New Releases by Rukhsana Khan

From the author of Big Red Lollipop comes a vibrant picture book about a boy who joins his father on a rollicking rickshaw delivery. Richard Scarry fans will delight in this joyful read-aloud with a message of sharing and respect. Ibraheem and his cat, Mitu, join Baba on a rickshaw trip through the big city, where vehicles of all sorts and sizes have their own language to help them navigate the busy streets. BEEP BEEP, says Baba. HONK HONK, says car. TOOT TOOT, says bus. RUMBLE RUMBLE, says mighty truck. MEOW MEOW, says Mitu WHEEE! I say. Along the way, Ibraheem notices that though there aren''t traffic signals, the cars, buses, trucks, rickshaws (and even a stray toad!), all navigate the hustle and bustle of the streets safely by communicating in their own language. With its poetic text and bright, friendly art, Ibraheem''s adventure comes alive with the exciting sounds, movement and personality of the drivers and vehicles that share the road. Includes an author''s note about her experiences with big city traffic around the world.

Join a young girl and her family in this Step 2 reader as they celebrate Eid-al-fitr, a holiday that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Perfect for readers ages 4-6. It''s Eid-al-fitr—the last day of Ramadan, which means it is the last day for Rabia to fast with the rest of her family and she has never done it before. Rabia is so excited! She eats just before sunrise and then the day of fasting begins! Rabia gets to have her hands painted with henna, wear a new dress, and put her family''s donation in the box at the mosque. It''s a special Eid all around! Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

A young maiden named Danyshman draws the attention and admiration of the ruling Khan Bolotbek, but will he forgive his clever wife when she breaks her promise to him?

"Elephant wants to make friends but it''s not easy. The other animals don''t like the way she looks. Maybe if she changes..." -- page 4 of cover.

"Once upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid! Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it''s waking up to the sound of frying samosas and simmering pistachio kheer, maybe it''s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it''s the gift giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations"--

In these eleven original stories, characters bravely face the challenges of settling into a new life. In this wonderful new short story anthology, eleven of Canada''s top children''s authors contribute stories of immigration, displacement and change, exploring the frustration and uncertainty those changes can bring. Told in first-person narratives, this collection features a diverse cast of boys and girls, each one living at a different point in Canada''s vast landscape and history. With unforgettable protagonists — such as Miriam, a Warsaw-ghetto survivor, now reunited with her family in Montreal; Wong Joe-on, a young Chinese immigrant who faces racism in a small Saskatchewan town; and Insy, an Ojibwe girl who makes her first trip to a "white" town in Northern Ontario — young readers will be moved by the opportunities and difficulties that these characters face, as each one ponders what it means to be Canadian, and struggles to fit in. Hoping for Home includes stories by Jean Little, Kit Pearson, Brian Dowle, Paul Yee, Irene N. Watts, Ruby Slipperjack, Afua Cooper, Rukhsana Khan, Marie—Andrée Clermont, Lillian Boraks—Nemetz and Shelley Tanaka.

A boy whose family has immigrated to Canada from Iraq finds it difficult to fit in. When world events make it even harder, he worries about being stereotyped and making his friends see who he really is.

Afghanistan, dopo la caduta del regime talebano. Jameela ha undici anni, vive in un villaggio poverissimo, non è mai andata a scuola ma ha sempre desiderato farlo. Quando la mamma muore, suo padre decide di trasferirsi a Kabul in cerca di fortuna. Incapace di guadagnarsi da vivere, si risposa con una vedova benestante e senza cuore. Jameela è costretta a lavorare duramente in casa, senza mai essere accettata, fino al giorno in cui per volere della matrigna viene abbandonata al mercato. Da lì Jameela finisce in orfanotrofio, ma è una ragazzina forte e non si lascia abbattere; sua madre le ha donato principi saldi grazie ai quali riesce ad affrontare le difficoltà. Come desiderava, impara a leggere e a scrivere, e studia con impegno perché sa ciò che vuole: un futuro di indipendenza, la stima di sé, il rispetto degli altri.

Zainab is a thirteen year old facing a LOT of problems that threaten to overwhelm her: manipulation, bullying, the sexual exploitation of a friend and eventually an attempted suicide. But when a teacher offers her the opportunity to direct a school house league play, Zainab thinks it might be the chance she''s looking for. If she can bring the most popular bully in school, in line, maybe she can prove she fits in. Maybe... Winner of the 2001 Manitoba Young Reader''s Choice Honor Award Nominated for the 2000 Ruth Schwartz Award Nominated for the 2000 Red Maple Award

"Even though he is confined to a wheelchair, a Pakistani boy tries to capture the most kites during Basant, the annual spring kite festival, and become "king" for the day. Includes an afterword about the Basant festival"--Provided by publisher.

