Muslims Advocate for Children's Books Representing Islam

When in September 2021, Pennsylvania's Central York School District banned "The Arabic Quilt," Aya Khalil's award-winning debut picture book about fitting in at school, Khalil decided to write a book about her experience. "The Banned Books Bake Sale," due out in spring of 2023, is about a young woman who fights a ban at her school by telling about experiences in the Egyptian "Arab Spring" revolution of 2011. The experience also prompted Khalil to redouble her support of Kidlit in Color, a group of children's book authors who are trying to create more diversity in children's literature.