New ebooks From Canadian Indies

9781773214405_cover Enlarge Cover
5 of 5
1 rating
rated!
rated!
list price: $18.95
edition:Hardcover
also available: Paperback
category: Children's Fiction
published: Oct 2020
ISBN:9781773214405
publisher: Annick Press

Yara's Spring

by Jamal Saeed & Sharon E. McKay

tagged: middle east, violence, emigration & immigration, multigenerational
Description

Coming of age against all odds in the midst of the Arab Spring.

Growing up in Aleppo, Yara’s childhood has long been shadowed by the coming revolution. But when the Arab Spring finally arrives at Yara’s doorstep, it is worse than even her Nana imagined: sudden, violent, and deadly. When rescuers dig Yara out from under the rubble that was once her family’s home, she emerges to a changed world. Her parents and Nana are gone, and her brother, Saad, can’t speak—struck silent by everything he’s seen. Now, with her friend Shireen and Shireen’s charismatic brother, Ali, Yara must try to find a way to safety. With danger around every corner, Yara is pushed to her limits as she discovers how far she’ll go for her loved ones—and for a chance for freedom.

Crafted through the focused lens of Jamal Saeed’s own experiences in Syria and brought to life with acclaimed author Sharon E. McKay, Yara’s Spring is a story of coming of age against all odds and the many kinds of love that bloom even in the face of war. Black-and-white interior drawings by award-winning illustrator Nahid Kazemi lend vivid detail to the novel.

*A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

About the Authors

Jamal Saeed spent twelve years as a prisoner of conscience in Syria before being invited to Canada in 2016. He continues to raise awareness about Syria’s ongoing civil war and humanitarian crisis through his work as an activist, editor, visual artist, and author. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.


Sharon E. McKay is the award-winning author of many books based on real events, including War Brothers: The Graphic Novel and Thunder Over Kandahar. She was also named a Canadian War Artist and spent time in Afghanistan embedded with the Canadian troops. She lives in Prince Edward Island.

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
Age:
10 to 14
Grade:
6 to 9
Reading age:
10 to 14
Awards
  • , Indiana Young Hoosier Book Awards
  • Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, *starred selection, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
  • , Red Maple Award, OLA
  • Short-listed, Next Generation INDIE Book Award
  • Joint winner, Best Bets List, Top Ten, Ontario Library Association
  • Joint winner, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2021
  • , Red Cedar Book Award
  • Joint winner, Kirkus Best Books List
Editorial Reviews

“Heartbreaking and hopeful.”

— Canadian Children’s Book News, *starred review, Fall/20

“Remarkable.”

— CM Reviews, 06/05/20

“Well written and a must-read.”

— Libris Notes, 02/03/21

“The narrative is fast-paced and descriptive, and the dialogue so charged with the characters’ emotions that readers will be immediately drawn into Yara’s plight . . . A gripping addition to literature about current refugee experiences.”

— Booklist, 10/01/20

“Extremely dramatic and high energy . . . Very well written.”

— Reformed Librarians Together, 09/21

“Add this to your must read list.”

— Library Matters, 09/07/20

“Inspired by Saeed’s own experiences . . . Readers are taken inside Syria—and through the emotions of love, loss, and steadfastness.”

— Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 07/28/20
X
Contacting facebook
Please wait...