Magid Fasts for Ramadan

by Mary Matthews

It is the first day of Ramadan, the month when good Muslims eat nothing and drink nothing all day, every day, from sunrise to sunset. Mama and Baba have told Magid he isn't old enough to fast, but even Magid's sister, Aisha, is fasting, and Magid doesn't want to wait. Set in present-day Egypt, Magid Fasts for Ramadan satisfyingly recounts Magid's struggle and its surprising and happy resolution, and offers an illuminating introduction to the beliefs and practices of Islam.

Genres: Cultural, Muslims, Collections

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name on GR.
For the romance author with this name, also known as Maryrhage, see Mary Matthews

Reviews

[MaryJo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A respectful book about Ramadan from one young boy's perspective. A loving family.

[Tibby]

I thought this was a nice little story about honesty and also feeling left out of something “grown up”. Magid is your typical kid. He finds a way to get around the restrictions placed on him without really thinking through the consequences. I thought Matthews nailed that. The illustrations dated the book somewhat, but it was nice to see an average looking, modern Egyptian family (as in, the family doesn’t look like they lived 300 years ago). The story is about Magid wanting to fast for Ramadan and to be a devout Muslim. But it’s also about honesty and how something that is meant well and done with good intentions can still be dishonest.

Aaaaand then I read the reviews on Amazon. It seems like a fair number of Muslim parents have chimed in on it. Some like the story, others don’t. Most didn’t like that Magid was actively discouraged from fasting even though he wanted to and that his sister was such a pill. All valid points. On the other hand many liked the story for its message about honesty and weren’t perturbed by Magid being discouraged from fasting. I can’t find much about the author and I’m not sure where she got the idea for the story. I’m also relatively sure that she isn’t Muslim so there is very much the issue of authenticity here.

I think in the end, it has a Message with a capital “m” (it didn’t bother me, but that was my personal opinion) and if you don’t want a book that explicitly teaches something, you don’t want this book. I think it’s worth buying for library collections as there are obviously Muslim families that like it, but if you’re looking at it for your family see if the public library has it first and see if it fits with your conception of Ramadan and Islamic values.

The book itself is an odd hybrid of chapter book (it has chapters) and picture book (most pages have an illustration spread much like a picture book). The text is longer, like a chapter book, but the amount of illustrations make it feel younger. I would encourage you to share it with many age levels, as the story is worthwhile. I wish the publisher would reissue it in a small, chapter book trim size. I think it would fit better in the collection and would circulate better. We do have chapter books that have lots of pictures, but they need that seemingly more grown-up size to appeal to those readers who are moving up.

[Janet Luch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magid's parents and grandfather wants to fast for Ramadan but his parents and grandfather think he is too young. Magid's sister, Aisha, is fasting so Magid decides to fast in secret. When Aisha finds out Magid is fasting she tells their mother. At a family meeting, Magid's grandfather proposes a compromise of Magid and Aisha going without breakfast but eating the rest of the day. That way they can practice fasting. Magid and Aisha's parents agree.
At the end of the book there is information about Ramadan and how it is celebrated in Egypt where this book takes place. There is also a pronunciation guide.

[Alyssa Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diverse - Magid is 8 and wants to fast for Ramadan because that's what obedient Muslim children do. His parents think he is too young to fast. He fasts anyway and gets in trouble. Great book about Muslim religion. Gives you a good feeling about what the religion is like.