Samira Surfs

by Rukhsanna Guidroz, Fahmida Azim (Illustrator)

A middle grade novel in verse about Samira, an eleven-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, who finds strength and sisterhood in a local surf club for girls.

Samira thinks of her life as before and before the burning and violence in her village in Burma, when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There's before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, there's before Samira saw the Bengali surfer girls of Cox's Bazar, and after, when she decides she'll become one.

Samira Surfs , written by Rukhsanna Guidroz with illustrations by Fahmida Azim, is a tender novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl's journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Sports, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2021

About the author

Rukhsanna Guidroz has always been drawn to faraway places. This might have something to do with having a Persian-Indian father and a Chinese mother. After attending university in Europe, she bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong. Working in journalism there was nothing short of thrilling, but it also made her hungry for a slower pace of life. Hawaii, by sheer accident, became her next stop and is now her home. She writes, teaches, and enjoys island life with her husband and two sons. Now, when she gets itchy feet, she turns to her writing and begins the next journey.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira Surfs is a Middle Grade book about a 12-year-old girl and her family that were forced to move from Burma, now Myanmar, to Bangladesh. They are living with many others in the refugee camp set up specifically for the refugees.

For the younger middle grade student, this is a fantastic introduction to the world of refugees if they haven’t had any prior knowledge. Samira and her brother, Khaled, who is two years older, live with their mother and father, ‘Mama and Baba’ in a small temporary shelter. Since there is no money for school, the children must work at any jobs they can to help the family survive. All funds go for food and necessities only.

Khalid works at a hotel café, cleaning tables and dishes, and is learning some English from tourists. Samira sells hard-boiled eggs to tourists on the beach. Khalid has made friends with some of the Bengali boys and is learning to surf. Samira watches and wishes she could learn what Khalid is learning, but it’s more difficult for girls in a Muslim culture. However, Khalid understands his sister and is willing to teach her everything he knows.

The family unit is very connected through love and tradition and appreciate every moment of joy they can experience together. The parents, like most parents, long for the day they can send their children to school and give them more than they had. Now, however, they all concentrate on staying nourished, safe and fed.

Eventually, Samira learns to surf as well as, and even a bit better than Khalid. After three months there is a surfing contest for boys and girls that the siblings want to enter. The girls are up first, but the officials will not let Samira enter because she is a Rohingya * refugee. The girls band together and say they won’t surf unless Samira can join them. Minutes later the boys join them in support and say they won’t surf either. Finally, the officials relent, and the contest can go on with all included, with exciting results.

*The author does an excellent job explaining the intricacies of Myanmar’s politics at the end of the story.

The story itself is beautifully written with a genuine interest in Samira and her brother, with anticipation building toward the surfing contest. The ‘pen and ink’ drawings are simply beautiful and illustrate the environment and characters very well.

I highly recommend this for teachers, students, and parents alike.

Thank you Netgalley, and Kokila an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Loved. First off, the writing is gorgeous - simple yet lush, and perfect for the thoughtful, strong, self-aware main character Samira. Next, Samira herself: what a joy to read a character so beautifully drawn, complex and lovely and real. The kindness that weaves its way through the whole story, even in the midst of terrible hardships, is also striking. There's a trope in the world of writing that says that you have to throw every possible bad thing at your main character, and so I kept bracing for the worst. But Rukhsanna Guidroz allowed her characters to not be defined only by their refugee status or the horrible experiences they had already had before the book begins. She allows them to have real emotions about these things while using them also as a way to bond, to show their hearts, to form friendships that felt real and powerful. And, as a lifelong lover of the ocean, the way in which it was depicted made me incredibly happy!

Also a huge shout out to Fahmida Azim for the stunning illustrations! The way the water and ocean are depicted especially - I could stare at those for hours! If you enjoy complex and real characters, beautifully simple writing that goes right to the heart, kids who actually help each other, and a testament to the power of friendship and the ocean, this is the book for you.

[Jaclyn Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz is a novel in verse about a young girl’s journey from prosecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power as she reclaims her childhood.

Samira is a 12-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Bangladesh. She and her family fled from their home in Burma, and Nani and Nana didn’t survive the trip. The refugee camps were overpopulated so her family had to make a home in a temporary shelter outside of the camp. Samira sells hardboiled eggs to tourists on the beach for money, and is constantly worried about the presence of police.

