Spell it Like S-A-M-A-R by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Title: Spell it Like Samar

Author: Shifa Saltagi Safadi @shifaswrites@muslimmommyblog

Illustrator: Saliha Caliskan

Publisher: Ruqaya's Bookshelf @ruqayas.bookshelf

Age: 4-11

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Summary:

Samar cannot spell the word persistent in front of her class, and her classmate, Jenna, makes sure to put her down about it. Samar enters the school spelling competition to prove that she can spell despite the fact that she is still in ESL class. With the encouragement from her teacher and best friend Angela she worked extra hard to make sure she wins this competition.

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Review:

I absolutely love this book and the lessons in it. This story not only teaches the kids about being persistent, but it touches on bullying, friendship, self-confidence and struggles of being new from a different country. This story really touched my heart because as a newcomer years ago, I had to push myself to work extra hard for my spelling exams. The illustrations are so beautiful, and they accurately depict emotional struggles that Samar is experiencing. The subtle details on some pages just make the story relatable. Samar and her mother are shown with hijab when outside and without when they are at home. I really love that Samar recognizes her mother's struggles to re-taking exams to prove her dental credentials in America while maintaining a household. Time and time again, @ruqayas.bookshelf impresses me with their publications and this is no exception. I absolutely recommend this book for your child's personal collection as well as school/classroom library.

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P.S. - who else noticed the alliteration happening with the title, author's and illustrator' names 😁😁😁

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#spellitlikesamar#shifasaltagisafadi#salihacaliskan#ruqayasbookshelf

#muslimkidsbooks#islamickidsbooks#muslimauthor#muslimkidslit#raisingmuslimreaders

Jun 14/2020