Since August 15, 2010 is a Sunday, and the post office is closed, we will accept any entries postmarked Monday August 16, 2010. Other updates are listed below:

Form Submission

1. Postal mail them to our address listed here,
2. Scan and email to contact<at>americanmuslimmom.com,
3. Send us a Word or google doc to contact<at>americanmuslimmom.com, or
4. Fax forms to

Summer Islamic Reading Challenge Forms

• Rules & Registration
• Design a Button Contest Coloring Sheet
• Official Reading Journal & Review Form

Instructions:

• * Register your child/ren from Birth – Senior Year of college/university, during the Reading Challenge period of July 15, 2010 – August 15, 2010 (details below)
• Print out the Official Islamic Book Review Form and Reading Journal * Children read books at their reading level, or read-aloud to by an adult
• Complete one full Islamic Book Review, and list additional Islamic books read on the journal with all sections completed. A parent/guardian must sign the journal when it is completed.
• Mail the completed review form and reading journal to the address provided on the Review Journal (one per child). Multiple children from the same household may send their journals in one envelope for your convenience.
• Each participant will be sent a certificate and a prize in the mail as promptly as possible.
• Special prizes will be awarded to different age or selected groups by criteria stated for that prize.
• Deadline: Postmarked by August  15 16, 2010.

Children’s Design a Button Contest

Design a Button Coloring Contest Rules:

1. Open the coloring page here.
2. Design a Button. Create & Enjoy!
3. Scan and email on or before 12 midnight EST August 15, 16, 2010 to contact<at>americanmulismmom.com or postal mail it with your Official Book Journal.
4. Email must state: (a) Child’s full name. Only the first name and last initial will be publicized. (b) Age and DOB (date of birth).
5. Winning Design may be used for next year’s Summer Islamic Reading Challenge, inshaAllah.

Summer Islamic Reading Program Extension & Updates is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Although we requested contributions from Muslim Kids since the launch of the new site in July 2009, we didn’t have the necessary system or support in place to actively solicit submissions or publish regularly. Alhumdulilah (Praise be to God), we are presently prepared to compile and publish work by Muslim Kids for Muslim Kids on a regular basis. Alhumdulilah, we have over 2 dozen Muslim Kids Islamic Book Reviews yet to post from our 1st Annual Summer Islamic Reading Program. Subhanallah (Glory be to God), with 3 months until our next kick-off, we feel it’s perfect timing to post them now, inshaAllah, to get all our Muslim Kids excited for the upcoming program.

Categories for Submission

Muslim Kids Product Review

• A perfect example of how my 9 year old shares one of her favorite educational website, is by showing others how to register since there’s no available how-to guide online. So, if you can answer any of the following questions below, please complete this form.
• Do you have a favorite educational website you visit all the time? Please share it with others.
• Do you have a special toy, game, or program that you can’t live without? Please to tell us what it is and why it’s so great.
• Did you learn the Qur’an or Arabic through a software program that made it fun and easy? We’d love to hear about it.

Muslim Kids Weekly Video

• Every Sunday, inshaAllah, we showcase a Weekly Video in a blogpost, and place it on the right sidebar “Weekly Muslim Kids Video”.
• So, if you want to share your favorite nasheed or a funny Islamic video, please complete this form.

Muslim Kids Recipes

• On Tuesday’s we participate in a Tasty Tuesday meme. We find that recipes by kids for kids are well received by our readers.
• So, if you have a great, simple, healthy or not-so-healthy-but-delicious snack, meal or dessert to share, please complete this form.

Muslim Kids Jokes

• We just published our first funny Islamic joke here.
• So, if have another one to share, please make us laugh! Please complete this form.

Kids Book Review

• Do you love reading books? But, enjoy telling all your friends why he or she should read it even more!? We’ll, that’s called a book review.
• Book reviews are unlike book reports. Professional writers believe that writing book reviews is an ideal way for children to enjoy and improve their writing skills, because it’s an easy, fun, creative and rewarding writing exercise.
• You can even narrate your review to your parents. But, narration is meant for kids too young to write all their great thoughts and opinions down on paper.
• So, if you are ready to recommend your favorite book(s), please complete this form.

Want to be a Kid Blogger?

My 9.5, 8.5 and 6.5 year old daughters are having a blast blogging and vlogging!

We’re learning so much, spending quality family time together, sharing critical Islamic tips and lessons, growing our community, and actually winning prizes and free gifts along the way.

But, nothing is more important to us than receiving the blessings and acceptance of Allah (subhanallah wa’ Tala) as we worship Him and Only Him in all our work and play. Yar Rabb. Ameen.