I didn’t know about the conflicts in these countries, so I started doing some research, and the author’s note in the back of the book was also enlightening. The Myanmar (previously known as Burma) government doesn’t recognize Rohingya as an ethnic group and considers them illegal immigrants in their own country, refuses to grant them citizenship, so many flee to escape prosecution. And many don’t feel welcome in their new country either.

Samira finds solace in her friends and in the water. The way the girls came together really warmed my heart! I also loved how close Samira was with her brother, Khalid, and their Mama and Baba, and how the memory of Nani and Nana lived on in everything they did.

The verse was so beautiful, and as an added bonus, there are also illustrations throughout the book. They really give life to the environment and the characters. Overall, this was a very touching story, I loved it and I highly recommend it!

CW: mentions of war/conflict, death of grandparents, mentions of drowning, refugee journey, missing family members, poverty

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The gender role discrimination and the racial discrimination/racial slurs are really triggering you know.

I wish I had a deeper connection with the writing and the characters. The adult characters are either mum or snappy in most parts. I can understand and relate to the main character keeping mum and kept things to herself most times as she did not have anyone trustworthy she could confide in. The father, their help and the brother need to see the daughter and the women in their family as equals and nothing less than them. No, girls aren't meant to do house work ONLY.

I know the story is trying to convey all these messages but it hit my nerves in wrong ways while reading it.

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to pick this up because I just hadn't really been in the mood to read much middlegrade, but I'm so happy I finally got back into it and picked up this book, because it was beautiful. I tend to absolutely adore verse novels, and middlegrade verse novels even more so, because they're able to distilling a lot of story and a lot of heavier themes into a concise and extremely readable package for all ages. I especially loved that this book also includes illustrations!

[Zainab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh! Samira you have my heart.
Such a poignant and heartwarming read.

Set against the backdrop of a Bangladeshi refugee camp, author Rukhsanna Guidroz introduces us to Samira, a Rohingya child, and her family.

This family is beautiful and strong, resilient and brave. Their daily struggles are humbling; their need to want to belong is heartbreaking.
Their acceptance of being unwanted is heart rending.

Unwanted by the land they called home and unwanted by the land they are on.

So much I loved about this book, so many endearing moments.

Samira’s girl gang and how they all looked out for each other.

Her family and their relationship. The love and bond they have, gratitude and appreciation for all the little things in life. They treasure and cherish the little moments, but they also remember the family left behind.

The symbolism with surfing and learning to combat and overcome the fear of the power of the ocean.
The body of water that brought many to safety; yet it took many as well.

Samira’s bond with her brother was my favourite part. Such a heartwarming connection, the way Khaled encourages Samira to grow and not loose hope. The siblings are each other’s support.

Every character in this book is beautiful, courageous and well developed. Their emotions well conveyed. I appreciate how the author shows the affects war has on people without going into political rhetoric.

Simple moments throughout this novel touch you. Emotional moments that move you.

This novel in verse is a a must read for all to see how acts of violence by man affect the most innocent of us all.


I was provided an eARC by Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
Samira SurfsRukhsanna Guidroz

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira is a twelve-year-old Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh. Her family escaped violence in their home country of Burma (now Myanmar) and made the treacherous trip to their new home, losing Samira’s grandparents along the way. Samira has to work hard at selling eggs on the beach to help support her family. When she hears about a surf contest with a huge prize, Samira is eager to learn to surf and compete to earn money for her family. The problem is that Samira is not allowed swim or surf. Samira builds friendships with other girls who want to learn to surf as well, but she also must face discontinuation because of her religion and gender.

Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about Rohingya refugees. This was a devastating story told from the perspective of a child. Samira had to grow up quickly when her family was in danger and they had to flee their home. There was a lot of pressure put on Samira to support her family. She wasn’t allowed to go to school because she was a girl, and she had to work even harder when her dad was injured and couldn’t work. These circumstances pushed Samira to discover surfing, which ended up being a good thing for her.

Samira found hope in learning to surf. It gave her something to look forward to. She was eager to learn and improve her skills. I’ve never surfed but Samira’s experience was inspiring!

Samira Surfs is an important middle grade read!

