Literature
Al Bab
Produced by: Al-Bab
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
Al-Bab aims to introduce non-Arabs to the Arabs and their culture. Western explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries portrayed the Arab world as a strange, exotic and sometimes terrifying place. Al-Bab seeks to portray the Arab world neither as an object of fear nor as a cultural curiosity - fascinating though it may be. Useful site on Arab literature past and present.
Link: www.al-bab.com
Arabic Literature
Produced by: Cornell University
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
Includes Links to Arabic classic and modern literature, including fiction and other literary genres.
http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/arablit.htm
A Brief Guide to Naguib Mahfouz and Modern Arabic Prose
Produced by: Kaoukab Chebaro, Middle East and Islamic Studies Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
Selected resources in print (with links to WorldCat*) and on the Internet. Created by Kaoukab Chebaro, Middle East and Islamic Studies Librarian, Columbia University Libraries.
Link: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/Brief_Guide_to_Naguib_Mahfouz.htm
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Outreach Program at Georgetown University
Produced by: Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: K-12
The Community Resource Service (CRS) is an educational outreach program that focuses on the needs of K-12 teachers and other educators in the District of Columbia and its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. The program aims to assist teachers in conveying a nuanced and realistic view of Arabs and Islam beyond the stereotypical images reflected in the entertainment and news media or the incomplete—and often biased—treatment of the history and politics of the region that are sometimes found in textbooks and other pedagogical materials. Since the founding of the CRS in 1983, thousands of educators have attended workshops and seminars on campus about the Arab world and Islam, brought Georgetown students and faculty to their classrooms, borrowed resources from the lending library, and asked the Director of Educational Outreach for assistance in curriculum planning and in tackling cultural issues in their schools. The program is supported by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, private sector grants, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Link: http://ccas.georgetown.edu/k12/
Celebrating Diversity Through Explorations of Arab Children's Literature
Produced by: Al-Hazza, Tami, Lucking, Bob
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: Childhood Education
Incidents of terrorism and other forms of heinous violence around the world are so dramatic and painfully wrenching that they often dictate change: in politics, in social convention, in battle, and in the classroom. The five years since the 9/11 attacks, in particular, have brought about huge shifts in the collective global view of Arabs, and it is certainly timely to examine how educators treat the literature of the people in that part of the world. While language arts teachers may feel like throwing up their arms in frustration at being asked to learn about yet another body of children's literature, it has never been more important to represent a clear-headed and balanced view of a people, their culture, and their literature. In the United States, Arabs and Arab Americans have become a minority of suspicion (Al-Hazza & Lucking, 2005), and enormous misconceptions and biases exist about these people and their culture. Mindful of all teachers' efforts to establish cultural pluralism in their classrooms (Banks, 1991), we hope to offer some guidance in defining these issues relative to children's literature that accurately reflects some of the cultural norms of the Arab world.
Link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_200704/ai_n19431202/
Children's Books
Produced by: Tamara Bower
Regional Focus: Inner Asia, Middle East, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Intended Audience: Elementary and Middle School
Annotated bibliography of recommended books on topics related to the Middle East. List includes picture books, fiction and non-fiction citations. Books are listed as recommended or highly recommended and the age groups for which they are appropriate are indicated. Includes a note to teachers on how to incorporate literature into lesson plans about the Middle East.
Link: http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=20
Egyptian Fiction
Produced by: Various
Regional Focus: Middle East, Egypt
Intended Audience: High School
Includes a good introduction to Egyptian literature, and all are usable in a high school classroom. Examples of writers and their work: Yahya Hakki, The Lamp of Umm Hashim; Taha Hussein, An Egyptian Childhood (autobiography); Naguib Mahfouz, The Thief and the Dogs and The Day the Leader was Killed; Elsa Marston, "In Line" in Santa Claus in Baghdad
Link: http://www.aucpress.com/rights/Fall_2009_RightsGuide.pdf
Or Contact: Barbara Petzen, Outreach Director at the Middle East Policy Council, at bpetzen@mepc.org.
Figs and Fate, Winner of the Middle East Outreach Council Book Award
Produced by: Elsa Marston
Regional Focus: Middle East, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria
Intended Audience: Middle School
"Five short stories about growing up in the Arab world today are told from the perspective of young Arab teens living in Syria, Lebanon, a Palestinian refugee camp, Egypt, and Iraq. Marston beautifully details the rich culture of these youths and their families, in the process helpng to dispel negative stereotypes associated with young adults living in these societies. Readers will discover that their personal struggles, ideals, goals, and dreams are surprisingly familiar." — Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC)
MEOC established the Middle East Book Award in 1999 to recognize books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of the Middle East. Books are judged on the authenticity of their portrayal of a Middle Eastern subject, as well as on their characterization, plot and appeal for the intended audience.
Link: http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=910
Harvard University, The Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Are You Listening?
