Salma Speaks Up

Salma embraces her voice and speaks up for herself and her friends.

Salma’s best friend Riya has had a secret: she dreams of becoming a poet! So when their school’s Speech Club announces an assembly where the winner will get a spot in a city-wide writing workshop, Riya convinces Salma to join the club with her. But Nathan, another member of the club, keeps criticizing the girls for not speaking English ＂correctly.＂

Salma grows increasingly frustrated: why does Nathan get to decide which accents are good or bad? Also, Salma is worried about her beloved Khalou Dawood, who keeps canceling their dinner plans, although he claims he’s not sick. Through research and discussions with her family, Salma discovers what might be impacting Khalou and also gains the courage and confidence to embrace her voice and speak up for herself and others.

DANNY RAMADAN is an award-winning Syrian-Canadian author, activist, and public speaker. His work as an activist has helped provide a safe passage to dozens of Syrian LGBTQ+ refugees to Canada. He is the author of two novels for adults, The Clothesline Swing and The Foghorn Echoes, and a forthcoming memoir, Crooked Teeth. Danny lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

ANNA BRON studied traditional animation at Sheridan College. She illustrated the award-winning picture book Salma the Syrian Chef and the middle-grade novel Harvey and the Extraordinary. She has animated, designed, and directed commercials and short films. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.