Thank you Kokila for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a life before, in Burma with friends and family and then there was the violence that made them flee. Now, after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her parents and brother Khaled, Samira is drawn to the thrill of riding the waves. She watches surfer girls, and together with friends, comes up with a plan that may make all their lives better, if only the girls can challenge the tradition that only boys can change a family’s fate.

This slim verse novel delivers - giving readers an inside view of what it feels like for a child to be displaced: constrained by apprehension and insecurity. At the same time we see how the displacement can open up the world, offering new experiences, new broadening friendships and an opportunity to challenge tradition. Happily there are a lot of specifics about the girls jobs making and selling items on the beach, the ups and downs of their friendship and the joy and freedom they find surfing.

The author's afterword gives sobering specifics about the Rohingya refugee crisis and how conditions in Bangladesh have deteriorated since the period during which she sets her story. (2012)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the review copy of Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz. This is a beautiful novel in verse that explores the life of refugees in 2012.

Samira’s family fled the violence Myanmar (her family prefers the old name, Burma) to Bangladesh crossing the river that kept her grandparents. Outside the packed refugee camp, Samira spends her days helping her family earn money by selling eggs on the beach. There she meets the girls who surf and decides she wants to become one. Her brother Khaled helps her begin lessons despite the danger (real and imagined) it could put her family in. The secret becomes harder and harder to keep as more people flee Burma, but surfing gives Samira a freeness she has been needing.

I was truly captivated by this book. This was a glimpse into a world and culture about which I knew very little. It was engaging and packed an emotional punch.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is so wonderful to read a YA novel about Rohingya refugees. Guidroz seamlessly ties Rohingya history, refugee life, and a great coming-of-age story together. The vocabulary that is sprinkled throughout the novel is so wonderfully described in a way that many readers will not encounter as many issues with comprehension. Samira is a smart, sweet,and strong young lady who works hard to make her family proud, maintain friendships, and follow her dreams, even if that causes internal conflict. Take some time to read Samira Surfs and jump into the world of a strong female character.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful novel-in-verse tells the wrenching story of one family’s heartbreak as Rohingyan refugees living in Bangladesh, having come from Burma. Samira struggles to make friends and longs to play in the ocean and learn to surf like her brother and his friends. Everything is new, uncertain and scary. There’s very little money. She spends her days selling hard-boiled eggs to tourists on the beach. There must be a way for her to make things easier for her family. And maybe there is, but it must be kept secret.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira and her family are ethnic minority refugees in Bangladesh, missing their rural lifestyle from Burma, now Myanmar. As they adjust to city life on the outskirts of an overcrowded camp, Samira joins a girl’s surfing club. Very interesting “windows” look into a different lifestyle for most American readers. Friendship and family are universal. Novel in verse and some illustrations make the book a quick read.

[Tameka Woodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira Surfs is a beautifully written novel in verse about a young refugee girl who finds a way to survive despite terrible tragedy. This middle grades novel would be a perfect read aloud or a great book for students looking for strong characters who survive through tragedy and loss. Students read about Samira's life as well as her family fleeing their home, and the uncertainty of their trip and their lives as refugees. This book belongs in classrooms! Great story! Thank you @netgalley for the e-arc. @RGui8 #SamiraSurfs @fahmida_azim

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I listened to so far was good. I need to check it out again from my library so I can hear the rest of the story. Even though the book was a novel-in-verse, it still transferred over to an audiobook really well and I could imagine the scenes in my head. So far I give it 4 stars but I know it will increase once I hear the full story.

[Twilight Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel in verse is fluid and paced really well. Hints at the main character's past blend seemlessly into her daily life, just as it does in real life. The effects of trauma are very real and this book does a great job showing that without being too jarring. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting.

