Posts Tagged N.H. Senzai

FLYING OVER WATER: Interview + GIVEAWAY

By on October 19, 2020   /   Articles, Author Interviews  


Flying Over Water by Shannon Hitchcock and N.H. Senzai has been getting rave reviews, including a star from Kirkus Reviews. So, naturally, I jumped at the chance to interview the co-authors. I loved reading all about the novel, their inspiration, and their process of writing together.  I’m sure you will, too.

Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a signed copy of the book.

 

Collaboration

How did the two of you meet, and how did the idea for the collaboration on Flying Over Water come about?


Shannon: Naheed and I have never met. The initial inspiration for Flying Over Water struck when a high school friend’s daughter converted to Islam. I started researching the religion, not entirely sure where the journey would take me.

About that same time, I saw a photo of a Syrian refugee and her young son in my minister’s office. They held a sign that said WE ARE FROM SYRIA CAN YOU HELP US? I wrote a manuscript about a Christian girl whose church helps a Syrian refugee family, but then I started paying attention to #ownvoices. I wondered if my story was centered on the wrong character? I decided to seek a co-author and after reading Naheed’s book, Escape from Aleppo, knew she would be the perfect partner.

Naheed: One day, I got an email from my agent relaying an offer from Shannon’s agent to possibly co-author a book with her. I was intrigued so asked to read the manuscript. I 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. The next thing we did was have 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.

 

What was your process in writing the two points of view?

We plotted the manuscript chapter-by-chapter using Google Docs. Once we agreed on plot, the spreadsheet became a living document that we constantly updated. We sent chapters back and forth via email and critiqued each other’s work using Track Changes.


Research

What kind of research did you have to do?

Naheed: My books tend to be research intensive; I spend months reading, absorbing, and cataloging information about the subject I’m writing about. What helped me to jump into writing Flying Over Water was the research I’d already done for Escape from Aleppo. I am not from Syria, but I’ve lived and traveled throughout the Middle East and have many friends in the region.

It also helped that my husband teaches Middle East politics, so he assists in putting the history and politics of the region in perspective. I also spoke to many journalists and Syrians who shared first-hand accounts of the terrible conflict. My goal is to make sure that the nuances of history, politics, culture, and food of the region ring true so that the story is as accurate as possible.

Shannon: My minister introduced me to Janet Blair, the Community Liaison for Refugee Services, Suncoast Region. Janet answered my questions about the resettlement process and arranged for me to meet several Syrian girls. I also read non-fiction about the Syrian Civil War. Two books I highly recommend are A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa Fleming and We Crossed A Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman. The Boston Globe series about Syrian refugees helped, too.

 

How close are your own personal stories to these characters’ stories?

Naheed: Noura’s story is an American story, similar to millions of other immigrants who come to America looking for a better life. With a scholarship to study engineering at the University of Minnesota, my father arrived from India in 1963. However, the chilly Midwest winters had him fleeing west for warmer climes. When my sister was introduced to her class in San Francisco, the boys greeted her with war cries as they played cowboys to her Indian. It took a while for them to understand that she was not the Indian Columbus had stumbled upon, but the ones he was actually looking for, in his desire for wealth and spices from the East Indies.

Our family, like Noura’s, settled into life in America, enjoying its blessings but also dealing with discrimination and xenophobia. And nearly half a century later, challenges still exist. That’s why I felt it was important to begin our story on the day of President Trump’s Muslim Ban, which sent a chill through the Muslim-American community.

Shannon: I am a United Methodist like the character, Jordyn, and lived in Tampa for many years where the story is set. I made Jordyn a competitive swimmer whose favorite stroke is the butterfly because of my nephew, Drew Hitchcock. Drew is the NC state champion in the 200 fly. And finally, in the book, Jordyn’s mom has a miscarriage. I understand the pain of losing a child because one of my sons died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

 

For Teachers and Writers

What do you hope readers take away after reading Flying Over Water?

Naheed: I hope Flying Over Water can serve as a messenger of peace and understanding, and  that its characters, their voices, and stories help young people embrace our shared humanity and be agents of positive change for their communities.

Shannon: I hope young readers are inspired to reach out and make friends with kids who may not look, sound, or worship the way they do. I hope it makes them question the world around them and pay attention to current events.

 

How can teachers use Flying Over Water in the classroom?

Naheed: A core element of our book is to highlight how young people can become positive agents of change for the schools, their community, and society at large. Although Noura and Jordyn come from different backgrounds 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. Especially during a time where our rights and freedoms are in jeopardy, Flying Over Water serves as a starting off point to discuss these issues and find solutions for them.

Shannon: Flying Over Water would make an awesome read aloud. The chapters are short and dual narrators provide different perspectives of the same events. Social Studies teachers could also use Flying Over Water as a supplemental text to discuss religious freedom, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.

 

For our readers, who are also writers, can you give us one of your favorite writing tips?

Naheed: Keep reading – the best writers are dedicated readers of all manner of things, especially non-fiction. Also, keep notes of the interesting facts, figures, and events you come across and weave them into your stories.

Shannon: Don’t revise in a vacuum. No matter how good you think your manuscript is, critique partners will make it better.

 

Learn More About the Authors

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.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

To read more about Naheed and her middle-grade novel, Escape from Aleppo, click here.

