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The Importance of Arab Books plus an Arab MG Book list

By on January 5, 2024   /   Book Lists  

The importance of Arab books plus an Arab MG Book List

With the world news being full of conflict, it can be hard for young people, as well as educators and parents to know how to approach tough topics.

How do we acknowledge the sadness that comes with seeing conflicts and war as well as grapple with the very real struggles our young people face in growing up in a society in which they might feel helpless and scared.

For Muslims and Arabs, and specifically for Palestinians, that fear and grief can feel extra debilitating, especially when facing racism and stereotypes that seem pervasive in mainstream media and public opinion.

Arabs and Muslim have long faced stereotypes such as the slur “terrorist” (a word that seems to only apply to those who are deemed criminal with Muslim or Arab heritage), the misconceptions of hijab and the idea that it is oppressive (although millions of Muslim women proudly choose to wear it), and even the Arabic language (which is feared and seen as dangerous). I myself have faced these very stereotypes, and it broke my heart every single time to feel like I have to defend my heritage and religion, to ask people to view me as a normal human like anyone else.

As an Arab Muslim myself, and as an avid reader growing up in a post 9/11 world, I learned to find healing in words. I learned to love books and stories, and yet it was only until 2019 that I finally found a book with Syrian and Muslim representation- OTHER WORDS FOR HOME, and with tears running down my face, I realized that I had been searching for a story that reflected my own experiences my whole life. I felt seen.

And it started my own yearning to become an author as well.

Arabs are still very underrepresented in literature. A recent survey conducted by Lee and Low books in 2019 showed Arab books at less than one percent of all books.

For Palestinian Americans, seeing their own people on their phone screens and on tv undergoing a crisis that has gripped the world and the United Nations, a crisis that has garnered headline after headline, with no end to the suffering- can feel like the worst reality to live in. Facing increased Islamaphobia and anti-Arab racism domestically can cause that feeling of pain grow wider. Palestinian American students are facing increased challenges in school settings among peers, and even with misinformed educators. Dehumanization of Palestinian lives has led to many viewing the death toll as a number…and not a real tragedy worth stopping.

And even with peers, many are trying to understand- what does it mean to be Palestinian? Who are Palestinians? Who are Arabs? And how do educators and peers work together to help everyone in society feel included and safe.

Books can help bridge that gap.

Informational books and even fictional books written by own voice Palestinian writers and Arab writers help increase compassion and humanity.

Middle Grade Book List by Arab Authors

  1. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Publisher description:

New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book!

A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.

At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US–and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before.

But this life also brings unexpected surprises–there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.

2. Farrah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan M Darraj (younger MG)

Publisher description:

Farah and her best friend, Allie Liu, are getting excited to turn in their applications to the Magnet Academy, where they both hope to attend sixth grade. But when new girl Dana Denver shows up, Farah’s world is turned upside down. As Dana starts bullying Farah’s little brother, Samir, Farah begins to second-guess her choice to leave him behind at Harbortown Elementary/Middle School. Determined to handle it on her own, Farah comes up with a plan–a plan that involves lying to those closest to her. Will her lies catch up with her, or can Farah find a way to defeat the bully and rock fifth grade?

 

3. We are Palestinian: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition by Reem Kassis and Nouha Elouti

Publisher description:

A stunning non-fiction children’s book celebrating everything Palestinian!

From culture and food, to music and literature, We Are Palestinian is a celebration of Palestinian heritage. Brought to life by award-winning writer Reem Kassis, every spread is filled with wonderful anecdotes, fascinating facts, and memorable quotes. It is beautifully illustrated by Noha Eilouti, an emerging Palestinian-Canadian illustrator.

Discover ALL about the history of iconic Palestinian symbols like tatreez embroidery, or the inspiration behind Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. As you turn every page, you’ll find yourself lost in the world of Dabke (the folk dance of Palestine) and amazed by its famous old cities; you’ll try traditional food like knafeh, explore the different religions, and find out much more. Each spread of We Are Palestinian is accessible, richly inspiring, and visually stunning.

Young readers are going to love discovering more about Palestine. This is the perfect book for parents, educators, and caregivers wishing to explore new worlds of culture and custom with children.

4. Ida in the Middle by Nora Lester Murad (Nora is a Jewish American married to a Palestinian Muslim)

Ida, a Palestinian-American girl, eats a magic olive that takes her to the life she might have had in her parents’ village near Jerusalem. An important coming of age story that explores identity, place, voice, and belonging.

Every time violence erupts in the Middle East, Ida knows what’s coming next. Some of her classmates treat her like it’s all her fault–just for being Palestinian! In eighth grade, Ida is forced to move to a different school. But people still treat her like she’ll never fit in. Ida wishes she could disappear.

One day, dreading a final class project, Ida hunts for food. She discovers a jar of olives that came from a beloved aunt in her family’s village near Jerusalem. Ida eats one and finds herself there–as if her parents had never left Palestine! Things are different in this other reality–harder in many ways, but also strangely familiar and comforting. Now she has to make some tough choices. Which Ida would she rather be? How can she find her place?

Ida’s dilemma becomes more frightening as the day approaches when Israeli bulldozers are coming to demolish another home in her family’s village…

An empowering young readers edition of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders, the memoir by Women’s March coorganizer and activist Linda Sarsour that’s “equal parts inspiring, emotional, and informative” (Kirkus Reviews).
You can count on me, your Palestinian Muslim sister, to keep her voice loud, keep her feet on the streets, and keep my head held high because I am not afraid.
On January 21, 2017, Linda Sarsour stood in the National Mall to deliver a speech that would go down in history. A crowd of over 470,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to advocate for legislation, policy, and the protection of women’s rights–with Linda, a Muslim American activist from Brooklyn, leading the charge, unapologetic and unafraid.
In this middle grade edition of We Are Not Here to be Bystanders, Linda shares the memories that shaped her into the activist she is today, and how these pivotal moments in her life led her to being an organizer in one of the largest single-day protests in US history. From the Brooklyn bodega her father owned to the streets of Washington, DC, Linda’s story as a daughter of Palestinian immigrants is a moving portrayal of what it means to find your voice in your youth and use it for the good of others as an adult.
Publisher description:
Out of the revolutions across the Arab world comes this inspirational story of hope, freedom, and belonging, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and A Good Kind of Trouble.
Kareem Haddad of Damascus, Syria, never dreamed of becoming a graffiti artist. But when a group of boys from another town tag subversive slogans outside their school, and another boy is killed while in custody, Kareem and his friends are inspired to start secretly tag messages of freedom around their city.Meanwhile, in the United States, his cousin, Samira, has been trying to make her own mark. Anxious to fit in at school, she joins the Spirit Squad where her natural artistic ability attracts the attention of the popular leader. Then Kareem is sent to live with Sam’s family, and their worlds collide. As graffitied messages appear around town and all eyes turn to Kareem, Sam must make a choice: does she shy away to protect her new social status, or does she stand with her cousin?Informed by her time as a journalist, author Rhonda Roumani’s Tagging Freedom is a thoughtful look at the intersection between art and activism, infused with rich details and a realistic portrayal of how war affects and inspires children, similar to middle grade books for middle schoolers by Aisha Saeed, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandi, or Refugee by Alan Gratz.

Publisher description:

From two incredible rising talents comes the fantasy graphic novel Molly Knox Ostertag calls “instantly compelling.” A New England Book Award and Harvey Award winner!

Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.

It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined.

In this breathtaking and timely story, Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

8. Where the Streets had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah (audio-book)

Publisher Description:
Thirteen-year-old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother’s ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab’s life. The only problem is the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, as well as the checkpoints, the curfews, the permit system and Hayaat’s best friend Samy, who is mainly interested in football and the latest elimination on X-Factor, but always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on their side. Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel to Jerusalem. However, while their journey may only be a few kilometres long, it may take a lifetime to complete.
Publisher Description:
In this coming-of-age graphic novel with a fantastical twist, Nayra Mansour, a Muslim American girl, is helped on her journey to selfhood by a djinn.
Nothing is going right for Nayra Mansour. There’s the constant pressure from her strict family, ruthless bullying from her classmates, and exhausting friendship demands from Rami -the only other Muslim girl at school. Nayra has had enough. Just when she’s considering transferring schools to escape it all, a mysterious djinn named Marjan appears.
As a djinn, a mythical being in Islamic folklore, Marjan uses their powers and wisdom to help Nayra navigate her overwhelming life. But Marjan’s past is fraught with secrets, guilt, and trouble, and if they don’t face what they’ve done, Nayra could pay the price.
In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, Iasmin Omar Ata has created a realistic coming-of-age story with an enchanting dose of the fantastical about strength, identity, and, most of all, friendship.

