Welcome to Murray Avenue's virtual celebration of Arab-American Heritage Month!
We invite you to explore these resources with us as you reflect on the contribution that Arab-Americans have made to our world.
The Arab America Foundation began recognizing Arab American Heritage Month in 2017, and the United States followed in 2021. Follow this link to explore an educational slideshow that shares information on Arabic culture. You will learn about the great diversity in the Arab world-- the religions, countries of origin, customs, and traditions.
Start Here: Map of the Arab World
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with this map of the Arab world. These 22 countries are members of the Arab League. The majority of members joined between 1970-2. In modern usage, the term "Arabs" refers to those whose native language is Arabic and who identify as such. Though there is much overlap between the Arab and Islamic worlds and most Arabs are Muslims, only 20% of Muslims are Arabs.
The Arabic Language
There are 28 characters in the Arabic alphabet. The chart below shows you how to pronounce the letters in English. Text is written/read right to left.
Click on the book image to check out these titles through MackinVIA using your LMTSD Google SSO!
For forty-two days in 1991, eleven-year-old Ali Fadhil and his family struggle to survive as Basra, Iraq is bombed by the United States and its allies.
Sara and Elizabeth are very different people--Sara knows no one in her new middle school, whereas Elizabeth has always been here. Thrown together in an after-school cooking class, Sara and Elizabeth at first clash, but soon find themselves unexpectedly bonding.
When Omar has the opportunity to get an education while living in a refugee camp, he must decide what is more important: education or taking care of his nonverbal brother Hassan.
Fifteen-year-old Sadia Ahmadi is a basketball standout who joins an elite team, but a league rule means she'll have to choose between wearing her hijab or not playing. Everyone in her life has an opinion, but what does Sadia think is right?
After his parents are hospitalized with an unknown sickness, thirteen-year-old Sik Aziz learns that the god of plagues is behind the attack and plans to wipe out New York. Sik bands together with friends to find the flower of immortality to save his parents and the rest of the city.
Celebrates twenty famous poets from around the globe through original poems written in the styles of the poets, and accompanied by mixed-media artwork.
A collection of fifteen short stories about the Muslim holiday, Eid, and the themes around it such as hope, joy, and family.
An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk.
When the Syrian war reaches Amina's village she is forced to escape, and during her perilous journey she thinks of the brave warrior Zenobia to remind her to stay strong.
Josef is a young Jewish boy escaping from the threat of concentration camps in the 1938; Isabel escapes the violence in Castro's Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud is a Syrian boy sneaking into Europe in 2015. Each of them faces harrowing, dangerous obstacles that stand in their way as they search for better lives.
Sami loves his life in Damascus, Syria, but when war breaks out his parents decide they must flee their home for the safety of the UK.
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.
A collection of nine stories from various middle grade fantasy authors who reintroduce characters in the Rick Riordan Presents series through short stories of their adventures.
A graphic-novel depiction of the plight of Syrian refugees who flee from Bashar al-Assad's civil war and cannot find a welcoming country to take them in.
Malala Yousafzai presents the stories of girl refugees from around the world including Yemen, Iraq, the Congo, and Myanmar.
Explore Arabic Art
Ancient Architecture
Geometry of Islamic Design
Contemporary Art
Calligraffiti Artist
eL Seed uses Arabic calligraphy and a distinctive style to spread messages of peace, unity and to underline the commonalities of human existence. His artwork aims at unifying communities and redressing stereotypes.