The Proudest Blue
The Proudest Blue
Book Title: The Proudest Blue
Book Author: Ibtihaj Muhammad (with S. K. Ali)
Book Illustrator: Hatem Aly
This book addresses: Cultural differences, bullying, identity
Potentially Tricky Vocabulary:
Hijab: a traditional covering that goes over the hair and neck that is typically worn by Muslum women
Asiya - [ ah'see'yah ]
Faizah - [ f ay z ah ]
Questions to ask the student before reading:
Are all cultures the same? (For younger readers: Is there anything about your life that would be different if you lived in another country?)
What about you makes you you? What is important to who you are?
Do you know what a hijab is? Do you know anyone who wears one?
Historical context to give before reading:
Everyone’s identity is different. We all have things that are special and important to us, that we value. Some Mulsum women choose to wear a hijab. A person can choose to do so for many reasons, including as a demonstration of their religion, like the author shares at the end of the book. Wearing a hijab is someone’s choice, and we should always be respectful of others’ choices. Unfortunately, some people don’t understand this and choose to be mean to others. We should always remember to be kind and accepting of others’ differences.
(The questions to ask the student and historical content above are interconnected. The historical context is typically going to be a supplement to what your student might not know. Some students may already be knowledgeable about a subject, others may not know much yet. Pay attention to what your student already knows and share the historical context accordingly.)
While reading:
Keep an eye on Asiya’s friends in this book - they stand by Asiya the entire time, demonstrating what good friends should be. Any time the book shares some of Mama’s advice (in italics), take a moment to unpack it with your student. Mama’s advice is important but also might be hard for your student to grasp on their own.
After reading:
How was Asiya strong on her first day of hijab?
How was Faizah strong on her sister’s first day of hijab?
Read the author’s note
Follow up activity (time permitting):
Have your student draw a heart map. A heart map is drawings and words of things that are important to someone (memories, favorite foods, any part of their identity) inside the outline of a heart.
All definitions were adapted by Karina Connolly from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.