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Samar has just moved from Syria to America, and everything feels strange, even the jump rope games at recess. When the class bully mocks her accent, Samar sets out to prove herself by entering the school spelling bee. But the challenge turns out harder than she expected.
Get it as soon as May 27th
Starting fresh in a new place isn’t easy, but Samar is determined to show that her voice matters. This uplifting story highlights persistence, courage, and believing in yourself even when others doubt you. A powerful reminder for children that every challenge is a chance to grow stronger.





SHIFA SALTAGI SAFADI is the National Book Award winning author of Kareem Between, the Amina Banana series, and several picture books, including Spell it like Samar, Heaven at Mama’s Feet, Pepperoni Pitches and Other Problems, as well as The Gift of Eid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, is a former ELA teacher, and is passionate about spreading a love of reading through storytimes and school visits. Shifa was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents as a young girl. She lives near Chicago with her husband and four children.


Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim


Love the lesson of persistence in this amazing story. A must have
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Anam
My daughter said this was one of her favorite books (& she loves all of yours') but this one she was able to relate to quite a bit, having been a good student in one language and traveling (& struggling with this new one) this book teaches that success is only through *persistence* of hard work.
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Hibz
In a day and age where Muslims are constantly being attacked, this book is a reminder that we need to stand strong and persevere. This book will help empower your young children to stand up for themselves and be proud of who they are. The illustration is great and the content is even better. 100% necessary book in my opinion.
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Abdul Saltagi
The book is well written and well illustrated. The story relates to the challenges Muslims and minorities are facing now a days and it offers an uplifting solution of hard work and perseverance.
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ahmad saltagi
This book is a must have. It does a phenomenal job of capturing your emotions from the get-go. As you flip through the pages, you become emotionally invested in Samar’s growth and pursuit of happiness and knowledge. By the end of the book, you are left celebrating as if you are a member of the family. Extremely well written
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Mohamad Saltagi
Can’t emphasize how much I loved reading this! The story is absolutely inspiring and has a very important message of persistence that is so important for our children to learn. The illustrations are wonderful as well. A must have for every household!
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Dania

Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
Beautifully written and illustrated books! Ruqa-ya's Bookshelf has filled a huge void in our community by bringing Muslim children's books with moral values that children actually enjoy reading and listening to.
- Hina Salim
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