Read & Rise

Can knowledge help remove fears? How?

How can a story be as mighty as a sword?

The author reminds us “How easily people are taken in, even by a tale so very thin! … But the story’s a good one, woven with care. And one that was told with a great deal of flair!” How can we protect ourselves from stories told with great flair? Discuss the following dua (supplication) as a means of protection: “O Allah, enable me to see the truth as truth and give me the ability to follow it, and enable me to see the falsehood as false and give me the ability to refrain from it.”

The Emperor’s New Clothes is an anthropomorphic retelling of a classic folktale originally written by Hans Christian Andersen, highlighting the vice of materialism and the virtue of honesty. This timely story highlights the importance of having the courage to speak the truth even when you are alone. Because the illustrations are of animals instead of humans, this retelling is uniquely free from nude drawings found in most versions of this story. Find detailed ratings, virtues, struggles, and flags.

Amidst the ridicule and mistreatment, Horton acts with determination to do what he knows is right. Discuss how the following hadith relates: “Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers.” (Muslim)

Horton Hears a Who! is a fantastic read-aloud as it helps develop in children a profound understanding of a shared humanity, the importance of citizenship, the rewards of perseverance, and the necessity of thinking critically in a very tangible way. Find more teaching tools.

Information is facts we collect, but knowledge is an understanding we can apply; information stays in our brains, but knowledge manifests in our hearts and limbs.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a humorously poignant read-aloud about the difference between “information” and “knowledge.”  It comically highlights what happens when we accumulate too much information without taking the time to digest it, understand it, and turn it into actual knowledge. When used as a metaphor for the over consumption of information (and misinformation), this book is a great tool to teach children the importance of the slow but sure path to knowledge. Find more teaching tools.

Ibn al-Haytham: The Man Who Discovered How We See is a excellent resource to connect our children with knowledge of our Islamic heritage—a necessity in this day and age! Known as the “father of modern optics,” Ibn al-Haytham also set the standard for the modern scientific method—not accepting conventional beliefs as true until he could verify it through independent reason and observation. He embodied the notion that Islam sets us a on path to search for truth—and the truth will lead you to Allah ﷻ. Find out more about this book.

The Conference of the Birds is a beautifully illustrated rendition of the Persian poem The Conference of the Birds, originally written 800 years ago by Attar of Nishapur. A metaphor for the purification of the heart, this poem about ihsan (harmonizing excellence) can be used for wonderful discussions relating to self reflection and the importance of changing one’s own condition for the betterment of the ummah. Find out more about this book.

“While Europe struggled darkly through poverty, ignorance, and superstition, the Arabic-speaking world was rediscovering the legacy of ancient Greece and had reached a level of civilization that Europe would not see for centuries.”

The House of Wisdom, a gorgeously illustrated picture book introduces children to a remarkable period of time in our Islamic history where knowledge was treasured and scholarship was revered—the Golden Age of Islam. Find out more about this book.

In the endless deluge of pop-culture icons and social media influencers, biographies of real-life heroes direct our children’s hearts towards admirable character traits and ideas that are worth learning.

Saladin tells the story of a true hero of our history. One of the most fascinating figures of the medieval world, Saladin was wise, generous, chivalrous, and knew the true meaning of justice–treating others with humility and respect even in the face of warfare. Find out more about this book.

“Save one life, and it is as if you’ve saved all of humanity.”

The Grand Mosque of Paris is a gorgeously illustrated, fantastic non-fiction resource detailing the little-known history of how Muslims were instrumental in saving the lives of many Jews during the Nazi invasion of Paris. This would be an excellent read to accompany the study of WWII. Find out more about this book.

“If it is God’s will that I ever be freed, it will be so,” I said, “If it is not His will, it will not happen.”

The Kidnapped Prince is a tale of true and unshakeable faith in a time of unspeakable horrors. Olaudah Equiano’s consistent reliance on God, his constant self-reflection on his own words and actions, and his capacity for forgiveness and good-will toward those who harm him, earn this book our Gold Star. Find out more about this book.

During this time period, Spain’s society was divided into groups by race and religion with various forms of oppression leveled against each. Yet, there are always people among the privileged classes who will recognize injustice and will risk their lives to help others. Discuss the old Christian lady who hides the Benvenistes as the attacks go on in the New Christian quarter against the conversos. What were her motives? What did she risk by choosing to act?

The Apprentice’s Masterpiece, is a somber piece which earns our Gold Star for its grave and palpable account of the propaganda, systemic discrimination, confusion, fear, mental anguish, and horrific atrocities faced by Jews and subsequently Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition. Find more teaching tools.

Seventy years ago, author Ray Bradbury observed our society’s increasing fascination with television and screens and created the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 as a warning for what may lie ahead. The government controls all the media, all dissent is stifled, and propaganda rules all thought. With entertainment as the only pursuit of paramount importance, no one is concerned that their government is on the brink of war. Find more teaching tools.