Winner of:
2014 Arab American Book Award, Children/Young Adult Category
Many Americans, educators included, mistakenly believe all Arabs share the same culture, language, and religion, and have only recently begun immigrating to the United States.A Kid’s Guide to Arab American Historydispels these and other stereotypes and provides a contemporary as well as historical look at the people and experiences that have shaped Arab American culture. Each chapter focuses on a different group of Arab Americans including those of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Yemeni descent and features more than 50 fun activities that highlight their distinct arts, games, clothing, and food. Kids will love dancing the dabke, constructing a derbekke drum, playing a game of senet, making hummus, creating an arabesque design, and crafting an Egyptian-style cuff bracelet. Along the way they will learn to count in Kurdish, pick up a few Syrian words for family members, learn a Yemeni saying, and speak a little Iraqi. Short biographies of notable Arab Americans, including actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas, singer Paula Abdul, artist Helen Zughaib, and activist Ralph Nader, demonstrate a wide variety of careers and contributions.
“Chock-full of fascinating insights into a vibrant, inspiring community, punctuated by fun (even delicious) activities, this book taught me so much! Every American kid should read it, and every American grown-up, too.” —Cynthia Leitich Smith, author ofJingle Dancer
“[The authors] have woven a rich tapestry of the Arab American experience for young readers. History, achievements, trails blazed, challenges faced, and material and social culture—all of it is rendered accessible through the stories of people and communities, some fl3+
![A Kid's Guide to Arab American History: More Than 50 Activities [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/2/8/6/2_480850.jpg)