Questions from readers #2
My suggestions for secondary texts that reflect Islamic values, for schools with a Muslim majority student base.
I’ve received two emails from teachers with similar requests, both looking for book suggestions for their schools that have a large Muslim cohort, and needing the titles to be adequately conservative.
As a white person with no religion who has always taken a progressive approach to text selection, I am mindful that this is not completely my area of expertise, and I would urge anyone who is considering the below books to do their own deep reading to make sure they are suitable.
With that in mind, below are my responses with some possible options.
*Please note: I have edited these emails slightly for anonymity and brevity.
I am writing to ask for some book suggestions for Year 7 and 8. I am looking for novels of moderate length and for assessments such as text response or creative writing. They could have links to diverse contexts and themes of family, responsibility, friendship, and much more.
I work at an independent school with a Muslim majority student base. So, some themes in books, such as LGBTIQ+ topics, would not be possible.
We do not have an active librarian at our campus, so they are not able to provide any suggestions.
I'd be happy to suggest some books for your students. Here are a few to consider:
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