This month, we are honored to welcome back Firoozeh Dumas, winner of our inaugural 2017 New Americans Children’s History Book Prize. Dumas will be here in person to discuss her enthralling tale of Cindy, a young girl from Iran whose adjustment to life in this country is made difficult by the revolution and turmoil in her home country. You’ll have the chance to ask Dumas about her writing and her  semi-autobiographical novel, then we’ll head to the Library to see special objects related to the Iranian Revolution.  

About It Ain’t So Awful Falafel
After a rocky start, Cindy (Zomorod to her parents) finds a comfortable niche in her California middle school until political upheaval and revolution in Iran reach the United States, threatening her future and her family’s safety. Her engineer dad, who loves to talk about the oil industry, and her unhappy mom, who won’t learn English, pose bigger obstacles to fitting in. On her own journey to maturity, Cindy deftly guides young readers through Iran’s complicated realities in this fresh take on the immigrant experience—authentic, funny, and moving from beginning to end. –Kirkus Review, February 17, 2016

Photo Credit: Pearl Skelton