[Israa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story of a strong, persistent girl who overcomes so much and lives out her dreams. The poetic chapters are well written, evoke emotion, and tell Samira's story. The themes of survival, education, race, and family can be discussed. Also, Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh, and politics, and tourism make great discussion topics. I appreciate that this is clean and has a happy ending, so I am recommending it for our classroom libraries, school library, and likely summer reading lists.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing and creative YA story about refugees and women's rights and water! The Summer reading theme is Oceans of Possibilities and this was shelves with it. Also I watched the movie Aquaman but now I am diverting.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse about Samira and her family who flee from Burma to Bangladesh while she valiantly tries to repair her trauma of the journey, losing her grandparents and slowly rebuild her life. With her brother, she learns the alphabet and how to read; she makes friends, learns to swim and surf, while keeping it a secret from her parents. I rooted for Samira, loved the illustrations, and think kids who read this will be encouraged to try surfing! There was beauty in learning about her culture, sadness in sharing her losses with her friends, and seeing how the townspeople react to others being persecuted (her people, the Rohingya) and moving into their town.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is told from the perspective of a young Rohingya refugee girl in Bangladesh. I no very little about the Rohingya people and this book did a wonderful job of showing their challenges while also allowing the main character to be a young girl with the joys and challenges involved. It’s a novel in poetry form and the language is beautiful. At times I felt it could have been a bit shorter but that’s a small complaint about a lovely, powerful story.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this view into a place and a life I am so far from.

[Guin]

Read for MCPL 2022 Librarians’ Reading Challenge

[Ginny Pemberton]

MCPL 2022 Librarian's Reading Challenge
#15 Read a J or YA book that was written by an author who lives on an island

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with important themes for middle grade readers. This book would bring awareness to some of the tragedy in Burma, inequalities between refugees and natives in Bangladesh (and relationships with refugees worldwide), and inequalities between girls and boys in poverty. I liked how everyone took care of each other and the ending was inspiring.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira is a Rohingya refugee who has fled persecution in Burma and is living in Bangladesh. Her family's life is hard, but the friendships she makes on the beach and the challenges of surfing help her find strength.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burma is gone. Home is gone. Now Samira lives with her brother and parents as refugees, living illegally on the beach of Bangladesh. Samira sells eggs to vacationers to help keep the family afloat while her dad does dangerous work catching shrimp and her brother works at a local restaurant. Nothing can bring Samira happiness again—until she gets her first taste of surfing. When a surfing contest that promises good money comes to town, Samira determines to win it. . . even if it means escaping down to the beach to practice without telling her parents. Will she win or will her status as a refugee and a girl prevent her from reaching her dreams?

If you haven't yet heard about the horrible injustices faced by the Rohingya people, you will after reading Samira Surfs. I will add that the author, Tukhsanna Guidroz, does an excellent job of showing the atrocities the Rohingya have suffered without making the book too mature for middle-grade readers. Guidroz also has a gift for writing family dynamics—Samira and her family are incredibly strong in the face of so many hardships and tragedies. Their connection and love for each other is admirable, especially Samira's bond with her older brother, Khaled. I loved their brother-sister relationship. Samira's friendship with her girl surfer friends was sweet too, although some side characters felt slightly one-dimensional. I'm also not sure why the novel is in verse form. Verse is fine, but it didn't add anything to my reading experience. The writing was great, no arbitrary poetic lines necessary.

Still, this book is one of those wonderfully rare ones that is written entirely in another country (Bangladesh) from a the voice (Rohingya) of someone who lives there. It's got great information on the Rohingya, the refugee situation, and the difficulties that many women face within a culture that frowns on "unwomanly activities," surfing included. Samira is a courageous, whip-smart protagonist that readers will cheer on. Recommended.

Thanks for NetGalley and Kokila for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira lives with her family outside a refugee camp in Bangladesh, having fled Burma after violence threatened her Rohingya family. But tragedy followed them, as her beloved grandparents drowned on the boat ride over. Samira and her brother Khaled both have jobs to help their family, but Samira finds other things she would rather do. Khaled is teaching her to read. And then there’s the lure of the water. Her mother is deathly afraid of anything having to do with the water, as that’s where her parents died. But Samira is drawn to surfing, and she sees other girls like her on the water and feels that it offers her an escape from the hand to mouth existence of her fractured family. This novel in verse is an immersive experience in the life of a refugee, in a violent conflict that many kids in the U.S. are likely unaware of.

The poetic first-person narration, in widely spaced lines, is a very effective look at Samira’s life as a refugee: how she tries to balance love and obedience to her family with the secrets about reading and surfing that feel so important to her. And there’s the fact that there is no school for this girl who is drawn to reading, and that she must spend her days selling eggs in order to help her family survive. Occasional black and white drawings nicely flesh out the unfamiliar landscape.