Check out this Ramadan article and booklist for more Muslim book inspiration.

Praying for 2024 to be a year in which peace reigns and people of all backgrounds live together in happiness and health.

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STEM Tuesday Special New Year’s Edition 2024

By on January 2, 2024   /   Articles, STEM Tuesday  

So this is the new year?

“People like us who believe in physics know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”  – Albert Einstein

So this is the new year?

Huh? I thought it would be more shiny. Maybe even have a few sparkles here and there.

It just looks like any other recent day. It’s eerily similar to any other recent year.

Truth be told, though, that’s not a bad thing at all. 

Time and dates are human constructs. They are our method of drawing lines in the universal sand to give our lives a sense of order. We need our constructs of time so we can work together, show up on time, hit our STEM Tuesday deadlines, etc.

But, as Einstein so famously touted, time is an illusion. 

However, we’ve demarcated this time illusion of ours to give us a new year, a new month, a new week, a new day, a new hour, and so on. These are times to reflect, reload, and plan where we are and where we want to be.

Time is the present moment.

We have this time. We have this moment. 

Now, what are we going to do with it?

It’s a question that strikes the core of being human. Its answers are as varied as individual humans are varied. There are almost infinite opportunities available to us.

What will we do with the moments we are given in 2024 and beyond? 

One Day or Day One?

I heard this snippet a few months back regarding procrastination and goals. I can’t exactly remember the source and it’s driving me bonkers. Nevertheless, it has become my new philosophy for trying new things or starting new projects. It has also become a central theme of my school and library presentations to young creators.

For decades, I lived in a “One Day” world. I wanted to be a writer but I didn’t do the one thing necessary to be one. I didn’t write. Then came my “Day One” when I started a thing. I wrote a word. I wrote another one. I wrote a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter until I wrote an entire story! It was an amazing feeling!

If you find yourself saying, “One day I want to do _____”, then start this new year by saying, “I’m going to start _____ on this day.” and then do it.

The STEM Tuesday New Year’s post theme for 2024 is:

One Day or Day One?

One Day vs Day One. Try it and see how it works!

Create. Inspire. Improve. Share.

The Day One philosophy expanded into four steps for getting to the brass tacks and making stuff.

  1. Create – It all starts with an idea, a word, or a mark on a piece of paper. Just do it and see what happens. Make the thing only you can make. Make the thing only your brain can construct. Make the thing and throw it away or take another stab to remake the thing. There is no perfect. The important thing is to get your ideas down. Download the words or images from your brain onto paper and they become real.
  2. Inspire – Investigate and discover what makes you excited. What are the stories or the information that ignites a desire to tell others? If you’re struggling for inspiration, pay attention to where your mind goes when it wanders. It might be trying to tell you something.
  3. Improve – One gets better at doing a thing by doing the thing over and over intentionally. Intentional practice works! As with the creation, once the words or images are downloaded from your brain, they exist. If something exists, it can be improved. Do the work and then do it again.
  4. Share – This step can be the most difficult. It tends to be the most uncomfortable for a creator. Putting creative work out into the world indeed opens one up to criticism and judgment but you can learn so much from showing your work. What works? What doesn’t? What feedback is offered to improve the work? There’s also the inherent reward of developing connections with like-minded creators through the sharing of work. We’re all riding this creativity train together so we might as well make the ride a joy and a celebration. Writing and illustrating help us understand our place in our space. This understanding of our place is enhanced through sharing. 

Technology = Tools 

Although there were amazing STEM advances this past year, like inching closer to a return to the moon or the first FDA-approved gene-editing therapy for sickle-cell anemia, an end-of-year wrapup on one of the news channels called 2023 the “Year of AI”. There has been much talk and even more justifiable concern from the creative community about the use and abuse of artificial intelligence. 

Technology doesn’t create. Creators create. As loyal STEM Tuesday readers, we realize the fact technology is a tool. We know one can use tools positively or negatively. The choice of how we use AI is in our creative hands. If a technology is directly used to create something, that’s stealing. AI is powerful but we must remember AI does what it does by training itself on human creations, often without attribution or compensation. It learns how to write or create by mashing up all the inputs in its database.

Bottom line, 2024 will see an explosion of AI implemented with both good and bad intentions. It’s up to us to decide how we’ll use it and how others use our work.

Happy New Year from the STEM Tuesday Team! Enjoy every “Day One” of your creative journey throughout your entire “stubbornly persistent illusion” that is 2024. 

 

Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) via Wikimedia Commons

 

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal-opportunity sports enthusiast, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about life/sports/training-related topics at:  www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at:  www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101, are included in the Putting the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming around the X-sphere under the guise of @coachhays64 and on Instagram/Threads at @mikehays64.
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January 2024 New Releases!

By on January 1, 2024   /   Articles, New Releases  

 

Happy 2024 to all our readers! Here are some great new middle-grade books to start your year off right.

Alterations by  Ray Xu  

Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

 

Amil and the After by Veera Hiranandani

At the turn of the new year in 1948, Amil and his family are trying to make a home in India, now independent of British rule.

Both Muslim and Hindu, twelve-year-old Amil is not sure what home means anymore. The memory of the long and difficult journey from their hometown in what is now Pakistan lives with him. And despite having an apartment in Bombay to live in and a school to attend, life in India feels uncertain.

Nisha, his twin sister, suggests that Amil begin to tell his story through drawings meant for their mother, who died when they were just babies. Through Amil, readers witness the unwavering spirit of a young boy trying to make sense of a chaotic world, and find hope for himself and a newly reborn nation.

 

 

Between Two Brothers by  Crystal Allen  

Isaiah “Ice” Abernathy has always worshiped his older brother, Seth. For years they’ve been not just brothers but best friends—and as Seth starts his senior year, Ice is eager to spend as much time with his brother as he can, making memories before Seth goes to college.

But when Seth announces he’s leaving much earlier than expected, and then he misses an important event—one he’d promised to attend—it causes a major fight.

Filled with regret, Ice plans to apologize to Seth later the next day, but later never comes, as he finds out Seth was in an accident—one that leaves him in the hospital. And the doctors say he may never recover.

Racked by fear and guilt, Ice chooses to step up, defy the experts, and help Seth recover in a way only he can—by trusting in their bond and the undying love between two brothers.

Break by  Kayla Miller 

Spring Break is full of possibilities…but not for Olive.

This year, Olive is leaving her friends and all of their exciting vacation plans behind to visit her dad at his new apartment in the city.

Goober is thrilled to spend a whole week with their father and has a long list of activities for their time together. Olive, on the other hand, still remembers the hurt of their dad moving halfway across the world. She would rather spend time with her friend Bree or scrolling through her new phone to keep up with everything she’s missing back home than catch up with him.

As the week winds on, the normally easygoing Olive finds feelings of loneliness and resentment throwing her out of whack. Is there any hope of salvaging the visit—or will Olive’s Spring Break be a Spring Bust?

The New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Kayla Miller returns with another vibrant and emotional story about the power of second chances and how the fear of missing out can lead to missing out on what’s right in front of you.

Chasing Stars by Meg Gaertner

Growing up comes with growing pains no matter what, but for twelve-year-old Libby, the changes feel like more than she can bear. After an incident caused by his worsening dementia, Libby’s grandfather comes to live with her family, a move that ripples out into other changes. Libby’s dad quits his job to become the grandfather’s primary caretaker, while her mom picks up the financial slack by working extra shifts. Meanwhile, Libby’s older sister and ex-best friend, Erica, packs for a move to boarding school to make room in their modest family home. Libby feels like her cozy world is crashing down around her. But how can she keep up when she’s the only one standing still?

 

 

 

The Code of Life by  Dr. Carla Hafner, illustrated by Mike Scheier  

Why do children look like their parents? Why are some people blond and others brunette, and where do we get our eye color from?

This book explains genetic theory, what genes are, why DNA plays an important role and what all these insights have to do with a curious monk. An exciting journey through the history of science, present-day genetic research and engineering and right through to the question of identity – because who would have thought how much of our personality is defined by our genes and how interesting genes can be?

 

 

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by  Mary Averling  

Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).

But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.

Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late.

 

Emma and the Love Spell by Meredith Ireland 

Twelve-year-old, Korean American adoptee Emma Davidson has a problem. Two problems. Okay, three:

1. She has a crush on her best friend, Avangeline, that she hasn’t been able to share
2. Avangeline now has to move out of their town because her parents are getting a divorce
3. Oh, and Emma is a secret witch who can’t really control her powers

It’s a complicated summer between sixth and seventh grade. Emma’s parents made her promise that she’d keep her powers a secret and never, ever use them. But if Avangeline’s parents fell back in love, it would fix everything. And how hard could one little love spell be?

