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Saving Sunshine, A Middle-Grade Graphic Novel About Helping A Turtle

Saving Sunshine is a new middle grade graphic novel written by Saadia Faruqi (Meet Yasmin) with art by Shazleen Khan.

Saving Sunshine was acquired by Calista Brill and Samia Fakih at First Second, and Fakih will edit the book which "follows bickering twins Zara and Zeeshan, who must put their feud aside when they find an ailing turtle on the beach that needs their care."

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist based in Texas. She writes the children's early reader series Yasmin published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle-grade novels A Place At The Table and A Thousand Questions. She has also written Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose.

Shazleen Khan is a London based graphic novelist. She began self publishing her graphic novel work in 2011 and has since gone on to achieve a First Class Bachelor's (hons) degree in Illustration and a Master's in Children's Books and Graphic Novels. Shazleen currently works as a freelance illustrator while doing part-time teaching work. Her comics work has been published  by BHP, 404 Ink, Khidre Comix Lab, Sweatdrop Studios, Neo Magazine, MCM Comicon, Edinburgh University and Postscript Magazine.

Saving Sunshine, A Middle-Grade Graphic Novel About Helping A Turtle
An example portfolio piece by Shazleen Khan.

Faraqi tweeted out with the news, "Who's up for a graphic novel about a Muslim American family, y'all??? So excited to be working with @01FirstSecond and the awesome @neonlanterns to bring you this story"

Saving Sunshine is scheduled for 2023. Saadia Faruqi was represented by Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary, and Shazleen Khan was represented by Kurestin Armada at Root Literary.

First Second Books is an American graphic novels publisher based in New York City, and an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, distributed by Macmillan, with Editorial & Creative Director Mark Siegel and Editorial Director Calista Brill.


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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