Muslim children in Western countries have a harder time than most defining their place in the world. Books that suit their circumstances—published by growing numbers of entrepreneurial Muslim publishers—can give the children a sense of the heritage they've sprung from, the multicultural societies they live in, and the roles they can select in life.

The Muslim communities of Tibet are not simply Islamic islands in a Buddhist sea. Muslims' history as traders and residents is long and their roots go deep in a society that values faith and diversity.

Like grass growing through concrete, Lebanon's once-flourishing arts scene stubbornly survived a decade and a half of civil war. With peace, and amid the rubble and the roar of reconstruction, it is burgeoning again—undernourished but determined, and more vital than ever.

About half the population of the Arab world is now under the age of 15. This new generation is the first to live predominantly in the cities and the first whose cultural horizons and economic expectations are being enlarged by the world's increasing political, economic and social interconnectedness.

The warmth of family and place suffuses the poetry of Naomi Shihab Nye, and radiates from her life in San Antonio. Part of that warmth comes from her close relationship with her grandmother, Sitti Khadra, and the wordless communion they shared.