Mahvish Khan is an American lawyer, born to immigrant Afghan parents in Michigan. Outraged that her country was illegally imprisoning people at Guantanamo, she volunteered to translate for the prisoners. She spoke their language, understood their customs, and brought them Starbucks chai, the closest available drink to the kind of tea they would drink at home. And they quickly befriended her, offering fatherly advice as well as a uniquely personal insight into their plight, and that of their families thousands of miles away. For Mahvish Khan the experience was a validation of her Afghan heritage - as well as her American freedoms, which allowed her to intervene at Guantanamo purely out of her sense that it was the right thing to do. Mahvish Khan''s story is a challenging, brave, and essential test of who she is - and who we are.

Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can''t convince Ami that you just don''t bring your younger sister to your friend''s party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every game, but after the party she steals Rubina''s prized party favor, a red lollipop. What''s a fed-up big sister to do? Rukhsana Khan''s clever story and Sophie Blackall''s irresistible illustrations make for a powerful combination in this fresh and surprising picture book.

Based on a true story, this powerful, authentic novel explores the life of one girl in post-Taliban Afghanistan...''A beautifully written story about a girl - and a country - struggling to overcome the devastation of war, an important book that should be widely read.'' - Deborah Ellis

Eight-year-old Khadija, her older brother, Hamza, and their parents have just arrived in Canada from Pakistan. In their classrooms on the first day of school Khadija and Hamza are confronted by a sea of unfamiliar faces. Everyone looks so different from the way they did back home.At first Khadija and Hamza feel left out at recess, and they both become the targets of school bullies. It''s really hard to have to speak English all day long. And Khadija just can''t figure out how to get enough water out of the drinking fountain. Hamza, in particular, misses everything about Pakistan — his friends, his school and his grandmother. But gradually, Khadija and Hamza find new friends and begin to feel more at home.

Jameela, a young girl living in war-torn Afghanistan, struggles to find her place in the world after her mother dies and she moves to Kabul with her drunken father where she clashes with her stepmother and ends up in an orphanage.

In the midst of global turmoil, with people of various faiths in major conflict, three friends—a Muslim, a Christian and a Hindu—decided to write a book. Many Windows is a book about young people who are friends despite their religious differences. It’s a book about celebrations, that ultimately celebrates community. Many Windows is a collection of seven stories about six children who are in the same class at school, two white boys, a black girl, a Chinese girl, an Indian girl and a Pakistani boy. They are not necessarily friends, but they all come together in one commnunity at the end of the stories. Each story in the collection centres on a different celebration within the faith of that child. In the appendix, each of the celebrations is explained in more depth, as it is celebrated within that faith community: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. Each story represents a window into the life of the child, or, from a different point of view, the child’s window looking out to the world.

Who exactly has America detained all these years at Guantanamo? The worst of the worst? Or the wretched of the earth? Mahvish Khan is an American lawyer, born to immigrant Afghan parents in Michigan. Outraged that her country was illegally imprisoning people at Guantanamo, she volunteered to translate for the prisoners. She spoke their language, understood their customs, and brought them Starbucks chai, the closest available drink to the kind of tea they would drink at home. And they quickly befriended her, offering fatherly advice as well as a uniquely personal insight into their plight, and that of their families thousands of miles away. For Mahvish Khan, the experience was a validation of her Afghan heritage - as well as her American freedoms, which allowed her to intervene at Guantanamo purely out of her sense that it was the right thing to do. Mahvish Khan''s story is a challenging, brave, and essential test of who she is - and who we are.

Descendente de pais afegãos, a americanas Mahvish R. Khan foi aceita como intérprete de supostos na prisão de Guatánamo, em Cuba. Khan entrou inesperadamente em contato com os homens que Donald Rumsfeld chamou de ''os piores dos piores''. Determinada a preservar o direito a um julgamento justo, a autora revela a cruel realidade daquele lugar onde a tortura e a humilhação são procedimentos padrão nas interrogações dos prisioneiros em busca de confissões e acusações.

In Pakistan, Rani believes that her mother loves their pet chicken Bibi more than she cares for her, until the day that a fluffy chick appears and steals Rani''s own affections.

After confronting what she believes to be a snake in the bath house, Saba finds the courage to overcome her fear of the chickens in the courtyard.

Muslim Child is a collection of short stories, poems and prose that examines the world through the eyes of Muslim children. Each story represents a tenet of Islam in a way which is both entertaining and enlightening. Non-fiction sidebars help to explain and amplify the Islamic references. Some stories are centred around the major Muslim celebrations such as Eid and Ramadan, clarifying the customs and traditions. Another story is about a child getting separated from his parents while on the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Others show Muslim children in non-Muslim societies struggling with the beliefs or practices of their religion such as the dietary restrictions or the early morning prayer. Some of the stories are funny, some are touching, but all are compelling tales of children learning and growing within their culture. With this collection, author Rukhsana Khan provides insight for children into everyday Muslim life.

One day each spring a boy launches his fighting kite into the air. He has worked on it all year, perfecting every detail to make his kite the very best -- the one that can capture all the others. Not even the huge kite of the boy next door can match his ... for on this special day, he is king of the skies!