Salma Speaks Up
Written by Danny Ramadan
Illustrated by Anna Bron
Published by Annick Press
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Salma embraces her voice and speaks up for herself and her friends in book 4 of the award-winning Salma series.
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
Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author and LGBTQ+ refugees advocate. His memoir Crooked Teeth (2024) received raving reviews and was nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction. His latest novel, The Foghorn Echoes, won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction and was nominated for both the BC & Yukon Book Prizes and the City of Vancouver Book Award. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won the Independent Publisher Book Award, was longlisted for Canada Reads, and has been translated into multiple languages.
Ramadan is also the author of the award-winning Salma children’s series, which has received the Nautilus Book Award, the Publishing Triangle Award, the Middle East Book Award, and numerous other accolades.
Since arriving in Canada, he has raised over $300,000 to support LGBTQ+ refugees, securing safe passage for more than two dozen queer and trans individuals. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Adler University.
He lives in Vancouver with his husband and two dogs — and when he’s not writing, he’s probably playing video games.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: www.dannyramadan.com
Instagram: @thedannyramadan
Email: hello@dannyramadan.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Salma the Syrian Chef
Salma Makes a Home
Salma Writes a Book
Salma Joins the Team
Salma Speaks Up
ANNA BRON
Anna Bron has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Encouraged by her parents, she pursued her love of art and studied hand-drawn animation, once dreaming of joining Walt Disney Animation Studios. Her path took a different—though even more exciting—turn: today she illustrates children’s books and magazines and brings stories to life through short films, commercials, and other animation projects. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: https://annabron.com/
Instagram: @masiana.kelly
Email: annabron@live.ca
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Runaway’s Gold – Amulet Books, 2015
Salma the Syrian Chef – Annick Press, 2020
Harvey and the Extraordinary – Annick Press, 2021
Salma Makes a Home – Annick Press, 2023
Salma Writes a Book – Annick Press, 2023
No Horses in the House! The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur – Orca Books, 2023
Salma Joins the Team – Annick Press, 2024
Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature – Sleeping Bear Press, 2024
The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape – Candlewick Press, 2025
Measuring Up: How Oliver Smoot Became a Standard Unit of Measurement – MIT Kids Press, 2025
Salma Speaks Up – Annick Press, 2025