Produced by: The Outreach Center Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
This very popular anthology, produced by the Outreach Center, consists of short stories and excerpts from memoirs and novels written by indigenous authors and translated and adapted for the U.S. classroom.
The anthology includes stories from Turkey, Israel, Iran, and the Arab world, tested and selected for their cultural richness and their appealto young adults. It includes curriculum units for each, extensive background notes, a glossary of Middle Eastern words and phrases, and a comprehensive bibliography related to the themes and issues in the stories as further reference for teachers and students.
Link: http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/outreach/curriculumplans/lessons
How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt- A Children's Africana Book Award Winner
Produced by: Tamara Bower
Regional Focus: Africa, Middle East, Armenia, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq
Intended Audience: Elementary and Middle School
Papyrus fragments in an Austrian museum tell the story of an Egyptian prince who led his army to Assyria to challenge the rule of Queen Serpot and her Amazon women warriors. Defeated on the battlefield, the Egyptian formed an alliance with the Queen to jointly pursue other foes across the Middle East. This is Tamara Bower's second children's book to receive widespread acclaim for bringing an ancient story to life with illustrations that showcase her expertise in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and mural painting styles. Ms Bower's first book, The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with Hieroglyphs, was published in 2000.
"This exceedingly handsome book tells of the famous women warriors besieged by an Egyptian and Assyrian army. Their queen uses both craft (her sister infiltrates the camp) and valor against the enemy, and personally goes head-to-head with the prince. Their daylong combat begins with insults but ends with a declaration of love that, after sweaty hours of lethal opposition, must be based on character rather than beauty. Bower takes the tale from a Hellenistic scroll, adding a few details.... Budding Egyptologists and archaeologists will be enthralled by the hieroglyphs on endpapers and many pages. There are splendid frescolike panels; other spreads provide a drawing, text, and hieroglyph version of that portion of the text printed in bold. The deceptively simple-looking outline drawings will encourage imitation, though Bower's elegant spareness and lapis/sienna colors will be hard to equal. Five pages of information (including map and book list) at the end explain the source and the system of hieroglyphic writing. Hours of educational pleasure are pretty much guaranteed." — Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI (Amazon.com)
Link: http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=1107
Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab WorldProduced by: Elsa Marston
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
Engaging tales dispel stereotypes about young people's lives in the Arab Middle East
". . . Marston's stories, while withholding nothing of the brutality of some of the more controversial aspects of Muslim life, present characters that are three dimensional and easy to empathize with. Her stories are filled with characters that are heroic, generous, and eager to improve their world." —ForeWord
"An enjoyable and often surprising collection of stories about Arab teenagers. . . . The characters are complex and interesting, and the Middle Eastern settings are described in rich detail. . . . A good choice for classes discussing this part of the world or multicultural issues in general." —School Library Journal
"With annotations that make it especially useful for educational purposes and young readers, a welcome and human glimpse into an often misunderstood culture." —Kirkus Reviews
Link: http://www.elsamarston.com/santa_claus_in_baghdad__and_other_stories_about_teens_in_the_arab_world_66312.htm
Using Middle Eastern Literature and Allusions in Class
Produced by: Martha K. Goodman
Regional Focus: Middle East
Intended Audience: General
Sections include: Teaching the Work of a Nobel Prize Winner in Literature--Nahguib Mahfouz, Sharing Poetry, Teaching About Transliteration, Teaching About Problems in Translation, Teaching About Cultural Differences, Universal Truths from Middle Eastern Literature, Teaching a Writer Who Uses Numerous Middle Eastern References--Edgar Allan Poe
Link: http://www.vccaedu.org/inquiry/vcca-journal/good.html
Where Alaa Al Aswany Is Writing From
Produced by: Pankaj Mishra
Regional Focus: Middle East, Egypt
Intended Audience: General
Interview with author of Yacoubian Building and Chicago
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/magazine/27aswany-t.html
Women in the Middle East, Tradition and Change (revised ed.)
Produced by: Ramsay M. Harik and Elsa Marston
Regional Focus: Middle East, Afghanistan , Egypt , Iraq
Intended Audience: High School and Middle School
Winner of the Middle East Outreach Council Book Award
".... a comprehensive and readable overview of the social, political, and personal issues faced by contemporary women in this part of the world includes new chapters on 'health, women's movements, and the recent experience of women in Afghanistan.' Black-and-white photographs are interspersed throughout." — School Library Journal
"This comprehensive look at Middle Eastern women and their struggle to incorporate both tradition and change in their daily lives is a major contribution to resources on this topic of wide interest. Of particular note, the revised edition includes two chapters that cover the experience of women in Afghanistan and women’s health issues region-wide." — Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC)
MEOC established the Middle East Book Award in 1999 to recognize books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of the Middle East. Books are judged on the authenticity of their portrayal of a Middle Eastern subject, as well as on their characterization, plot and appeal for the intended audience.
Link: http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=919