The Ramadan Drummer

K-Gr 3–A Ramadan drummer is a centuries-old tradition in many Muslim-majority countries: this drummer traverses neighborhoods before the pre-dawn meal to wake those who will be observing the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Abaza’s story opens with a grumpy Adam, hungry from his fast. When Adam and his family end their fast and enjoy the extravagant spread of food, Adam’s mom and his aunt reminisce about their first fasts, and the Ramadan drummer from their childhood village. They state that the drummer was part of an old tradition that isn’t followed so much anymore, since most people now have alarm clocks. That night, Adam dreams of the Ramadan drummer; he beats the drum with him street after street. As they walk by houses, they hear the whispered secrets of his neighbors and friends—one is homesick, another lonely. The next day, Adam ignores his appetite and sets off to fulfill his friends’ desires that he heard in the night. This story about a shared tradition may strike a chord with readers, and will especially resonate with older relatives reading to the younger generations.