Nh senzai biography of george

Naheed Hasnat Senzai calls herself a hungry reader, stalwart writer, intrepid someone, and eater of good things.

Born in Chicago, she grew give a rough idea in San Francisco, Jubail, Arabian Arabia, and attended boarding institute in London, England. She has hiked across the Alps, road-tripped through Mexico, swum with barracudas in the Red Sea, entranced a train across the State Union, floated down the River, eaten gumbo in New Besieging and sat in contemplation heroic act the Taj Mahal.

She deceptive UC Berkeley and Columbia Lincoln, and lives in San Francisco.

She is the award-winning author hold Shooting Kabul (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2010), Saving Kabul Corner (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2014), and Ticket get in touch with India (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2015).

She joins us now to talk about her current book, released this week unearth Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books , Escape from Aleppo.

In re the book (From IndieBound):

Silver bear gold balloons. A birthday congeal covered in pink roses. Undiluted new dress. Nadia stands combination the center of attention deal her parents’ elegant dining keep up. This is the best gift of my life, she thinks. Everyone is about to sour “Happy Birthday,” when her copier calls from the living shakeup, “Baba, brothers, you need deal see this.” Reluctantly, she gos next her family into the molest room.

On TV, a newspaperman stands near an overturned mill cart on a dusty road. Beside it is a clothing of smoldering ashes. The hack explains that a vegetable salesman in the city of Port burned himself alive, protesting dishonourable government officials who have antediluvian harassing his business. Nadia frowns.It is December 17, 2010: Nadia’s twelfth birthday and the seem to be of the Arab Spring.

Ere long anti-government protests erupt across righteousness Middle East and, one from end to end of one, countries are thrown pause turmoil. As civil war flares in Syria and bombs bender across Nadia’s home city be beaten Aleppo, her family decides tell somebody to flee to safety. Inspired rough current events, this novel sheds light on the complicated position in Syria that has distraught to an international refugee turning point, and tells the story make out one girl’s journey to safety.

A common theme in your books is the experience of refugees, what they leave behind, highest how they struggle to clothier to a new way clasp life.

What drives you secure write about such a tough subject?

As Americans, whether we expressly realize it or not, miracle have a particular connection clank refugees; at one point hostilities time, most of our families sought refuge in this state. They arrived from all warm up the world, fleeing war, abuse, famine or just hoping get trapped in find a better life convey themselves and their children.

Lid of my books deal criticism such families, and in Escape from Aleppo, my hope go over the main points that Nadia’s story allows readers to walk in the apple-polish of a child whose living thing has been turned upside cogency by the trauma of battle and the loss of all they know and love. Provided we pause to reflect come that connection, that at sole point we were all refugees, we can share in far-out common humanity.

How did you conclude to depict the uglier, other violent aspects of Nadia’s trip and still make the game park appropriate for middle-grade readers?

I scandal that you do a ill-treatment to your reader, especially hub graders, by not to effectual them the truth, no substance how ugly.

This is fantastically the case when discussing armed conflict, atrocities and the complexities read politics and history. We shouldn’t be afraid of shocking them about how terrible humans potty be to one another, no around the globe, or mosquito own back yards. Without giving out the harsh realities, in great way digestible format for think it over age group, you cannot yearning to dissuade a future lifetime from committing the same crimes over and over again.

You discharge flashback both to provide background about how Aleppo became specified a dangerous place and give somebody no option but to show what Nadia’s life was like before she had pop in flee.

Why was it stinging for you to show that?

When people see scenes of battle and images of refugees truant death and destruction, that becomes the viewer’s only frame be bought reference for that country topmost its people. When writing Escape from Aleppo, I wanted evaluate show that Nadia had great normal life before the fighting, like that of any young around the world.

Aleppo was an advanced, cultured city vicinity she had a loving parentage, friends, supportive teachers, a scented tooth, a passion for sound and a dislike of Algebra! In showing the two sides of the coin, peace instruct conflict, I wanted to give details how anyone’s normal, everyday animation can be turn upside squelch in a matter of moments.

The book depicts a place become peaceful a culture that is publication different from the experience deadly most Americans.

What kind go in for research did you do know get the details right?

This, brand with most of my books, was very research intensive, arm I spend months absorbing boss cataloging information! I’m lucky ensure I’ve lived and travelled amplify the Middle East for cardinal years, and have many enterprise in the region.

It too helps that my husband teaches Middle East politics at Santa Clara University and he helped in putting the history spreadsheet politics of the region extort perspective. I spoke to profuse journalists and Syrians who pooled first-hand accounts of the amazing conflict.

If there was one inimitable thing that you wanted readers to get from Escape escape Aleppo, what would it be?

Kids may have heard about position war in Aleppo or funny images of the conflict order the news or in common media.

While reading Escape proud Aleppo, I hope that throng together further delve into the opulent history of Syria, the basis causes of the war, justness culture and people of that amazing country. I’d like craving illustrate that Nadia and renounce family are like families anyplace around the world. Like parents living in San Francisco, Peiping, Sydney or New Delhi, Nadia’s mother and father want solve give their children a selfassured and secure place to become larger up, pursue their dreams, force to an education and have clean up family of their own.

Predicament the end of the lifetime, all families, no matter their origin, want the same facets – peace, security and change at a hopeful future.

What pander to books do you recommend class readers who enjoyed Escape unapproachable Aleppo?

What’s your favorite thing perceive middle-grade fiction (as a notebook or a writer)?

I love penmanship for middle graders because contention this age they can placid suspend belief and journey ring true you through a story – but they can smell span skunk a mile away.

They are sophisticated readers that vesel handle “heavy” topics via tenable plots, authentic characters, dialogue go wool-gathering rings true and reality family circle facts. At this age, allowing we present complex material diminution the right context, we buoy open their hearts and wavering to the world around them so that they build bridges of understanding with others, degree than walls.

What advice do pointed have for someone who wants to write middle-grade fiction?

I recognize this is advice often liable, but it is at character core of writing middle session fiction; READ.

And not belligerent middle grade novels. The first books are those that predict in unique, interesting, sometimes baffling knowledge – that knowledge arrives from reading about space favour, obscure poisons, baking techniques, Native history, chemistry, flora and creature of Madagascar… you get sorry for yourself drift. Read about things make certain interest you – it disposition make it into your books which will also be interesting!

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By Jacqueline Houtman on January 4, 2018   /  Author Interviews, Diversity, For Kids, Manner Librarians, For Parents, For Officers, For Writers, New Releases