On Saturday, September 22, the Poetry Center debuted Brave Books 2018-2019: Bold Librarians, Readers, and Booksellers of the Arab World at the first Kids Create of the school year. Here's a recap of the day!

Our children's area, designed by Alleycat Murals and artist Joe Quarnberg, was ready for the kids! Throughout the day, children and adults dropped by to explore the Basra Central Library and the Hamdan Restaurant; and enjoy the Library of Alexandria mural. They also had the opportunity to check out our book display! Many of the titles were loaned to us by our friends at the UA Center for Middle Eastern Studies. On the way out, younger and older readers alike grabbed these bookmarks, featuring a quote by poet and children's author Naomi Shihab Nye in English and Arabic. Meanwhile, Arabic students from Cholla High School, under the guidance of teachers Nour Jandali and Ameel Attalah, showed participants how to write their names in Arabic and then decorate their name plates. After attending a sign-a-long and writing workshops, the kids enjoyed a concert by master violinist Fadi Iskandar. At one point, the Cholla crew sang songs in Arabic! The concert was accompanied by food from Babylon Market, including hummus, baba ghanoush, pita, olives, falafel and fresh feta. (The food disappeared before we could get a picture but trust us, it was delicious.)

Want to participate? Come to our next Kids Create, or drop by the Poetry Center any time we're open to explore the children's area and book collection.

Thanks to Nour Jandali and Patri Hadad for these photos.
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