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.
Love what you are writing
about.
Be unique in your
own way, in your own words.
That sounds like wonderful advice, Rita. Imagination is definitely an important thing for authors to have."
copyright 2017: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
