Samira Surfs

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

Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in her village in Burma, 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. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, there's before Samira saw the Bengali surfer girls of Cox's Bazar, and after, when she decides she'll become one.

Samira Surfs, written by Rukhsanna Guidroz with illustrations by Fahmida Azim, is a tender novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl's journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.

Author: Rukhsanna Guidroz
Publisher: Kokila
Published: 06/29/2021
Pages: 416
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.40w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9781984816191
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 5
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 513896 / Samira Surfs


Award: Golden Kite - Winner


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/15/2021 pg. 60
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2021
School Library Journal 06/01/2021 pg. 58
Publishers Weekly 07/26/2021
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2021 pg. 95

About the Author
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 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.

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/.