SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Prince among Slaves
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.nhsenzai.com/
CITY: San Francisco
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 325
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Chicago, IL; married Farid Senzai (a professor of political science); children: two sons.
EDUCATION:University of California, Berkeley, B.S., 1997; Columbia University, M.I.B., 2001.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, marketer, and intellectual property consultant. AcrossWorld Communications, Santa Clara, CA, director of market development, 1998-2000; Intellectual Capital Management Group, Sonoma, CA, consultant, 2000-05; LECG Corporation, senior consultant, 2005-07; EnnovationZ (environmental services company), Mountain View, CA, cofounder, 2007-08; Foresight Valuation Group, Palo Alto, CA, director, 2009—. Presenter at schools, workshops, and conferences.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
AWARDS:Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, National Council for the Social Studies/Children’s Book Council, Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, and Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature, all 2010, and Best Children’s Book of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, and Teachers Choice Award, International Reading Association, both 2011, all for Shooting Kabul; Edgar Allen Poe Award finalist, Mystery Writers of America, and Best Children’s Book of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, both 2015, both for Saving Kabul Corner; Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults designation, American Library Association, 2017, for Ticket to India.
WRITINGS
Contributor to A Patchwork Shawl: Chronicles of South Asian Women in America (as Naheed Hasnat), edited by Shamita Das Dasgupta, Rutgers University Press, 1998.
SIDELIGHTS
N.H. Senzai explores the history and culture of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India in her award-winning middle-grade novels Shooting Kabul, Saving Kabul Corner, and Ticket to India. The author turns to the global refugee crisis spurred in Syria with Escape from Aleppo, which takes place in the years following the Arab Spring, and with Flying over Water, coauthored with Shannon Hitchcock. Senzai has also written a picture book about an African Muslim prince who endured slavery in America.
In Shooting Kabul, her debut novel for middle-grade readers, Senzai follows the efforts of an Afghani immigrant to locate his younger sister, who was left behind when his family fled their homeland. The work is based in part on the experiences of Senzai’s husband, whose own family escaped from war-torn Afghanistan in 1979. Shooting Kabul centers on Fadi, a middle-school student who is adjusting to his new life in San Francisco, California, where he resides with his father, mother, and older sister. Fadi is haunted by memories of the fateful night in the summer of 2001 when his family was pursued by Taliban forces and hastily left Afghanistan. In the confusion, Fadi’s six-year-old sister, Mariam, let go of his hand and disappeared into the darkness. Still searching for ways to rescue his sister, Fadi enters a photography contest, hoping to win a trip to India and reenter his homeland.
Shooting Kabul earned solid reviews. “This is a sweet story of family unity,” observed Kristin Anderson in School Library Journal, and Steven Kral similarly noted in Voice of Youth Advocates that “Fadi’s world is one of strong familial ties, Islam, and a vibrant, strong immigrant community.” A contributor in Kirkus Reviews also recommended the book, commenting that Senzai’s debut offers “an original and engaging plot and a lens through which readers will learn much about the … conflict” in Afghanistan.
A companion volume of sorts, Saving Kabul Corner “offers a window into the culture of Afghan family and society,” according to Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Anna Foote. Life has grown complicated for twelve-year-old Ariana Shinwari, who resents having to share her cramped bedroom—as well as the attentions of her best friend—with her beautiful and intelligent cousin, Laila, who recently immigrated from Afghanistan. Even worse, a new Afghan grocery has opened in the same strip mall as Kabul Corner, the business run by Ariana’s family; the competition between the two stores reignites an old feud between the families. When both shops are seriously damaged by vandals, however, Ariana turns to Laila and Wali Ghilzai, the son of the rival business owner, to assist her in locating the culprits.
“Senzai successfully weaves the dynamics of Afghan culture, history and political wranglings into a classically American mystery story,” observed a writer in Kirkus Reviews. Ellen Norton in School Library Journal commended Senzai’s portrait of her young heroine, stating that “Ariana’s voice is relatable and her feelings of unsureness and frustration will be familiar to readers.”
