TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only
interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books
who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories
about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in
2-3 sentences?
Farah Hajjar is a smart, funny fifth grader who is
protective of her little brother, who has learning challenges. She’s applying
to an exclusive magnet school for sixth grade, but when a bully starts
harassing her brother, she wonders if it’s better to stay where she is. She
hatches a plot to solve the problem on her own, which causes havoc for everyone
who loves her, including her parents and her best friend.
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And,
which character gave you the most trouble, and why?
Farah’s character itself was fascinating to create – she was
originally based on my daughter (who is, in fact, the one who asked me to write
a book about a Palestinian American girl like her). But then, as all characters
do, she began to take over the story in her own way. She was funnier than I
thought she would be. And more stubborn.
The character who was the biggest challenge to write was
Samir, because I wanted to make sure I represented him accurately. He has
learning challenges because he was born pre-maturely; at the same time, he’s
smart and very witty. In other words, I wanted him to have a distinct
personality, and to make sure that his learning challenges didn’t consume his
entire story. There were also details I didn’t know, about how schools incorporate
special help for kids who have certain needs, so that took some careful
research. In addition to reading books, articles, and websites, I talked to
friends who had children with learning challenges. I hope I got Samir’s
character right. He is a big figure in the book – an important member of the
Hajjar family.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
Writing about Palestinian American or Arab American
characters is difficult in its own way. There are so many questions: Are you
representing the community accurately? Is your depiction authentic? Are you
sentimentalizing things that should be discussed with more rigor?
But then you run up against the way that the publishing
industry views our community. In general, I have noticed a trend in the
publishing industry (it stems from that the fact that, though there are many
wonderful, well-intentioned editors, the the industry itself is not diverse).
So publishers do want stories by writers of color, but often they prefer what
we call “crisis” or “trauma” stories. They want stories of Arab American women
who are facing racism, sexism, etc. There are tons of books on this topic, and
it’s very important.
But guess what? Kids of color deserve to see themselves in
books in which the characters who look like them are living happy, healthy,
normal lives. They need to see themselves facing the same problems every
American kid confronts. For example, in this first book in the series, Farah is
dealing with a bully in her school, and the adults are not paying attention;
which kid hasn’t experienced this? They all know how scary it can be to get on
that school bus when there’s a bully on board.
Another difficulty I had was the fact that this is my debut
children’s novel. I feel very lucky to be working with Capstone Books – their
book list is already so diverse, and they are very open and inclusive. But I
had a lot to learn about writing for children. My editor, Eliza Leahy, is
phenomenal. She really helped me make the transition from writing for adults to
writing for the 8-12 year-old age group. It’s a different world in many ways –
and I had a lot to learn about it. She was a patient and helpful teacher. I
think I revised my first draft seven times! And it’s only 20,000 words! I
definitely felt myself “stretching” as a writer in the same way you do if
you’re a poet who tries fiction, or if you’re a novelist who tries to write a
play.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Well, my least favorite piece of writing advice is
“write every day.” That is virtually impossible for many people to do. I mean,
a lot of us have jobs, kids, family obligations. Who can actually write every
day unless they’re wealthy and outsource help for housework, childcare, etc? So
what I will say instead is something that worked for me: Make time for your
writing life every day. If you can write, write. Some days you won’t be
able to. But maybe you can read that new book by a writer you admire. Revise
the first few pages of a story? Maybe you can sit with a blank page and work on
a character sketch for a character. Maybe you can read an article on writing
better dialogue. Maybe you can make a list of journals or contests where you want
to submit your work. In other words,
spend time every day filling the well that is your writing career. I do this by
making an appointment with myself every day; I wake up very early and sit with
my coffee and my books and notebooks for a couple of hours, before the rest of
the house wakes up. Some mornings are productive; others are just me,
daydreaming, reading, thinking. It’s all good. It all counts. It’s all part of
the process.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
I was surprised by how important it was to me that I depict
Farah and her family as working class people, dealing with the realities of
life for the working class. They’re not technically poor, but they’re on the
edge. Their security is precarious.
Furthermore, it was vital to me, as I kept writing, that
Farah be aware of her family’s money problems. Many books show kids feeling
secure in their family’s financial situation – the evidence of that is in what
you don’t see in the book: the character never worries or talks about
whether or not mom and dad have money. It never comes up in their minds. For Farah, it does – and to me, that is quite
authentic. Kids who grow up in poor and working class families are hyper-aware
of their parents’ money woes. I wanted Farah to be that character that many
young readers will recognize.
How did you find the title of your book?
In Arabic, “hajjar” means rocks or stones, and in the book,
you learn that Farah’s friends have called her Farah Rocks since they were all
in first grade together. So it seemed natural to continue from there, to play
on the word “rocks” – it’s a word with a double meaning, and it seemed a
fitting way to reflect the Arab American experience: there are layers of
meanings. The first book is Farah Rocks
Fifth Grade; it’s a 4-book series, and each book’s title follows this formula.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
Well, of course, in any book about Palestinian or Arab
Americans, there will be a lot of food! As you might know, because I’ve been
vocal about this on social media, I really dislike the way hummus has been
repackaged into some kind of gourmet food. It’s sold in stores and doesn’t even
taste very good, and there are all sorts of horrifying variations, like red
velvet hummus and guacamole hummus. And it’s expensive! Hummus costs just
pennies to make at home, and it takes less than five minutes. So yes, Farah is
sharing the Hajjar family’s recipe in a special bonus section of the book! [Editor's note: This hummus is fantastic!!]
*****
READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: www.SusanMuaddiDarraj.com
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR PILE: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=farah+rocks+fifth+grade