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.
Shifa was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.
You can learn more about all her books here.
Shifa has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, is a former English teacher, and is a former reviewer of Muslim books on her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog.
She is super passionate about spreading a love of reading to children through fun storytimes and engaging school visits.
Visit Shifa online at ShifaSafadi.com and on Instagram @shifasaltagisafadi
I remember writing poems and stories since I was seven years old! But as I grew older and got busy with life, I forgot my dream. Until I had my own children and that reignited my passion for writing, wanting them to see authentic and positive representation of their identity in books.
I was born in Syria and moved to the US when I was a little girl. We moved all over Ohio before settling in Indiana for my high school years, and then when I got married, I moved to the Chicagoland area. I am a midwest gal, through and through!
I started by writing picture books, and continue to love to write for this age group. But I have definitely found a groove in MG as well, (winning a NATIONAL BOOK AWARD for my novel in verse Kareem Between, and I have a chapter book series coming in 2025!
I only write books, not sell them! Even for story times or signings, I ask schools to stock copies before my visit. I love encouraging buying from local indie bookstores, and one of my favorite bookstores is online Muslim bookstore Crescent Moon Bookstore.
Yes! I love being booked for school visits. I do local Chicagoland in person visits as well as virtual visits worldwide. I love meeting kids, reading to them, and answering questions! Check out my school visit page for details.
I love coffee- is that a food, because it is my life?
In all seriousness, I love a mix of both Syrian and American foods. I love Shakriyeh, a lamb yogurt stew served with rice, as well as cheeseburgers with extra onions (yummy) and of course, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
I do still share books I love on my instagram @shifasaltagisafadi although I will admit that with my writing career picking up, I don’t have as much time to share as I would like. My focus has shifted to more of my own writing, and in doing in person and virtual school visits to talk with children!
Spare time…what is it?
Ha! I actually truly think my life revolves around books. When I am not reading to my own kids, reading my own books for fun, teaching English, or writing books… I sleep and eat? I am really good at cooking too, but I don’t know if that is a passion anymore or I do it to survive lol.
I studied….drumroll, ENGLISH! Of course, I love reading and writing and it just made sense. And now, I can pass on my love of English Literature to my own middle school students and in my writing workshops!