 

 

 

Shannon Hitchcock is the author of Saving Granddaddy’s Stories, 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 recently moved from Tampa, Florida to Asheville, North Carolina. For more, visit her website at shannonhitchcock.com.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

To read more about Shannon and her middle-grade novel, One True Way, click here.

 

 

For a chance to win an autographed copy of Flying Over Water, enter the giveaway by clicking on the link below. (U.S. only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Celebrating Cousins!

By on July 24, 2017   /   Book Lists, Diversity, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers  

It’s National Cousins Day! And to celebrate, I executed a not-so-scientific search of middle-grade books that highlight relationships between cousins. What I found was that many such books also feature quite a bit of diversity when it comes to race, gender, and culture. But whether it’s a cousin from a far-away place, a cousin with a different lifestyle, or cousins that just happen to get along, that special family bond plays an important part in the characters’ lives. So take a tip from these great stories of extended families, and connect with a cousin today. Who knows what might happen.

The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Thirteen-year-old Staggerlee used to be called Evangeline, but she took on a fiercer name. She’s always been different—set apart by the tragic deaths of her grandparents in an anti-civil rights bombing, by her parents’ interracial marriage, and by her family’s retreat from the world. This summer she has a new reason to feel set apart—her confused longing for her friend Hazel. When cousin Trout comes to stay, she gives Staggerlee a first glimpse of her possible future selves and the world beyond childhood.

 

My Cousin’s Keeper by Simon French

In this Australian import, eleven-year-old Kieran wants to be part of the “in” group at school. He wants to be on the soccer team. He wants to fit in. But then his weird cousin Bon turns up, both at school and at home. Bon knows nothing about fitting in, with his long blond braid, babyish hand-knit hat, and funny, precise voice. Bon doesn’t play sports, and he likes to draw imaginary maps with stories about “Bon the Crusader” and “Kieran the Brave.” He’s an easy target for teasing, and Kieran has little patience for him. Even more irritating, Bon’s only friend is the other new kid, a cool girl named Julia who wears cowboy boots and has a confidence that fascinates Kieran. What could she and Bon possibly have in common? With unflinching honesty, My Cousin’s Keeper takes on childhood jealousy, family secrets, and unexpected kindness.

 

The Callahan Cousins (#4 Together Again) by Elizabeth Doyle Carey

Look out Gull Island! Neeve, Phoebe, Kate, and Hillary—the twelve-year-old Callahan cousins—are back at their grandmother Gee’s rambling seaside estate for Christmas break! When the girls camp out at a whale museum, they stumble upon a mystery they can’t ignore. Phoebe takes the lead as the girls join forces to solve an island mystery. This is the final book in the series.

 

 

Cupcake Cousins (Book One) by Kate Hannigan

In the first of a series, Willow and Delia, nine-year-old cousins, can’t wait to spend a week vacationing together with their families. Their aunt is getting married, and Willow and Delia are hoping their tasty baked goods will be enough to get them out of being flower girls in the wedding. But with a mischievous little brother, a bacon-loving dog, and a misbehaving blender in the mix, their treats don’t exactly turn out as planned. When a real emergency threatens to ruin the wedding, will their baking skills be enough to save the day?

 

The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz

Twelve-year-old Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead. Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico. Inspired by true events, The Only Road is a story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.

 

Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzai

A rough and tumble tomboy, twelve-year-old Ariana couldn’t be more different from her cousin Laila, who just arrived from Afghanistan with her family. Laila is a proper, ladylike Afghan girl, one who can cook, sew, sing, and who is well versed in Pukhtun culture and manners. Arianna hates her. Laila not only invades Ariana’s bedroom in their cramped Fremont townhouse, but she also becomes close with Mariam Nurzai, Ariana’s best friend. Then a rival Afghan grocery store opens near Ariana’s family store, reigniting a decades-old feud tracing back to Afghanistan. The cousins, Mariam, and their newfound frenemy, Waleed Ghilzai, must ban together to help the families find a lasting peace before it destroys both businesses and everything their parents have worked for.

 

The London Eye Mystery by Siohban Dowd

Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim board the London Eye, but after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off—except Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners, since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery.

 

Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse

Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the Jews. Throughout her journey, Rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to Tovah, the beloved cousin she has left behind. Strong-hearted and determined, Rifka must endure a great deal: humiliating examinations by doctors and soldiers, deadly typhus, separation from all she has ever known and loved, murderous storms at sea, detainment on Ellis Island–and if this is not enough, the loss of her glorious golden hair. Based on a true story from the author’s family, Letters from Rifka presents a real-life heroine with an uncommon courage and unsinkable spirit.

 

Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Flying the Dragon tells the story of two cousins in alternating chapters. American-born Skye is a good student and a star soccer player who never really gives any thought to the fact that her father is Japanese. Her cousin, Hiroshi, lives in Japan, and never really gives a thought to his uncle’s family living in the U.S. Their lives are thrown together when Hiroshi’s family, with his grandfather (who is also his best friend), have to move to the U.S. suddenly. Skye resents that she is now “not Japanese enough,” and yet the friends she’s known forever abruptly realize she is “other.” Hiroshi has a hard time adjusting to life in a new culture, and resents Skye’s intrusions on his time with Grandfather. Through all of this is woven Hiroshi’s expertise, and Skye’s growing interest in, kite making and competitive kite flying, culminating in a contest at the annual Washington Cherry Blossom Festival.

What’s your favorite book about cousins? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section.

 

 

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