Growing up in America, I used to live for the season when the Scholastic Book Fair rolled into my school. Every fall, as the air turned crisp and the leaves started changing, I’d get this little spark of excitement, it wasn’t just sweater weather… it was book fair season.
The smell of freshly printed books, the sparkle of new Lisa Frank stationary, the stickers, the coloring books, it was all so overstimulating in the best way. In hindsight, maybe that’s where my self-diagnosed shopping addiction began (but let’s not unpack that right now).
I remember feeling so proud walking out with a book that I picked, my very own story to bring home. I wish I could say I was a passionate reader, but honestly, I was more obsessed with collecting books for my nightstand than actually reading them. Still, those book fairs planted something in me: a love for stories, discovery, and that special feeling of owning something meaningful.
Fast forward to today, I’m a revert Muslim woman and the owner of an Islamic gift shop, The Nour Company. Now I get to witness that same sparkle in the eyes of both parents and children when they find books by Muslim authors on my shelves. It’s one of my favorite parts of running this store.
But over time, I realized something. As a shop owner, I’ve grown a little desensitized to how rare and precious these books really are. I get to see them every day, I get to tediously browse through publishers catalogs, and get inquiries to carry author books almost on a daily basis, but for most families, access to Islamic children’s books (especially by Muslim authors) is still so limited. And since my store has only so much space, I can’t carry every book I’d love to share.
That’s when the idea clicked.
What if I could take all the things I loved about the Scholastic Book Fair, the excitement, the discovery, the hands-on experience, and bring it to life in an Islamic way?
A space filled with stories rooted in faith. A place where Muslim kids could see themselves represented. A fair that brings together families, authors, educators, and community, all united by the love of books and the deen.
And so, The Traveling Islamic Book Fair was born.
It started small, just a simple idea. But then I thought, why stop there?
Why not invite local Muslim authors to have tables, do book signings, and connect with readers? Why not make it interactive with storytime readings, kids’ crafts, and cozy corners for families to sit, learn, and bond? Why not bring in local schools, Islamic programs, coffee vendors, and snack stalls to make it a full community experience?
Alhamdulillah, what started as one small idea grew into something much bigger than I could’ve imagined. Islamic centers and schools across California began reaching out, asking to host the fair for their own communities.
Now, The Nour Islamic Book Fair has become one of The Nour Company’s signature experiences, a service we offer to Islamic centers and schools who want to bring this same joy to their families, completely hassle-free.
Each event is a chance to connect, to nurture the next generation of readers, and to plant seeds of love for the deen, one book at a time.
And every time I see a little Muslim child hug their new book close, eyes glowing with pride, I can’t help but think back to that little girl I used to be standing at the Scholastic Book Fair, not knowing that someday, Allah ﷻ would let me recreate that same feeling… for a new generation.