Jordan

The trickiest thing when finding resources on Jordan was wading through the multitude of info about Michael Jordan.  This was our first foray into learning about a country in the Middle East, and a country that is predominantly Muslim, so we learned about Islam too.  The other predominant religion is Orthodox Christianity, which is very different from the Christianity that I was familiar with, and we learned about that as well.  We are atheists, so my kids had no idea who Biblical figures like Moses were, and as that was important to understanding the region, we learned some of those stories.

A major part of our unit studies is the YouTube playlist that I put together.  It goes over everything we can think of - an overview of the country, the governmental system, animals and plants living in the area, amazing natural features of the land, the indigenous people (with a focus on their modern day lifestyle), the school system (especially as it compares to the US system, if I can find that info), sports, language, clothing, religion, tv shows written by or for children in the area, refugees, whether children work, etc.  Without the playlist, I feel that just the list of books we include would fall flat.  I do this for every country we explore.  My younger kids don't watch all of the videos, but my fifth grader does.  I try to include read alouds of as many books as possible so that if people don't have access to the books, they can still enjoy them.  Here's the list for Jordan.

Books we used include:

• B is for Bedu by Fay Gabriel - This book focuses on the Bedu people, who previously lived a nomadic lifestyle.  The author stresses that most Bedu live in cities now, but when she lived with them for two years, this group traveled through the desert.  Honestly, I have no idea if the author has Jordanian roots.  She lives in the Middle East and has written several books about the Bedu.  We loved the photos and details in this one.
• Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by Hena Khan - This is a Muslim book of shapes.  It's gorgeous.  We really enjoyed it.  This book also invites an easy math extension in an exploration of Islamic architecture, geometric shapes, and patterns.
• The Dead Sea by Therese Shea - To be honest, we didn't love this one.  It is part of the series The Scariest Places on Earth, so it tried to make a very salty lake into a scary experience.  However, it isn't scary (good for my sensitive kiddo), and is interesting.  It is also the only book on the Dead Sea that I could find for kids.  It has a lot of great information.  Without a great alternative, I would use this one again.
• Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan - This is billed as a Muslim book of colors.  We follow a little girl through her colorful world.  She prays with her father, goes on a walk with her mom, admires the mosque, visits her grandfather, eats dates, writes in Arabic, received an Eid gift, has her hands painted with henna, donates to the charity box, reads the Quran with her grandmother, and admires silver lanterns.  We really enjoyed this one.  The text is a fun introduction to lots of terms (with a pronunciation guide in the back), and the illustrations are beautiful.  There's nothing awkward or preachy about it.  It is not specifically Jordanian, but since we were also studying Islam, it went well with our theme.  The author is Muslim and the illustrator grew up in Iran.
• Hassan and Aneesa Go To Masjid by Yasmeen Rahim - Sweet story about a brother and sister going to pray at the mosque.
• Hassan and Aneesa Love Ramadan by Yasmeen Rahim - Adorable non-white brother and sister sharing Ramadan with each other and their family.  Definitely recommended.  It's easy to relate to the happiness of the kids, even if the holiday is unfamiliar.
• Horse Diaries #6: Yatimah by Catherine Hapka - My 7yo loves horses and was originally interested in diving into this story, but poor Yatimah's mother dies in childbirth in the first few pages, and that spoiled the story for him.  He started complaining about why every book has to have dead parents.  (I agree, kid.)  We got about halfway through, and he liked it when we read it, but never wanted to resume it, and it kind of fell by the wayside.  Other than the dead mare, I didn't find anything objectionably in the half we read, and if your kiddo is horse crazy, this would be a great choice.  I don't think the author has any particular connection to Jordan. 
• It's Ramadan, Curious George! by H.A. Rey and Hena Khan - George joins his buddy Kareem to celebrate Ramadan.  I loved that Kareem is not othered in this book.  George joins in, but Kareem doesn't have to educate him.  George is just enjoying the fun.  Hena Khan is the author of Golden Domes and Crescent Moons and is Pakistani-American.
• Lailah's Lunchbox by Reem Faruqi - Sweet story about a girl fasting for her first Ramadan in America, and how she copes with her teacher and classmates' worries that she doesn't have a lunch.  I was raised LDS, and I remember finally being old enough to fast, or old enough to fast for a portion of the time.  It was a huge milestone, and I think it is likely also a huge milestone for Islamic kids.  I loved being able to share this milestone experience with my kids, especially when it is one that they had never thought about.
• Little Pim Arabic - TBH, this one wasn't a favorite for my kids, but it was a friendly option to let them hear spoken Arabic.  It did not break down the sounds in the language or teach them to count or run through the alphabet, at least not in the version we watched. 
• My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne Del Rizzo - This book is about a Syrian child who lives in the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan.  The author is not Jordanian or Syrian, from what I could find online.  This book has gorgeous illustrations, and the story is great.  Sami's story is detailed without being overwhelmingly sad.  The details of the Syrian conflict are not gone into, and the focus is quickly turned to the kind people who help Sami's family and how Sami's family begins to adjust.  I highly recommend this one.
• Peg + Cat: the Eid al-Adha Adventure by Jennifer Oxley - All of the kids loved this one.  There's a Peg + Cat episode to go with it.  The siblings are engaging and sweet, Peg is curious and appropriate, and the whole story is a candy-coated mathy adventure in cultural exploration.  Definitely give this one a try.
• The Princess and the Foal by Stacy Gregg - This book was supposed to be about triumph and the success of real-life Princess Hama in her Olympic horse riding.  However, it is sad.  Really sad.  Unrelentingly sad.  Hama's mother dies, complete with a happy scene with her before she goes away and dies in a helicopter accident.  Hama is devastated.  Her beloved loving nanny has to leave to take care of her own ailing mother, and she is replaced by a cold, judgmental English governess who makes Hama's life miserable until she is shipped off to boarding school.  My 2nd grader likes horses and princesses and was hopeful, but he started to dread our read aloud time.  My 5th grader liked it much better.  The author isn't Jordanian, but apparently spent a lot of time with Princess Hama herself during the writing.
• Saluki, Hound of the Bedouin by Julia Johnson - A benign story about a boy and his dog.  We did this one as a read aloud and enjoyed it.  The pictures are great.  It wasn't a huge favorite - I don't see them wanting to read it again on their own - but they liked it while they read it, and they have referenced it in conversation many, many times.  There's a naughty cousin who comes around in the end and an exciting rescue from a quicksand-like area, and our puppy hero triumphs throughout the story.  I don't know if the author is of Jordanian descent, but she has spent time in the Middle East.
• Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan - Charming, sweet, fun story of culture clash.  Written by the queen of Jordan.  My kids loved this one, and there are videos of the queen reading her book in our playlist.
• Wishing Moon by Michael O. Tunnell - This is a continued tale of what happened to the jinni in Aladdin after Aladdin's happy ending.  My oldest loved it.  From what I could find, the author is not of Jordanian descent, but did spend some time travelling in the region.  

Non-fiction:

• Desert - This Eyewitness Book has great details on life in the desert all over the world, including pictures of the various animals and plants in Jordan, and lots of details on the Bedouin people.
• Cultures of the World: Jordan by Coleman South - Detailed, slightly dry, book about Jordan for older kids.
• Islam: Our World of Faith by Holly Wallace - Friendly, detailed, relatable book that follows a day in the life of a child.
• Ramadan by Sheila Anderson - This has friendly illustrations and clear, simple descriptions.  It's a great introduction book for younger kids.

Extensions:

• Tea: Bedouin tea seems like the natural option.  I haven't had real Bedouin tea, so it was hard to decide what a reasonable substitute at home would be.  I used this recipe in decaf, but with sugar instead of honey, and the kids liked it.
• Bread: Shrak, which is a kind of flatbread. I don't know if you could substitute naan or pita.
• Cookie: Maamoul.  Date-filled deliciousness.
• Sandwich: hummus, to go with the Sandwich Swap.
• Fruit: dates, grapes, olives, apricots, bananas, apples, peaches
• Veggies: eggplant, tomato, zucchini, peppers
• Kid TV show: Hikayat Simsim, which is Sesame Street.  Lots of clips on YouTube - we have several on the playlist.  
• Movie: I let the kids watch the Martian and Indiana Jones.  I don't know that it was my best call ever, but they really enjoyed them both.  The Martian has a little language, and Indy has all kinds of violence, so it depends on what your family finds offensive.