Cairo’s slums and collects broken glass while hoping to find a future he can believe in.
	Habibi By: Naomi Shihab Nye Fourteen-year-old Liyanne Abboud, her younger brother, and her parents move from St. Louis to a new home between Jerusalem and the Palestinian village where her father was born. There, they face many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians.
	Mirage By: Somaiya Daud In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, sixteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that she, too, will have adventure and travel one day beyond her isolated moon. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty and her time with the princess’s fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear, and one wrong move could lead to her death.
	Rebel of the Sands By: Alwyn Hamilton Amani is desperate to leave the dead-end town of Dustwalk, and she’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to help her escape. But after she meets Jin, the mysterious rebel running from the Sultan’s army, she unlocks the powerful truth about the desert nation of Miraji…and herself.
	Rebels by Accident By: Patricia Dunn Mariam, a troubled teenage Egyptian American, is sent to live with her grandmother in Cairo. There, she meets Asmaa, a girl who calls Egypt’s people to protest against their president. Now Mariam finds herself in the middle of a revolution and falling in love for the first time.
	A Very Large Expanse of Sea By: Tahereh Mafi A year after 9/11, Muslim teenager Shirin has completely withdrawn from social life until she meets Ocean James in her biology class and is tempted to actually let her guard down.
	We Hunt the Flame By: Hafsah Faizal Zafira, who disguises herself as a man to become The Hunter, and Nasir, an assassin for his father, the sultan, are both seeking a lost artifact that could return magic to their cursed world.
	Where the Streets Had a Name By: Randa Abdel-Fattah Thirteen-year-old Hayaat of Bethlehem faces checkpoints, curfews, and the travel permit system designed to keep people on the West Bank when she attempts to go to her grandmother’s ancestral home in Jerusalem with her best friend.

Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year for families who celebrate it. Whether gathering together from across great distances or meeting nearby, the spirit of Christmas runs deep. One of the most important sentiments of the holiday is the act of giving to one another. Time, food, attention, and presents are all things that can be exchanged in the spirit of the Christmas holiday. This book list includes religious and secular titles for children ages 4-7 that highlight the act of giving gifts at Christmas and inspire other acts of kindness, as well.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Babushka By: Dawn Casey Illustrated by: Amanda Hall After Babushka feeds and warms the three wise men, she decides to see baby Jesus on her own. Along the way, she meets children in need and gives them the presents she planned to give to Jesus.
	Baby Santa and the Gift of Giving By: M. Maitland DeLand Illustrated by: Phil Wilson When the Bond family sends a letter to the North Pole asking Santa how they share the spirit of giving on their upcoming trip to New York City, Baby Santa, and his reindeer host them on a day of helping others while seeing the sights.
	Grandma’s Christmas Wish By: Helen Foster James Illustrated by: Petra Brown A rabbit grandmother celebrates the infant, who is her best Christmas gift of all.
	A Homemade Together Christmas By: Maryann Cocca-Leffler A family of pigs decides that they will make their gifts for Christmas rather than buy gifts this year. But the littlest pig struggles to come up with an idea.
	Just Right for Christmas By: Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw In this celebration of the joy of giving, one snowy Christmas Eve, a king buys some soft, red cloth to make the perfect Christmas gift for his daughter. Little does he know that the left-over cloth will be used to make presents for many more of the kingdom’s inhabitants, right down to the last teeny bit of cloth, which is made into a scarf just right for a mouse.
	The Legend of St. Nicholas By: Dandi Daley Mackall Illustrated by: Richard Cowdrey As Nick does last-minute Christmas shopping, he sees several Santas and overhears one retelling the legend of Saint Nicholas, which he takes to heart as he examines his own attitudes towards gift-giving.
	The Light of Christmas By: Richard Paul Evans Illustrated by: Daniel Craig When Alexander helps an old man instead of seeing the Christmas torch’s annual lighting, he does not realize the reward his kindness will bring.
	The Little Drummer Boy By: Bernadette Watts A poor boy named Benjamin is invited to meet the newborn king, but he does not want to go because he has nothing to give him.
	Little Robin’s Christmas By: Jan Fearnley Having given away all his warm vests to his cold animal friends during the week before Christmas, Little Robin receives a special reward from Santa.
