Interview with author, Rita Avaud A Najim

Hi everyone,
"Today I'm pleased to welcome author, Rita Avaud A Najim to talk about her book, La Petite Rita. Thank you so much for spending time with me today, Rita. Let's get right to the questions.
"Thank you for inviting me, Deanie."

·         Tell me about your first book, La Petite Rita:

My La petite Rita was published recently and it’s actually a series of children’s stories. Divided into two volumes, each volume has five stories about a little French girl, Rita, who came to live in the USA with her parents. Funny, cute, innocent Rita, known with her French accent, will help you learn some French easy common words while enjoying reading about her adventures. 

That sounds like a great idea for a story that introduces children to other cultures. It sounds like a cute story.

·         How did you get the idea for the story?

Most of the stories have to do with my childhood. My memories and many other lovely moments made me write these stories that I wish to share with readers.

My shyness and accent is another reason to tell every adult or child coming from another country that:

…. “It is OK to have an accent”… “What matters is what you say, not how you pronounce it! Respect and kindness in your words will be appreciated in all languages.” La petite Rita, Volume 1, page 8

And since many public and private schools in Utah have dual immersion French program, and the love to learn a foreign language I feel everyday with my students, I decided to write about this Little French girl.

It's always fun to read about an author's experiences and it's nice for you to share them as well.

  How long have you been writing?

I have been writing all my life, but never had the goal to publish any until I started working in schools. Even my graduation project in Business management in 2013 was a guide for parents and teachers to encourage students to read more poetry books and non-fiction ones.

I think it's most important to encourage children to read. Every book can be an adventure for them.

·         What are your goals for this book?

I wish that this book will be in every home and school library, and hope all the readers will remember some of Rita’s French words.

I hope you reach your goal. That would be so rewarding for you.

·         Do you have any projects you’re working on now?

I have five other stories ready to be published but just need the illustrations, as well as a third volume of La Petite Rita.

I'll look forward to learning about more books in your series, Rita.

·         What would you like readers to remember most about your book?

In every story there is a lesson that Rita learns from her daily life experiences. I wish it to be a message or an example for every child reading this book. I want them to see that my books are easy guides for learning French words.

I"m sure children will have fun and learn a great deal from your books.

   What advice would you give a new author or aspiring author?

Love what you are writing about.

Be unique in your own way, in your own words. Let your imagination be read…

That sounds like wonderful advice, Rita. Imagination is definitely an important thing for authors to have."

" It's been a pleasure interviewing you today, Rita. I''m sure my readers will love learning about your books."

"Yes, we had fun chatting, Deanie. Thank you for inviting me."

Here are the links Rita would like to share:

www.facebook.com/rita.aouad.9

www.instagram.com/rita.a.a.n

copyright 2017: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne