Read Time: 6mins
Author: James Rumford
Genre: Cultural
Synopsis: Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad tells the story of a young boy named Ali and his daily childhood adventures—learning to write calligraphy, playing soccer, making his father laugh—as well as his yearning for peace amidst a time of war.
Points of Interest: Calligraphy, Arabic culture, art
Who may like this book: Children who are artistic, enjoy beauty, and empathetic.
Dialogic Reading Prompts
- How would writing in Arabic be different than writing in English?
- What does calligraphy in English look like and how does that compare to Ali’s calligraphy?
- How is the story of Yakut inspiring to Ali?
- What is similar between Yakut and Ali?
- Writing calligraphy makes Ali happy, even with war going on around him. What do you do that makes you happy?
- What did you notice in the pictures of the book?
The Path to Literacy 