Readers will learn about living as a refugee, and identify with a child trying to find her place. Wonderful friendships with other girls, refugees and native Bangladeshis, round out this engrossing story.

[Mya L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rukhsanna Guidroz is an author for children and pre teens. She went to a University in Europe. After she moved from Europe, she used to work in journalism but now she writes books. Samira Surfs is about Samira, and her family that moved from Burma to Bangladesh. As Samira and her family start their new life in Bangladesh,Samira helps make money by selling eggs, but one day she was selling eggs and walked by the beach. She saw these surf girls and she thought it was cool and wanted to learn how to surf. But Samira is scared of the water because her Nana and Nani died in the water when they were leaving Burma. So her brother Khaled will help her with surfing. During the time they would surf they would talk to the other girls and the other people too and they all started to be friends. So Samira and her brother and the other people heard there's a surf contest that meant they had to work really hard to get better. Her parents don't want her to go in the water because of her Nana and Nani. Samira had to go behind her parents' back to learn how to surf and get better. After a while of practicing surfing her parents found out and her dad knew before her mom. Once Samira said that they won money if they won, her dad was on board. Samira only said that because that was the whole point of the contest so she could win money for her and her family. So her mom and dad let her practice for the contest. The day of the contest they said no girl can’t surf but the boys said we aren't surfing if the girls can’t. So the judges agreed that girls can participate. Samira went first, she didn't win but one of her friends did. After the contest she went home and just spent time with her family.

In the book the author really makes you feel how samira feels. It was really easy to read and the pages were short. The ending wasn’t very predictable. It was going to end a different way but it ended the way it was so post to. My favorite character was the main character samira

I would recommend this book if you like to read a little bit a day. Because the book is just short stories. I really liked this book. It was really interesting to read. I think this book is for kids and teens ages 10-13.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having fled Burma [now called Myanmar] to avoid violence in her village, twelve-year-old Samira, and her family now live in in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on the edge of the refugee camp since there is no room for more residents. The journey was traumatic as the family watched as Samira's grandparents drowned in the river. Samira is tasked each day with selling hard-boiled eggs to tourists on the beach. Although Samira's upbringing is strict and traditional, and Rohingya [an ethnic group in Burma] girls of a certain age are not allowed to spend time in the water, she is drawn to the power and beauty of surfing. Secretly, she borrows a board and begins taking lessons, learning from some of the other surfer girls, and feels at home on the waves. When news comes of a surfing contest with big money prizes, Samira dreams of winning the money and easing her family's economic burden. But there are others with the same dream, and they might need to win much more than Samira does. This novel in verse beautifully captures the ebb and flow of the surf and the power of the waves as well as how girls who hardly know each other can bond together and support one another rather than tearing one another down. The detailed black and white sketches offer readers a glimpse of Samira's world while the text challenges the assumptions many may have about surfing and surfers.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story, written in prose is a window to the life of Rohingya refugees. Samira and her family escaped their home country--Burma (Myanmar) to come to Bangladesh. There is no room in the refugee camps for Samira and her family, so they set up a shelter outside the camp. Samira and her brother work at jobs that can help feed their family. They both experience a lot of racial prejudice. Samira works hard to follow her dream of entering a surfing competition, despite her parents' wishes, the rules of her religious culture and her friendship struggles.

I would recommend this book for strong, committed readers. It is long. The story unfolds slowly. And there are so many words from their language thrown in, that sometimes it's hard to imagine what they are doing/eating/saying. It would be a valuable look into a culture the students probably know nothing about, and particularly into understanding refugees, for those who are willing to commit.

[Ariana Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samira surfs was a cute, meaningful novel written by Rukhsanna Guidroz . When looking inside the book you are greeted with lovely and detailed illustrations created by Fahmida Azim. The way she talks about her mama and baba can be very relatable for many kids. I loved reading about her special blanket that was gifted to her as a baby. I know of many kids who have gifts they received as a baby or when they were younger that hold sentimental value to them. The reason I would not give all 5 stars is because of the repetition. She said the same things over multiple times. An example that came to mind would be the eggs. Although these eggs may have been important to her, and are relevant to the story, I did not see the purpose of repeating it.
My favorite thing about the novel was how she explained the life. The words she used helped me to imagine how life actually was like as a surfer girl in Bangladesh.