ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the National Book Award-winning author of Kareem Between, the Amina Banana series, and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid. Born in Syria and raised in the United States, she is a bilingual Arabic-English speaker, a former English teacher, and a former reviewer of Muslim children’s books through her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog. She is passionate about helping children develop a love of reading through engaging stories, school visits, and story times.
In this episode, Shifa Saltagi Safadi shares how her experiences growing up as a Syrian American multilingual learner and later teaching middle school ELA shaped her approach to writing children’s literature. She discusses the inspiration behind Amina Banana and Kareem Between, the importance of helping students feel seen through stories, and the instructional moves that supported multilingual learners in her own classroom, including the use of audiobooks, inclusive language, and culturally responsive classroom libraries. Through the conversation, Shifa highlights how humor, representation, and belonging can transform students’ relationships with reading and with themselves.
Key Takeaways:
- Representation in literature matters deeply for multilingual learners. Seeing characters who share their experiences can help students feel visible and valued.
- Books can be powerful tools for language development and emotional connection. Stories help students see hope, resilience, and possibility in themselves and others.
- Educators play a critical role in shaping how multilingual learners view their potential. Encouragement from teachers can have a lifelong impact on students’ confidence and aspirations.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Welcome to Literacy Across Languages!
(01:44) Meet Shifa Saltagi Shifadi
(05:43) From ESL to English as an Additional Language
(09:10) Books as Language Teachers
(13:36) Audiobooks in the Multilingual Middle School Classroom
(19:09) Writing for Early Chapter Book Readers
(22:55) Writing for Middle School Readers
(27:42) Muslim Representation in Children's Literature
(32:38) KidLit as Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors
(34:40) Educators' Impact on Multilingual Students
(36:47) Takeaways for Teaching
Episode Resources:
- Check out Shifa's books and educator resources at ShifaSafadi.com.
- Listen to Shifa discuss Kareem Between and the Amina Banana series in more detail in her podcast interviews with A Lit Life.
- Find more great books for your classroom at We Need Diverse Books.
Stay Connected:
- Visit us at literacyacrosslanguages.com.
- Email us with questions or episode suggestions at literacyacrosslanguages@gmail.com.
- Follow Mary and Katherine on LinkedIn.
- Like, subscribe, and share this episode with fellow educators, or share a review to help others find us!
Keywords: multilingual learners, multilingual education, literacy instruction, culturally responsive teaching, representation in literature, inclusive classroom libraries, bilingual students, Arabic-English learners, identity and belonging, children’s literature, middle grade books, chapter books, audiobooks in education, literacy development, language acquisition, multilingual literacy, asset-based language, student belonging, reading identity, culturally sustaining pedagogy, empathy through literature, diverse books, Syrian American identity, Muslim representation, literacy access, classroom community, language and identity, reading comprehension, multilingual student support, educator advocacy
