Arabic YA novels

A topic for my project,
I’m trying to read Arabic/multicultural young adults novels to support my presentation for one thing and to decide a topic for my project. I’m thinking now to read all/most of the Arabic novels that have been translated into English to analyze them in terms of literary and cultural values. In addition to examining their authenticity; are they a real reflection of the Arabic culture and to what extent. I may also try to compare those books written by Arab authors and those that have been written by non-Arabs. As you know Janet, I’m trying to create a YA curriculum, as I did for children’s Lit. to teach them in our schools back home or to use them in the American schools for Arab bilingual children.
1- Habibi/ Darling by Naomi Shihab Nye
If you decide one day to `teach in your classroom an Arabic novel for young adults I highly recommend Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye. As you might have read in the articles for next week that authenticity is a key issue to be taken into consideration when choosing a book specially about a group that you are not very familiar with. As an Arab person I felt that Naomi reached the peak by her description of the daily life in the Arab world in general and the Palestinian community in particular. The other great thing about this particular book is that you do not need as a teacher or a reader to go and search for the social, historical, political, and cultural contexts to understand the Palestinian culture. The author provided such background knowledge in an explicit way between her chapters. For example, when the teen Liyana and her family moved out from the US to live in Jerusalem, Naomi introduced a section as an essay written by the main teen character to describe the political, social, and historical situations in Palestine then. Naomi also included between the lines marvelous amount of social and cultural details, whenever she included a word or a concept in Arabic she would automatically provide an explanation or translation to it to keep the reader engaged and entertained through out the whole book. The main teen character liyana was born in the US, and her mother is American but her father is a physician from Palestine. When the family decided to move to live in Jerusalem they certainly encountered many cultural differences there.In the following dialogue between liyana and her father, when she was surprised to know that to kiss somebody from the other sex who is not a relative is considered a sin, is an example of highlighting cultural differences. “Liyana, you are missing the point, [father said] if you imagine you can measure one country’s customs by another’s. Public kissing_ is not okay here. It is simply not done. Anyway, it is not supposed to be done” (Shihab, 1997, p. 57).
If I want to examine this book in terms of authenticity I would give it a %99 rate. On the other hand I do think that the narrative is not very strong; a reader doesn’t feel he/she is following a sequence of events. The chapters are mainly introducing cultural, social or political events that happened with the characters but you do not find a story that you are waiting to see what will happen next. However, the novel make young adults laugh, cry, reflect, or think about life from another point of view…a joy.

2-Men in the sun by Ghassan Kanafani
It is a fantastic novella, although not all the main characters are teenagers; only one boy who is 16 years old. He showed how much he is responsible and caring. He did a sacrifice by dropping out form school to go and work abroad to support his mother and siblings after the separation of his parents. It is also a wonderful reflection of the social and political struggles in Palestine since the Israeli occupation…
3- A stone in my hand by Kathryn Clinton
I’m currently reading this YA book which is also a reflection of the political, historical, social and cultural life in Palestine. I hope to finish reading it by the end of the week, and then I will post more a bout it…
Hope to see you all in class