Ticket to India “brings attention to an underrepresented culture in an appealing way,” in the opinion of Krista Hutley, contributing to Booklist. Following the death of their Pakistani grandfather, sixth-grader Maya and her older sister, Zara, scheme to help their grandma journey from Karachi to her childhood home in Northern India to retrieve family heirlooms left behind when she fled during the chaotic days of the Great Partition in 1947. After Naniamma falls ill, Maya decides to continue the mission alone, eventually joining forces with Jai, a street orphan who helps her avoid a gang of kidnappers.
“Senzai uses Maya’s journal to fill readers in on the complex backstory of India and Pakistan’s fraught relationship,” Lalitha Nataraj observed in School Library Journal. A critic in Publishers Weekly also praised the novel, noting that Senzai’s “beautifully detailed prose paints a vivid portrait of Maya’s surroundings and the people she meets” during her travels.
In Escape from Aleppo, Senzai tells the story of Nadia, a Syrian girl who becomes separated from her family as they attempt to evacuate the war-torn city of Aleppo. Hoping to reunite with her father in Turkey, Nadia makes an unlikely ally in Ammo Mazen, a mysterious elderly bookbinder who promises to guide the youngster to safety. A Kirkus Reviews critic described the novel as “a valuable introduction to the issues plaguing modern Syria and the costs of war in historically rich locales.” According to Booklist reviewer Selenia Paz, “this heartbreaking book is a necessary reminder of what many people live through every day.”
[open new]Coauthor Hitchcock first conceived of Flying over Water in wanting to write a young people’s novel about Syrian refugees being helped by an American church. After composing a draft from a Christian girl’s point of view, Hitchcock, aware of the Own Voices movement, realized the novel would be improved by collaboration with someone who could write from a Muslim Syrian girl’s perspective. After reading Escape from Aleppo, she reached out to Senzai.
Flying over Water finds the family of Noura Alwan—refugees who first fled from Syria to a camp in Turkey—at last arriving in Tampa, Florida, in 2017. Coincidentally, President Trump’s ban on immigration from several Muslim nations goes into effect, and prejudiced attitudes surge. Enrolling in the seventh grade alongside twin brother Ammar, Noura gets great support from Jordyn, her designated school ambassador, whose mother recently suffered a miscarriage. Subject to taunts and offensive cartoons by callous peers like Nick, Noura hopes to establish a prayer room at her school, settle into her new home, and find peace in her community. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Noura and Jordyn.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor admired how Noura “insists on being strong and pushing forward by overcoming her worst fears and inspiring those around her to stand up for their values.” In School Library Journal, Laken Hottle affirmed that the “portrayals of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder are incredibly poignant, and the combined narratives weave a portrait of two young people discovering their own resilience while broadening their understanding of the world.”
Senzai made her picture-book debut with Prince among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi, and His Journey Home, illustrated by Anna Rich. Born in 1762 in West Africa, Abdulraham Ibrahim Ibn Sori was captured by a rival tribe at twenty-six, sold to English slave traders, and brought to a plantation in Natchez, Mississippi. Sori’s farming knowledge and skill helped the plantation grow abundant cotton, and he was permitted to practice his Muslim faith, marry, and raise a family. Yet upon being freed after forty years, Sori was forced to accept relocation to Liberia, without his family, where he died months later without reaching his homeland. His descendants would commemorate his life with a twenty-first-century reunion.
In Booklist, Sharon Rawlins praised Prince among Slaves as “affecting” and “powerful”: “Sori’s resilience in enduring enslavement, keeping his Muslim faith, and having the courage to publicly condemn slavery is truly inspiring.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, June 1, 2010, Gillian Engberg, review of Shooting Kabul, p. 78; February 1, 2014, Amina Chaudhri, review of Saving Kabul Corner, p. 68; November 1, 2015, Krista Hutley, review of Ticket to India, p. 62; November 15, 2017, Selenia Paz, review of Escape from Aleppo, p. 54; December, 2024, Sharon Rawlins, review of Prince among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi, and His Journey Home, p. 122.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July-August, 2010, Maggie Hommel, review of Shooting Kabul.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2010, review of Shooting Kabul; December 15, 2013, review of Saving Kabul Corner; September 15, 2015, review of Ticket to India; November 15, 2017, review of Escape from Aleppo; August 15, 2020, review of Flying over Water.
Publishers Weekly, December 2, 2013, review of Saving Kabul Corner, p. 83; September 14, 2015, review of Ticket to India, p. 78.
School Library Journal, June, 2010, Kristin Anderson, review of Shooting Kabul, p. 120; February, 2014, Ellen Norton, review of Saving Kabul Corner, p. 97; December, 2015, Lalitha Nataraj, review of Ticket to India, p. 107; December, 2017, Rebecca Gueorguiev, review of Escape from Aleppo, p. 100.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2010, Steven Kral, review of Shooting Kabul, p. 256; December, 2013, Anna Foote, review of Saving Kabul Corner, p. 66.
ONLINE
Cynsations, http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (July 26, 2010), Cynthia Leitich Smith, interview with Senzai.
Nerdy Book Club, https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/ (January 19, 2020), “Cover Reveal: Flying over Water by N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock,” author interview.
N.H. Senzai website, https://nhsenzai.com (May 24, 2025).
On the Verge, https://www.jodycasella.com/ (December 5, 2020), Jody Casella, “Interview with Shannon Hitchcock and Naheed Senzai, Authors of Flying over Water.”
School Library Journal, https://www.slj.com/ (December 4, 2020), Laken Hottle, review of Flying over Water.
I grew up speaking two languages, balancing life on the edge of two cultures, and, happily, two cuisines—tandoori chicken and hot dogs, grilled side by side on the 4th of July. I got on a plane for the first time at two months, in Chicago, IL, where I was born, and have been traveling ever since. I grew up in San Francisco, Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and attended boarding school in London, England where I was voted “most likely to lead a literary revolution” due to my ability to get away with reading comic books in class. I attended UC Berkeley and Columbia University, while pursuing my passion for writing. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, a professor of political science, two sons, and a cat who owns us.
Cover Reveal: Flying Over Water by N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock
Posted by donalynm on January 19, 2020 in Author Posts, Book News | 3 Comments
Authors N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock stop by Nerdy Book Club to share the cover of their upcoming book, Flying Over Water, how the story began, and their collaborative process writing the book.
What inspired this story?
Shannon: My friend’s daughter converted to Islam and that piqued my interest in the religion. I started researching Islam, not entirely sure of where the journey would take me. Around that same time, I saw a picture in my minister’s office of a Syrian refugee and her young son. They held a handwritten sign that said, WE ARE FROM SYRIA, CAN YOU HELP US? I started writing a story about a Christian girl whose church is helping a Syrian refugee family.
Naheed: When I read Shannon’s initial draft, I immediately connected with Jordyn and Noura’s story. My previous book, Escape From Aleppo, was about a family fleeing the Syrian Civil War who ended up in a Turkish refugee camp. So, for me, Noura’s story provided an opportunity to explore what would happen to such a family if they were granted asylum in the United States. As I brainstormed with Shannon, I proposed that we should begin the story with President Trump’s Muslim ban and incorporate the current political environment our nation, and its children, are facing.
Why is own voices so important?
Shannon: My initial draft was told entirely from the viewpoint of a white Christian girl, but in retrospect it was centered in the wrong place. Think of it this way, which is more interesting—the story of a refugee filtered through the lens of her friend, or the story of a refugee told in her own voice? It’s easy for writers to get defensive when talking about who should tell which stories, but collaborating strengthened this book. The Muslim family came alive in a way I hadn’t managed on my own.
Naheed: When Shannon invited me to take on Noura’s POV, I saw her commitment to own voices narratives. My previous book was about a Syrian girl fleeing war in Aleppo, and although I’m not Syrian or Arab, I am a Muslim who’s lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East. My husband is a professor of Middle East Politics and we are well versed in the politics and history of the region. I also had Syrian friends read the manuscript so that I could accurately capture the nuances of Syrian culture and traditions.
What challenges did you face as co-authors and how did you tackle them?
Shannon: For me the challenge was letting go of what I had written in the first draft and being open to Naheed’s suggestions. It involved listening and sometimes letting her ideas marinate before responding. I had originally set the manuscript in 2015 and used the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Naheed felt that was old news and we should use the 2017 Muslim Ban. She was exactly right.
Naheed: Before deciding to work with Shannon, I had a first date with her over the phone! We had the chance to “feel” each other out and share our hopes and vision for the novel. As I spoke to her, I felt I’d found a partner who was collaborative, open-minded and willing to take on my suggestions. Feeling comfortable with each other, we took the plunge. I am very much a plotter and proposed creating an online document where we outlined the story and provided input for each other. We had weekly meetings and set out our goals and objectives. As we worked together, we learned that our strengths and weaknesses complemented each other – Shannon is meticulous and detail orientated while I am more focused on the big-picture.
How did you decide to incorporate current political and social events?
Shannon: I grew up in rural North Carolina and when I was young, the entire county I lived in was 100% Protestant. Our country is becoming more and more diverse, and as it does, it’s critical that people with different cultural and religious backgrounds learn to live in harmony.
Naheed: Married to a political scientist, I firmly believe that kids should know how political systems work, and how it impacts them, both globally and nationally. Syria is reeling from years of war, a conflict which the United States was, and is, involved in. Half of Syria’s population are now refugees, such as Noura’s family. In addition to being aware, kids should know their rights and how to defend them. This is critically important at this time in our nation’s history – we have a president enacting laws that go against the very ethos of American values and who is spreading “phobias” and “isms” – Islamophobia, homophobia, xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism.
Why do you think it’s important for readers to understand the importance of the First Amendment?
Shannon: I think it’s important to understand how the First Amendment actually works. I have talked with several people who lament prayer being banned in public schools, and that is not the case. Kids can bow their heads and pray before a test, before lunch, anytime. What is not allowed is for an educator to lead a public prayer, thus forcing one religion on students of many different faiths.
Naheed: Many would argue that the First Amendment is at the heart of what it is to be a democracy. Key components of it are interwoven within Flying Over Water. Jordyn and Noura grapple with the issue of freedom of religion when they decide to set up a prayer room for all the kids at school. When the room is challenged, they pursue the rights of assembly, free speech, and petitioning the government.
What do you hope readers take away from Jordyn and Noura’s story?
Shannon: I hope students who may not be familiar with Islam, step inside the Alwan family home and see there is nothing to fear. I especially love the passages in Mama’s kitchen. The food served is probably different than in the kitchens of many of our readers, but I think they’ll recognize the feelings of love and warmth to be found there.
Naheed: My hope is that kids empathize with Noura and Jordyn’s story and realize they have a great deal in common with both. They, like kids all around the world, want a safe place to grow up and pursue their hopes and dreams. As we tremble on the brink of another war in the Middle East with the assassination of an Iranian general, I hope that our readers pause and question what causes conflicts, what we can do to prevent them, and examine the consequences to people caught in the terrible midst of them.
FlyingOverWater_hires
From the back cover:
A heartrending story of friendship and hope.
When Noura’s family is granted asylum in Jordyn’s hometown of Tampa, it’s an adjustment for everyone. But despite their differences the two girls quickly form an unshakable bond. Neither is prepared, though, for the prejudice and adversity Noura and other Syrian refugees face.
As bigotry begins to take hold, unrest spreads through their community. But it is love and understanding that will stand tall against fear and hatred in this gripping story told through the eyes of two friends in the wake of the president’s 2017 Muslim ban.
N.H. Senzai is the award-winning author of Escape from Aleppo, Ticket to India, and Saving Kabul Corner. Her first novel for young readers, Shooting Kabul, was the winner of the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award (APALA) for Young Adult Literature, was an NPR Backseat Book Club Pick, and appeared on numerous awards lists. Ms. Senzai lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Visit her online at NHSenzai.com
Shannon Hitchcock is the author of One True Way, Ruby Lee & Me, and The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. Her books have been featured on many state awards lists and have received acclaimed reviews. Shannon divides her time between Florida and North Carolina. For more, visit her website at shannonhitchcock.com
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Interview with Shannon Hitchcock and Naheed Senzai, Authors of Flying over Water
My writer friend Shannon Hitchcock has a new book out and I'm so excited for her. I've been a fan of Shannon's work since I read her moving and absorbing novel The Ballad of Jesse Pearl several years ago. Since then Shannon's written two additional middle grade books, a picture book, and now has a contemporary and very timely novel out, co-written with author Naheed Senzai.
Flying over Water pulled me in from the very first page, as we meet Noura, a Syrian refugee who's moving to Tampa with her family during the very week that the Muslim ban is set to go into effect in the US. Later, we hear from Jordyn, an American girl whose family is helping Noura and her family settle into the community. The book alternates between the two girls, both of whom have secret fears and both grappling with issues many middle schoolers face-- friendship, competition, and fitting in.
Today, I am thrilled to sit down with both Shannon and Naheed for a behind-the-scenes look at how the book came to be.
Jody: Where did you get the idea for the book?
Shannon: I got the initial inspiration for Flying over Water when a friend’s daughter converted to Islam. I started researching the religion, though I wasn’t exactly sure where the journey would take me. Around that same time, I saw a photograph in my minister’s office of a Syrian woman and her young son. They held a sign that said We Are From Syria—Can You Help Us? I started writing a manuscript about a young girl whose church is helping a Syrian refugee family. I wrote an entire first draft from the Christian girl’s point of view, but then I started reading online conversations about #ownvoices--
Jody: --This is the movement that promotes marginalized characters being written by marginalized authors--
Shannon: Right. And thinking about that made me realize the manuscript would be more interesting if the Muslim character could speak for herself rather than her story being filtered through the lens of the Christian girl. I decided to seek a co-author, and after reading Escape from Aleppo by Naheed Senzai, asked my agent to reach out to hers.
Naheed: And I was intrigued by the idea. I read the manuscript and immediately connected with the story of a Syrian girl, Noura, arriving to the United States as a refugee, befriended by an American girl, Jordyn. My previous book, Escape from Aleppo, was about a family fleeing the Syrian war and ending up in a Turkish refugee camp. Noura’s story provided an opportunity to explore what would happen to a such family if they were granted asylum in the United States.
At that point Shannon and I had a long phone conversation. We got to know each other and discussed how to co-author an engaging and interesting story that incorporated both our ideas. Once the groundwork was laid, we got busy writing Flying over Water.
Jody: I'm wondering how co-authoring works exactly. Did you write your character's scenes separately and pass back and forth or was there more collaboration involved?
Naheed: A bit of both. We decided to write in alternating chapters, beginning with Noura arriving in Tampa on the day of President Trump’s Muslim ban. We brainstormed and created a timeline of the story then plotted out the manuscript using Google docs. Once we agreed on plot, we wrote our respective chapters and passed them back and forth via email. One advantage to having a co-author is having a built-in critique partner. We also had weekly telephone calls.
Jody: And this worked throughout the revision process too?
Naheed: It did. Revision actually was pretty simple. We talked out the feedback we'd received to make sure we were on the same page, and then we each made the changes that applied to the chapters we had written.
Jody: You mentioned Trump's Muslim ban... the book also delves into anti-immigrant sentiment in this country, using examples of real-life hate crimes from the news. What are your thoughts on writing a story set in a particular, very recent and fraught moment in history?
Shannon: Both of us avidly follow politics so writing about the current political climate was a natural fit.
Naheed: And I’ve been lucky to travel and live around the world, particularly the Middle East. Also, my husband is a professor of Middle East politics so we have lively discussions on the region, its legacy of colonialism, wars, religions, people and of course its wonderful food. A core element of Flying over Water is to highlight how young people can become positive agents of change by engaging in civic and political action.
Jody: This is something I really loved about the book--how these middle school aged kids are affected by world events and how they respond, especially considering how different Noura and Jordyn are on the surface.
Naheed: On the surface, yes. They come from very different backgrounds, but they find out they have a lot in common. When faced with challenges such as xenophobia and intolerance, they band together with other students to fight for their rights as afforded by the constitution and its amendments.
Jody: This is another aspect I liked about the book, how you've woven in elements of history and civics. I used to teach middle school students and I can see this story being discussed in classrooms. Have you gotten any responses yet from teachers?
Shannon: Since our book was just published on October 20th, we're still getting the word out. We had our first joint virtual school visit on November 19th, and Scholastic videotaped us for The Nerdy Book Club Roundtable that was part of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Naheed: We have gotten quite a few nuanced and thoughtful reviews; I will quote an educator, who said: "Narrated in alternating chapters by the two seventh grade girls, FLYING OVER WATER is a powerful, uplifting, and eye-opening tale. In addition to Trump, a number of other real people and events from the Spring of 2017 are part of the story."
Jody: The book definitely seems to be striking a chord. I just read that Kirkus listed it as one of their favorite middle grade books of 2020. Congratulations! Before I let you both go, what are each of you working on now?
Naheed: I am currently working on a picture book.
Shannon: I am at work on an Appalachian trilogy of picture books. The first Saving Granddaddy’s Stories—Ray Hicks, the Voice of Appalachia published on October 22nd and the next book, She Sang for the Mountains—Jean Ritchie, Singer, Songwriter, Activist will be published next year.
Jody: I'm very excited to check these out!
For more information about Naheed Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock:
Naheed Senzai at www.nhsenzai.com
Shannon Hitchcock at www.shannonhitchcock.com
And to purchase some of their books:
Flying over Water
Escape from Aleppo
Saving Granddaddy's Stories
* Prince among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi and His Journey Home. By N. H. Senzai. Illus. by Anna Rich. Jan. 2025. 48p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, $19.99 (9781984816986). Gr. 2-5. 306.362.
This affecting and powerful picture book biography recounts how West African prince, scholar, warrior, husband, and father Abdulraham Ibrahim Ibn Sori, born in 1762, was captured and eventually enslaved at a Natchez, Mississippi plantation--and how, after 40 years, he won his freedom. When Sori was 26, a rival African tribe captured him and his army and sold them to English slave traders, who then forcibly took them to America. Sori's knowledge of growing cotton helped the plantation prosper, and in return, his owner allowed him to practice his Muslim faith, marry, and raise a family.
An Irish doctor who'd known Sori as a child confirmed he was a prince and used his influence to try to free Sori. Upon being freed, he was forced to leave the U.S. for Liberia, leaving his enslaved children behind. Sori hoped important men, including President Adams, would help him free his children, to no avail. He died months after arriving in Liberia, at age 67, never having seen his children or his birthplace again. His dream was finally realized 177 years later in 2006, when his relatives reunited at the Natchez plantation. Abdulrahman Sori's resilience in enduring enslavement, keeping his Muslim faith, and having the courage to publicly condemn slavery is truly inspiring. Rich's illustrations sensitively depict how the enslaved community lived amid the horrors of slavery. Highly recommended.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Rawlins, Sharon. "Prince among Slaves: The Remarkable True Story of an African Prince Enslaved in Mississippi and His Journey Home." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 7-8, Dec. 2024, p. 122. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A829740271/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e4ff3ffd. Accessed 5 May 2025.
Senzai, N.H. FLYING OVER WATER Scholastic (Children's None) $17.99 10, 20 ISBN: 978-1-338-61766-5
The Alwan family arrives in Tampa, Florida, in 2017 after the war in Syria destroys their lives in Aleppo and forces them into a crowded refugee camp in Turkey.
But their arrival coincides with Trump’s Muslim ban and a sharp rise in anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hate crimes across the county, including in Tampa, where a mosque is set on fire soon after the family settles in. Frustrated and afraid yet determined to make the best of it, Noura begins seventh grade in her new American school. But she and her twin brother soon realize not all the students are like Jordyn, Noura’s kind, supportive school ambassador who becomes a good friend. Some are like Nick, who calls immigrants terrorists and draws a cartoon of Noura’s hijab being ripped off. But Noura insists on being strong and pushing forward by overcoming her worst fears and inspiring those around her to stand up for their values; she believes that hate can only be overcome with unity, conviction, and compassion. The novel seamlessly transitions between the perspectives of Noura and Jordyn, who is a White, upper-middle-class champion swimmer learning to cope with anxiety after her mother’s recent miscarriage. The girls quickly realize they share a lot in common and can help one another overcome their fears: Noura’s of swimming and Jordyn’s of panic attacks.
Movingly highlights a generation of youth at the center of progressive change. (Fiction. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Senzai, N.H.: FLYING OVER WATER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632285651/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=65639bdd. Accessed 5 May 2025.