This fast-paced, heartfelt story is a powerful exploration of learning to embrace who you are, even when your true self is different from everyone around you.

Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors By Gail D. Villanueva

Lulu Sinagtala can’t wait for a fun Christmas break. She’s excited to hang out with her sister, Kitty, and best friend, Bart; to reenact her favorite legends from Tagalog folklore (like the amazing tale of Bernardo Carpio); and, of course, to eat as much yummy street-side inihaw as possible!

But when a vicious wakwak attacks her neighborhood and kidnaps Mom, Lulu discovers the creatures and deities of Tagalog myth are real and that two additional Realms exist beyond our own. To make it worse, Lulu has superhuman strength and the ability to wield magic, meaning she’s the only one powerful enough to stop the evil spirit who’s determined to rule the three Realms at all costs. No pressure, right?

Lulu, Kitty, and Bart set off on a quest to rescue Mom, where they outsmart cunning enemies, battle vengeful beings, and form unlikely alliances. Soon they find themselves swept into a centuries-long fight, unraveling secrets about Lulu and her past that threaten to upend everything and throw the whole universe into chaos. Can Lulu muster the strength (superhuman or not) to find out who she really is and who she can trust to save Mom and the three Realms before it’s too late?

The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Dan Santat 

When a notorious thief is out for priceless treasure (gems! cats! general decorum!)—who’re you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that’s who! Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren’t her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So, imagine her doubts when she’s suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school ever: a former castle turned prison that’s now a “reforming arts school”!

But nothing could’ve prepared Olive for RASCH (not “rash”). There, she’s lumped with a team of other kids who never quite fit in, and discovers that the academy isn’t what it seems—and neither is she. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of misfits who fight crime . . . and Olive has arrived just in time.

Turns out that RASCH is in danger of closing, unless Olive’s class can stop the heist of the century. And as Olive falls in love with this wacky school, she realizes it’s up to her new team to save the only home that’s ever welcomed them.

The Unbeatable Lily Hong by Diana Ma

If there’s one thing Lily Hong can’t stand, it’s being second best. That’s why she and Max Zhang have been bitter rivals ever since he swooped into town as the new kid with the cool clothes and his fancy downtown Chinese school and showed her up in the fifth-grade reading challenge.

She had wanted to be the one to win the pizza party for their class. Okay, so that was two years ago . . . her best friends Kelli and Lauren didn’t totally get it, but they were on her side. And that’s why they agreed to help Lily with her submission for the Clarktown’s Got Talent video competition. Filmmaking is Lily’s passion—which means winning is more important to her than ever.

Unfortunately, finding time to work on her video submission is proving harder than ever. In addition to doing regular homework and attending the Chinese school her parents own and run out of the Clarktown Community Center, Lily’s been getting weird vibes from her parents lately and she can tell something is up. Then her mom announces that the Clarktown Community Center is having its first showcase, and the students of Hong Chinese Academy will be performing as a group—traditional Chinese dance!

Lily is more confused than anything else—the community center is practically falling apart and they think this is a good time to put on a show? Could it be that the community center is in trouble and the only way to save it is to make the showcase a huge success? Lily has no choice. She’ll have to juggle the video competition and the art of Chinese dance simultaneously. But when Max Zhang unexpectedly shows up in her class at Chinese school with his perfect Mandarin and his surprisingly good dance skills, Lily might just have to embrace her longtime rival as a key part of her plan to save the community center.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

Sharkita “Kita” Hayes is always waiting.
Waiting for her mama to mess up.
Waiting for social services to be called again.
Waiting for her and her siblings to be separated.
Waiting for her worst fear to come true.

But Mama promises things are different now. She’s got a good job, she’s stopped drinking, stopped going out every night-it’s almost enough to make Kita believe her this time. But even as Kita’s life is going good, she can’t shake the feeling that everything could go up in flames at any moment. When her assistant principal and trusted dance coach starts asking questions about her home life, Kita is more determined than ever to keep up appearances and make sure her family stays together-even if it means falling apart herself.

As the threat of her family being separated again circles like a shark in the water, the pressure starts to get to Kita. But could it be that Kita’s worst fear is actually the best thing that could happen to her family . . . and to her?

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