I picked this up quietly during Ramadan, in between reading picture books and writing reviews. Ramadan Reflections slowed me down in a way I didn’t expect. Each day, I read a chapter and it never felt like It didn’t feel preachy or overwhelming. It felt like I was sitting with someone… talking things through. The writing moves between personal stories and gentle reminders.
Not heavy. Not overwhelming. It is just honest. Some days it brought a sense of calm.
Some days it made

On a quiet Friday, I read one of my favourite book “The Night Before Eid” There was excitement in the room, but also curiosity. My students are excited to know what I would do the night before Eid. I talked about traditions, about food, about why this day matters. What I love about this story is not just the celebration, but the preparation; the waiting, the small acts, The feeling of something meaningful about to arrive. It mirrors what so many Muslim families experience, bu

I’ve been waiting for the right moment to read “Together on Eid” to my class.
 With Eid just two days away, it finally felt right and as we read, the questions came almost immediately.
 “Is it like Christmas?”
“Is it like Lunar New Year?”
“Is it like Easter?” We paused there for a bit. I told them, Eid is an Islamic celebration and then we started noticing what felt familiar. The getting ready.
The food.
The excitement.
Being with family. One student said, “Oh… so it’s like w

Some books arrive at the perfect moment. “Ramadan Rain” by Jamilah Thompkins- Bigelow landed in my hands just one week before Eid, during these final days of Ramadan when hearts feel a little softer and more reflective. In this beautiful story, Haneen rides through the rain with her Momma on the way to the masjid. Her Momma reminds her that rain during Ramadan brings blessings and that prayers whispered on rainy days carry hope. Like many children preparing for Eid, Haneen be

Some books remind us that courage does not have to be loud. “Sydney’s Big Speech” by Malcolm Newsome and ade Orlando tells the story of Sydney, a girl who feels nervous when her class is asked to give a speech. With her father’s encouragement and the inspiration of remarkable women who used their voices to change the world, Sydney slowly discovers the courage to find her own words. What I loved most is that the story does not treat shyness as a problem. Instead, it reminds us

Language Week always feels personal to me. These books are close to my heart — “The Arabic Quilt”, “Stolen Words”, “Stepping Stones”, “Words Between Us”, “Home in a Lunchbox”, and “What Makes Us Human”. Each one reminds me that language is more than communication. It is memory. It is ancestry. It is belonging. Paying tribute to our mother tongue means honouring the stories that shaped us. Our languages carry our grandparents’ voices, our lullabies, our prayers, our humour. Th

Ramadan begins tomorrow, and I find myself reaching for stories that help children understand the world with curiosity and care. One of those stories is “Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story” by Aya Khalil. Aya has always written beautifully about identity. Her books gently affirm roots, culture, and belonging without ever feeling heavy handed. In this story, she opens a window into how Muslims around the world observe Ramadan. Through sisterhood, faith, and simple

I did not expect a desert adventure to feel this tender. “Sundust” by Zeke Peña, a 2026 Caldecott Honor book, is more than a fantasy picture book. It is a quiet story about a brother and sister stepping beyond the wall of their neighborhood and into the desert together. I keep going back to their bond. The way they explore side by side. The way they wonder out loud. The way they question the sun together. There is something deeply comforting about siblings discovering the wor

I love when books become bridges. Today our classroom was filled with red, laughter, and meaningful conversations about Lunar New Year. Stories like these help children see themselves and see each other. Representation matters. Joy matters. Stories matter.

Today’s gem of a book is The King of Bees by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Jim LaMarche is one of those. A little boy.
An aunt who keeps bees.
And a deep desire to learn how to “bee speak.” This is a beautiful blend of science and heart. My class immediately noticed the calm, steady way Henry’s aunt teaches him. They shared how she never rushes and never panics. Patience, trust, and respect for nature became our big takeaways from this story. Through lyrical language and

I Am So Happy You’re Here by Mychal Threets illustrated by Lorraine Nam I was one of the many educators fortunate enough to attend NCTE in Denver and listen to Mychal Threets speak about his journey as a librarian. His words were heartfelt, sincere, and deeply human. To now hold “I Am So Happy You’re Here” in my hands feels like a continuation of that same message. This book is a joyful reminder of what libraries are meant to be. Safe. Welcoming. Inclusive. A place where ever

How do you explain love to a child? When I finished reading My Love for You Is Always to my Grade 3s, the room filled with a collective “awww.” That moment alone felt like a quiet review in itself. This is such a heartwarming picture book about the love between a mother and child. Love is hard to define, and the mother in this story knows that too. Instead, she shows it through moments, feelings, and the everyday act of preparing a meal. The food, the smells, the warmth, the

My Sister and the Apple by Jordan Scott and Jamal Saeed is a quiet, reflective story rooted in childhood imagination and lived experience.
It follows a child who rescues a beloved apple tree seedling when war forces his family to flee their home, blending innocence with themes of struggle, resilience, and determination. The story does not take sides. Instead, it invites readers to notice the emotional weight of displacement while holding space for hope and new beginnings. The

Finally arrived and already loved I know my class kids are going to connect deeply with this book. A powerful, thoughtful story that opens gentle conversations about what we don’t always see.

I love books that does far more than support a unit. Reading “Dounia and the Magic Seed” by Marya Zarif with my class has been a deeply grounding and eye opening experience. It became a space for real conversations, not just about migration, but about humanity. As part of our inquiry into migration, we have been exploring push and pull factors. What pushes people to leave their homes. What pulls them towards a new place. This story gave my young students the language and emot

As a Muslim, I have always loved cats. Dogs, not so much. I grew up in a traditional family where dogs were something to fear, often labelled as haram, and kept at a distance. Over the years, through reading, learning, and reflecting, I have come to better understand what Islam actually teaches about dogs, with far more nuance, compassion, and humanity than I once knew. This picture book gently mirrors that journey for me. “Street Puppy, Masjid Cat” tells the story of an unli

I have used “Lubna and Pebble” for many years as a read aloud in Grades 1 to 3. It has always been a text I returned to for its quiet tenderness. It was through Sarah Cordova’s new book, “The Power of Picture Books in Student Identity”, that I began to teach with this story more intentionally, particularly through the lens of refugee and immigrant identity. During book club on Friday, my Grade 3 students used this book as a mentor text to write about their own challenges. Wha

A couple of weeks ago, I read “Broken” by X. Fang.
 It is one of those books I kept thinking about while doing other things. While setting up my classroom. While watching my students work. While noticing how quick we are to hide cracks. Today, I came across another book that felt connected in a way I did not expect. “Perfect” by Waka T. Brown, illustrated by Yuko Jones, introduces children to kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. What I appreciate

This book is such a tender ode to siblings, especially sisters. Together We Are Sunshine follows three sisters through an imaginative outdoor adventure, told through the eyes of the middle sister, Haala. The looking up to an older sister. The quiet frustration with a younger one. The very real in-between feelings that come with being a middle child. As they kiss the sun, dance with the wind, and listen for the secrets of the world around them, something shifts. Annoyance soft

Some stories meet you exactly where your memories live. “Broken” by X. Fang did that for me. At the heart of this book is a truth I hold close. Every patch and every repair tells a story. Mei Mei’s mistake. The guilt. The fear of disappointing someone you love. Her journey toward honesty and forgiveness felt deeply real and tender. This story brought me back to my first year teaching Grade 1 and our class pet, Coco the monkey. Coco went home with every child, collecting stori