We’re very interested in showcasing more Muslim kid bloggers here at American Muslim Mom. So, if you’d like to write for us, comment below or contact us with your suggestions and recommendations. Recommendations leading kids away from haram things is highly recommended.

Additional ideas include:

• Do you have an arts and crafts project you want to showcase?  Please teach others how to duplicate your work.
• Want to share your favorite poem, du’a, or short story and become a published writer?
• Do you have tips that make your daily tasks easier?  Please let other Muslim kids benefit from your wise ways.
• Did your class or homeschool family just figure out a fun way to learn a difficult-to-understand topic or concept? Share your  lesson plans with us, like we did here.
• Would like to share your political commentary on breaking news? Innocent kids often say it best!

We look forward to showcasing educational, fun and motivational tips, tools and resources from the wise, innocent, and often humorous mouths of our children, inshaAllah. So, please comment below, contact us directly, or submit your work through one of the category forms above.

Please allow 28 business days for review. If you haven’t heard from us within that time frame, you may re-submit your idea.

*Disclosure:  As a family-friendly Muslim Mom online magazine and blog community, healthy submissions in accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are encouraged. Our intention is to support the work of Muslim Kids and publish it accordingly. We reserve the right to edit, amend, delete, stop or ban anything deemed inappropriate or disrespectful.

Calling All Muslim Kids: Publish Your Work, Views and Jokes! is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Book Review for Muslim Kids by Muslim Kids

Title: Attack of the Turtle

Author: Drew Carlson

Illustrator: David A. Johnson
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5338-7
Number of Page: 149
Genre: Historical fiction
Kid Reviewer: The Sabra Girls
Reviewer’s Age: 6.5, 8.5, 9.5 years old

Date submitted:     2/2/2010
Reading Time: 1-4 days

Intended Audience:
Kid Reviewer: The Sabra Family
Age: 6 – 12 years old
Gender: Both

Rating: 5 of 5. Excellent.

Review:

6.5 year old girl:I liked this story because it is a historical fiction book and we live in Connecticut. When we coming home from Boston, MA we passed by all the towns in this book, like Old Saybrook and New London. Also, I’ve been to all the places in NY City too.

8.5 year old girl: By reading this book, it’s a fun way to learn history.

9.5 year old girl: I really liked this book because I usually don’t like history, but this book changed me. It discussed inventors, what happened during the Revolutionary War, and I liked the explanation between what was fact and what was fiction in the book.

Mama: Overall, this was an incredible book. Please read this book as a family, and enjoy opening a unit study in the Revolutionary War, inventors and inventions, and/or New England geography.

Interesting facts:

The Epilogue, American Turtle diagram and its description, Author’s notes and Bibliography are all must-read sections of this book. They were so funny and interesting that we look forward to going to the Submarine Museum in Groton to see the life-sized model of the American Turtle ourselves in the Spring, inshaAllah. We read the “Bushnell’s Submarine – The Best Kept Secret of the American Revolution” by Arthur S. Leftowitz the Uncorrected Proof to verify the historical and scientific information shared in “Attack of the Turtle”.

* We read this book as part of the 2010 Intermediate Nutmeg Nominee Book Club at the Hamden Public Library. Previously reviewed books in this category included:
- Drita, My Homegirl

We’d love for you to share your kid’s book reviews on AmericanMuslimMom.com Click here to complete a review form.

Kid’s Book Review – Attack fo the Turtle by Drew Carlson is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Book Review by Muslim Kids for Muslim Kids

Book Review for Muslim Kids by Muslim Kids

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN: 0-375-91526-5
Pages: 155
Genre: Children’s Fantasy Novel

Kid Reviewer: DMS
Age: 7.5
Date: 6-22-09
Reading Time: 1-week

Intended Audience:
Gender: Boys & Girls
Age Group: 7-10 (because there are lessons are for kids)

Rating: 4 of 5 – Very Good

Review:

I would like other kids around my age to read this book because it will teach them lessons, such as not being brat, not to think you’re so smart, and to listen to your parents and adults. Just because you’re famous, doesn’t mean you can do anything you want.

My favorite part of the story was when Charlie the little boy wins the whole factory at the end. One thing that is so cool is that Charlie loves chocolate and he wins the most famous chocolate factory in the world.

My favorite characters were Charlie and Grandpa Joe, because they did the hardest work at the factory.

The book was okay.

Differences between the movie and the book:

In the book, when Grandpa Joe got up (from his bed) the soup went into Grandma Josephine’s face, which did not happen in the movie. Also, in the book, everyone (all the kids) went to the factory with two of the parents except Charlie who went only with Grandpa Joe. In the movie, everyone went with one parent.

Muslim Kids Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog