Marguerite Dabaie – författare

In this current political climate, being a Palestinian is a hazard. However, there are common grounds where East meets West. The Hookah Girl is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel of a childhood as a Christian Palestinian in America. Told in short stories and with narrative ranging from growing up in a refugee family to how to roll waraq (stuffed grape leaves), this book is an account of living in two seemingly different cultures that actually aren't very different at all.

Middle school is hard enough without a legendary creature suddenly appearing in your neighborhood and asking you for skateboarding lessons. Twelve-year-old Raia lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, loves video games, and is doing her best to keep her grades up. But when Bazzu the Buraq (a magical horse-bird-lion) appears, her life will never be the same. Raia, a middle school student in New York City, has often felt like the odd one out at school. So when she meets Bazzu the buraq, a legendary creature, who offers to show her a world of folklore and magic in return for skateboarding lessons, she’s eager to accept. Together, Raia and Bazzu get up to misadventures and explore the world of legends, a fascinating and harmonious community of mythical creatures from all cultures. But as she grows more distant from her real-world friends and family, Raia will have to learn how to balance magic and reality.