	The Smallest Gift of Christmas By: Peter H. Reynolds Disappointed when a gift he wished for all year seems quite puny on Christmas morning, young Roland wishes for bigger and bigger gifts before learning a valuable lesson about being careful what you wish for.
	The Spirit of Christmas By: Nicky Benson Illustrated by: Jason Cockcroft It’s Christmas! There will be carols and candy canes and sparkling presents under the tree! But what about children whose families have no presents to give? Kind-hearted Drew wants to help them—but how? A magical story of how one little boy got a very special giving bag from Santa—and how his Christmas wish came true.
	The Stable Cat’s Christmas By: Christina Vrba Illustrated by: Gail Yerrill When an ordinary cat learns that a king has been born in his stable, he grows sad because he has no gift to give, as the other animals do.

Thanksgiving is a time when families and friends come together to share food and laughter as the days are getting shorter and colder. Beginning as a celebration of the welcome early European settlers received from Native Americans, Thanksgiving maintains the sentiment of sharing one’s bounty with others. Each home has its own unique traditions, but there are many shared behaviors across the United States, as well. No matter how the holiday is celebrated, the essence is the same: giving thanks for all that one has in their life. This book list includes titles for children aged 4-7 and shows how people give thanks at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Around the Table that Grandad Built By: Melanie Heuiser Hill Illustrated by: Jaime Kim A family gathers with friends and neighbors to eat and celebrate around a table that the grandfather built.
	Duck for Turkey Day By: Jacqueline Jules Illustrated by: Kathy Mitter When Tuyet finds out that her Vietnamese family is having duck rather than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, she is upset until she finds out that other children in her class did not eat turkey either.
	Gracias By: Pat Mora Illustrated by: John Parra A young multiracial boy celebrates family, friendship, and fun by telling about some of the everyday things he is thankful for.
	Grandma’s Tiny House By: JaNay Brown-Wood Illustrated by: Priscilla Burris In rhyming text, when the whole family and guests show up for the big dinner at Grandma’s house, it becomes clear that the house is much too small to hold them all.
	I am Thankful By: Suzy Capozzi Illustrated by: Eren Unten Throughout a Thanksgiving Day filled with family and fun, a child finds opportunities to be thankful.
	Round the Turkey: A Grateful Thanksgiving By: Leslie Kimmelman Illustrated by: Nancy Cote As they gather to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, members of an extended family take turns describing, in rhyme, the things that make them feel grateful.
	Sharing the Bread: an old-fashioned Thanksgiving story By: Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal a family’s preparations for their Thanksgiving feast, with everyone pitching in to help—including Baby, who sleeps quiet as a mouse.
	Thank You, Omu! By: Oge Mora When the aroma of Omu’s homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit.
	Thanks for Thanksgiving By: Julie Markes Illustrated by: Doris Barrette At Thanksgiving time, children express their gratitude for the people and things in their lives.
	Thanksgiving By: Connor Dayton Introduces Thanksgiving, discusses the origins of the holiday, and describes how Americans celebrate.
	Thanksgiving Is— By: Gail Gibbons Introduces Thanksgiving feasts, Thanksgiving traditions, and the history of Thanksgiving to the reader.
	The Very Stuffed Turkey By: Katharine Kenah Illustrated by: Binny Talib When he is invited to five Thanksgiving dinners, Turkey accepts all of his friends’ invitations but wonders if he has room in his stomach for all that food.

Families are anything but perfect, but the stories they share are what makes the world beautiful and vibrant. Under the right circumstances, family members confide deep-rooted truths in one another, allowing them to connect more deeply than they could have done before. Often, these connections grow between adult caregivers and their wards, but sometimes they occur between siblings, as well. This book list includes titles for teens ages 13-18 and highlights various family relationships in several unique circumstances. Through these novels, readers can learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	13 Little Blue Envelopes By: Maureen Johnson When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
	I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade By: Diane Lee Wilson In early fourteenth-century China, Oyuna tells her granddaughter of her girlhood in Mongolia and how love for her horse enabled her to win an important race and bring good luck to her family.
	Lock and Key By: Sarah Dessen When her alcoholic mother abandons her, high school senior Ruby winds up living with Cora, the sister she has not seen for ten years. There, Ruby learns about Cora’s new life, what makes a family, how to allow people to help her when she needs it, and that she too has something to offer others.
	Mare’s War By: Tanita S. Davis Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they are forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up Black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women’s Army Corps.
