SALAAM

This earnest photo-essay features Imran, a boy whose father was born a Muslim in an unnamed country and whose mother is American and has converted to Islam. The black-and-white photos (some of which are very appealing) show a boy at play with his friends, at home with his family, observing Ramadan and sharing information about his religion with his best friend. The text tries to portray some of the problems of Muslim families in the contemporary U.S. by mentioning a hate call received by the mother, but the young children reading this may have a difficult time putting this into context. The child’s grandmother is shown in a photo (she may be from India or Pakistan), but the father’s country of origin is not mentioned. Imran does say that Muslims “come in all colors and nationalities.” (glossary, explanation of the Five Pillars of Islam) (Nonfiction. 6-8)