Rhonda Roumani
Rhonda Roumani is a Syrian-American journalist who has written about Islam, the Arab world and Muslim-American issues for more than two decades. Her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Religion News Service (RNS), the Financial Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, Religion News Service, USA Today, Salon, and others.
She is also an author of books of non-fiction and fiction for children. Her books include TAGGING FREEDOM, an upper middle grade novel about a Syrian graffiti artist a the start of the Syrian revolution; the picture book INSHA’ALLAH, NO, MAYBE SO; and, a picture book biography of the Arab world’s greatest singer, UMM KULTHUM: THE STAR OF THE EAST.
Rhonda started writing children’s books in 2017, when she ran a book fair at her daughter’s school and couldn’t find a single book written by an Arab author; and, found that the only book by a Muslim author was by Malala Yousafzai. Rhonda was a Pitch Wars mentee in 2019. In 2021, she was named a Highlights Muslim Storytellers Fellow for 2021-2023.
Rhonda graduated with a MS in Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and received her BA in English and Political Science from UCLA. She is currently an affiliate of Yale’s Macmillan Center, Council of Middle Eastern Studies. She lives in New Haven, CT with her family.
Rhonda is represented by Brent Taylor of Triada US
Kareem Haddad of Damascus, Syria, never dreamed of becoming a graffiti artist. But when a group of boys from another town tag subversive slogans outside their school, and another boy is killed while in custody, Kareem and his friends are inspired to start secretly tag messages of freedom around their city.
Meanwhile, in the United States, his cousin, Samira, has been trying to make her own mark. Anxious to fit in at school, she joins the Spirit Squad where her natural artistic ability attracts the attention of the popular leader. Then Kareem is sent to live with Sam’s family, and their worlds collide. As graffitied messages appear around town and all eyes turn to Kareem, Sam must make a choice: does she shy away to protect her new social status, or does she stand with her cousin?
Informed by her time as a journalist, author Rhonda Roumani’s Tagging Freedom is a thoughtful look at the intersection between art and activism, infused with rich details and a realistic portrayal of how war affects and inspires children, similar to middle grade books for middle schoolers by Aisha Saeed, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandi, or Refugee by Alan Gratz.
★ “Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this novel parallels the struggles teens feel with loss and bullying situations to the oppression that citizens often feel when the government is deceitful. Preteens and teens will find this book relatable and real. An outstanding novel that hits its mark, demonstrating that young teens grapple with a gamut of emotions and situations yet are resilient enough to work through them and achieve success. Highly recommended.” —School Library Journal STARRED Review
“A well-characterized novel offering insight into Syrian perspectives.”—Kirkus Reviews
“High-stakes conflicts in the form of Kareem’s fears for those he left behind play powerfully against adolescent challenges, such as Sam’s emotionally vulnerable angst about fitting in, delivering a strongly paced tale.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is a must-read for those looking for more Arab and Muslim representation in middle-grade titles. Roumani skillfully weaves together two different points of view to create a powerful story of activism that captures the importance of standing up for yourself and advocating for others.” —Booklist
Ranya wants to go to the park. “Insha’Allah,” her mom tells her.
But doesn’t that just mean no? Ranya’s mom says “Insha’Allah” when Ranya asks to make cookies. She says it when Ranya wants to sleep over at Jayda’s house. She says it when Ranya begs to go to Disneyland.
This might sound familiar to parents and caregivers . . . It’s hard to know what to say when you can’t promise anything! Sometimes grown-ups say “Maybe” or “We’ll see.” And in millions of Arab and Muslim homes around the world, families use the phrase “Insha’Allah” when talking about the future.
So, what does “Insha’Allah” really mean? In this warmly illustrated picture book, Ranya and her mom tackle the meaning of the powerful phrase and ponder the best way to talk about their hopes and dreams—and maybe, sometimes, the things they want to put off. (Like cleaning up toys!)
Umm Kulthum: Star of the East is a picture book about the Arab world’s biggest diva and greatest singer. Nicknamed Al-Sit (The Lady), Kawkab al Sharq (The Star of the East), Al Haram al-Rabe’ (Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid), and, even, Umm al-Arab (Mother of the Arabs), Umm Kulthum was the daughter of an Egyptian village sheikh, who rose to prominence when few women dared to take the stage. For more than 50 years, she mesmerized the Arab world with her powerful voice and poetic songs that spoke of love, longing and Arab nationalism. Even today, decades after her death, her voice continues to fill coffee shops and living rooms across the Arab world.