	McKendree By: Sandra Belton In 1948, while spending the summer with her aunt in West Virginia to find her family roots, Tilara begins visiting the “colored” old folks’ home called McKendree, makes new friends, and learns to love herself.
	Our Wayward Fate By: Gloria Chao Seventeen-year-old Ali is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves into tiny, predominantly-white, Plainhart, Indiana.
	Secrets of the Casa Rosada By: Alex Temblador Sixteen-year-old Martha’s life is transformed when her mother leaves her in Laredo, Texas, in 1990 with a grandmother she never knew, who is a revered curandera.
	Shadows on the Sea By: Joan Hiatt Harlow In 1942, fourteen-year-old Jill goes to stay with her grandmother on the coast of Maine, where she is introduced to the often gossipy nature of small-town life and discovers that the war is closer than she thought.
	We Walked the Sky By: Lisa Fiedler Seventeen-year-old Victoria escapes an abusive father by joining the VanDrexel Family Circus in 1965. Fifty years later, her writings guide her granddaughter, sixteen-year-old Callie, in facing the uncharted waters of public high school.
	What the Moon Saw By: Laura Resau Fourteen-year-old Clara Luna spends the summer with her grandparents in the tiny, remote village of Yucuyoo, Mexico, learning about her grandmother’s life as a healer, her father’s decision to leave home for the United States, and her own place in the world.
	Witch & Curse By: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié Holly Cather is sent to her aunt’s home in Seattle after the death of her parents, and there she and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole, become caught up in an intergenerational feud between rival clans of witches.
	You Can Pick Me Up at Peggy’s Cove By: Brian Doyle When Ryan’s father leaves the family during a midlife crisis, his mother sends him to spend the summer with his aunt in Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, where he learns to fish and gets into trouble.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and they do not always include parents and their biological children. Sometimes, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even great-grandparents are included in the mix, creating a canvas of experience that shapes children’s lives. The books included in this list are selected to celebrate families that include intergenerational relationships in honor of September, which is Intergeneration Month. Ideally suited to readers ages 8-12, these stories can be shared within families to recognize shared experience or understand more about the lives of others.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	As Brave As You By: Jason Reynolds When two brothers decide to prove how brave they are, everything backfires—literally.
	Bob By: Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead Illustrated by: Nicholas Gannon Visiting her grandmother in Australia, Livy is reminded of the promise she made five years before to Bob, a strange, green creature who cannot recall who or what he is.
	Caterpillar Summer By: Gillian McDunn Since her father’s death, Cat has taken care of her brother, Chicken, for their hard-working mother. But, while spending time with grandparents they never knew, Cat has the chance to be a child again.
	Circus Mirandus By: Cassie Beasley Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying bird woman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real. And the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather. The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn’t want to keep his promise. And now it’s up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.
	Freaky Fast Frankie Joe By: Lutricia Clifton Twelve-year-old Frankie Joe Huckaby, forced to live with the father he never knew, a stepmother, and four half-brothers in Illinois, starts a delivery service to finance his escape back to his mother in Texas, not realizing he is making a better life for himself than he ever had with her.
	The Graveyard Book By: Neil Gaiman Illustrated by: Dave McKean After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
	How to Win the Science Fair When You’re Dead By: Paul Noth To battle giant robots and stop his evil grandmother from destroying Earth, Hap Conklin, Jr. will need the help of his family, friends, and some very unlikely allies.
	The Parker Inheritance By: Varian Johnson Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure. But, when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, Candice finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
	Roll with It By: Jamie Sumner Twelve-year-old Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, finds her life transformed when she moves with her mother to small-town Oklahoma to help care for her grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s Disease.
	Walk Two Moons By: Sharon Creech After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother’s route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.
	War Stories By: Gordon Korman Twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone loves playing war-based video games, and he idolizes his great-grandfather Jacob who came home from World War II a celebrated hero. Jacob, now ninety-three, wants to retrace his journey in memory and reality and return to the small French village that his unit liberated, and Trevor is going with him. Not everyone in the town wants Jacob to come, however, and Trevor is going to learn an important lesson: real war is not a video game, and valor and heroism can be very murky.
	Wish By: Barbara O’Connor Charlie Reese is sent to live with a family she barely knows, but with the help of a skinny stray dog who captures her heart and a neighbor boy named Howard, she learns what the real meaning of family may be.