SAMIRA SURFS

A sparkling middle-grade novel in verse about Samira, a twelve-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, who finds peace, empowerment, and sisterhood in a local surf club for girls.

Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in Burma (now Myanmar), when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There's before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole.
With her brother Khaled's help, Samira pushes past her fear of the water and begins secret surf lessons. She forges a friendship with the Bengali surfer girls of Cox's Bazar and learns of a surf contest for kids that could change her life in so many ways. But as more Rohingya seek refuge in Cox's Bazar and the dynamics of her community change, it becomes harder for Samira to keep her surfing a secret, potentially putting her family at risk.

Samira Surfs, written by Rukhsanna Guidroz and illustrated by Fahmida Azim, is an effervescent novel in verse about a young girl's journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power as she reclaims her childhood.

Rukhsanna Guidroz is the author of Mina vs. the Monsoon and Leila in Saffron. She studied French at King's College, London, and political science at the Sorbonne, Paris, before living and working in Hong Kong for many years as a journalist. After becoming a mother, Rukhsanna began her teaching career, working with students from kindergarten to high school. She now lives in Maui, Hawaii where she's taken up surfing. Learn more about her at www.rukhsannaguidroz.com.
Residence: Paia, Hawaii Hometown: Manchester, England Author Site: http://www.rukhsannaguidroz.com/ Social: @RGui8

Fahmida Azim is an illustrator, author, and tea drinker. She immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh as a child and grew up in northern Virginia, graduating with a BFA in Communication Arts from VCUarts. Her art frequently addresses the themes of identity, culture, and autonomy and has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, and Vice. Fahmida now lives and works in Seattle. Learn more about her at https://fahmida-azim.com/.