My name is Bilal (#08231R5)

by Mobin-Uddin, Asma; illustrated by Kiwak, Barbara

7 reviews & awards | 5 full-text reviews

Hardcover Boyds Mills Press, 2005
Price: USD 16.74
Description: 32 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 24 x 27 cm
Dewey: -E-; Audience: Lower Elementary; Reading Level: 3.5
AR 3.5 LG .5 102102EN; LEX 570L
From the publisher: Grades 1-4; Ages 6-9
From Booklist: Grades 4-7; Kirkus: Ages 7-9; PW: Ages 6-up; SLJ: Gr 3-6


 


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Product Overview
From Follett

When Bilal and his sister transfer to a school where they are the only Muslims, they must learn how to fit in while staying true to their beliefs and heritage.

From the Publisher
A young boy wrestles with his Muslim identify in this picture book for children written by Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, with illustrations by Barbara Kiwak.

When Bilal and his sister Ayesha move with their family, they have to attend a new school. They soon find out that they may be the only Muslim students there. When Bilal sees his sister bullied on their first day, he worries about being teased himself, and thinks it might be best if his classmates didn't know that he is Muslim. Maybe if he tells kids his name is Bill, rather than Bilal, then they would leave him alone. Mr. Ali, one of Bilal's teachers and also Muslim, sees how Bilal is struggling. He gives Bilal a book about the first person to give the call to prayer during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. That person was another Bilal: Bilal Ibn Rabah. What Bilal learns from the book forms the compelling story of a young boy grappling with his identity.


Product Details
  • Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
  • Publication Date: August 1, 2005
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Edition: 1st ed.
  • Dewey: -E-
  • Classifications: Fiction, Easy
  • Description: 32 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 24 x 27 cm
  • Tracings: Kiwak, Barbara, illustrator.
  • ISBN-10: 1-59078-175-9
  • ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-175-3
  • LCCN: 2004-029069
  • Follett Number: 08231R5
  • Catalog Number: 1590781759
  • Reading Level: 3.5
  • Audience: Lower Elementary
  • Grades: 1-4
  • Ages: 6-9
  • Booklist: Grades 4-7
  • Kirkus: Ages 7-9
  • Publishers Weekly: Ages 6-up
  • School Library Journal: Gr 3-6
  • ATOS Book Level: 3.5
  • AR Interest Level: LG
  • AR Points: .5
  • AR Quiz: 102102EN
  • Lexile: 570L

Reviews & Awards
  • Booklist, 08/01/05
  • Catholic Library World, 03/01/06
  • Horn Book Magazine, 04/01/06
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/01/05
  • Multicultural Review, 03/01/06
  • Publishers Weekly, 08/29/05
  • School Library Journal, 08/01/05

Full-Text Reviews
Booklist (August 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 22))
Gr. 4-7. Bilal and his sister, Ayesha, who are Muslim, start school in a new city. At first Bilal tries to blend into the largely non-Muslim environment, calling himself Bill and ducking out of sight when two boys try to pull off Ayesha's head scarf. Encouraged by a sympathetic teacher and his own faith, Bilal finds the courage to stand up with his sister the next time the boys tease her. Bilal and Ayesha point out to their adversaries that they too were born in America and that being American means that they can wear what they want. By standing up for his sister, Bilal earns the boys'respect and takes the first step toward a possible friendship. The story is told in picture-book format, though the text is longer than that of most picture books. In the illustrations, the students appear to be in middle school, but the book is accessible to younger children as well. Appearing on nearly every double-page spread, large-scale watercolor paintings clearly portray the actions and attitudes of the characters. A good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others.

Read all 5 full-text reviews …


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