Flying Over Water

N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock expertly craft the intersection of the lives of two girls-one, a Muslim fleeing civil war, theother, an American from the South-as they are forced to examine their beliefs and the true meaning of friendship in the midst ofthe president's 2017 Muslim ban. Twelve-year-old Noura Alwan's family is granted asylum in the United States, after spending two years in a Turkish refugee camp,having fled war-torn Aleppo. They land in Tampa, Florida, on January 30, 2017, just days after the president restricted entry intothe US from nations with a Muslim majority population.Twelve-year-old Jordyn Johnson is a record-breaking swimmer, but hasn't swum well since her mom had a miscarriage duringone of her meets. Her family has volunteered to help the Alwan family through their church. She knows very few people of Arabdescent or who practice Islam.The girls' lives intersect at Bayshore Middle School where Jordyn serves as the Alwan children's school ambassador. Nouraknows that her family is safe from the civil unrest in her home country, but is not prepared for the adversity she now faces onAmerican soil. Jordyn is sympathetic to Noura's situation, but there are other members of their Florida community who see therefugees' presence to be a threat to their way of life.While the president's Muslim ban tests the resolve and faith of many, it isfriendship that stands strong against fear and hatred.Award winners N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock have combined their talents to craft a heartrending Own Voices story told indual perspectives.