This week’s Story Seeds collaboration brings together 12 year old Sulaf and Susan Muaddi Darraj (author of the new middle grade series Farah Rocks and a 2014 AWP Grace Paley Award, 2016 American Book Award, and 2016 Arab American Book Award winner) on a field trip to the Riverside Theater in New York City.
Susan helps Sulaf grow this story idea:
A young girl who lives in New York City and works in the theater district realizes there is a very dark secret hidden at the show she's working on.
Follow Sulaf and Susan's thrill-filled Story Seeds adventure with host Betsy Bird as:
- Sulaf tells Susan her wish of seeing a story about an Arab-American girl who looks like her and represents not only her cultural background but her love of the theatre too
- They talk about the Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop's metaphor on how children's books should be be mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for readers
- They geek out over their mutual love of Agatha Christie mysteries and Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven
- They grow a story inspired by their back stage tour of the Riverside Theater
The episode concludes with this week’s storytime (17:40) where Susan reads the story she grew from Sulaf’s story seed: Mystery at the Theatre
Books and media mentioned in this episode: Farah Rocks series by Susan Muaddi Darraj, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.
Musicals and Plays: The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe.
Calls to Action
Bonus Episode: Check back next week to hear Betsy's interview with Susan where you'll get to find out whodunnit!
Kids: Call The Story Seeds Hotline at 646-389-5153, email us at storyseeds@literarysafari.com, or visit our website to submit your story ideas. You can also join The Story Seeds Society, our kids listeners club.
Grownups: Visit www.storyseedspodcast.com for subscription links, to sign up for our newsletter, and to download our printable activity e-zines for your kids (or the kid in you!) that offer opportunities to read, write, and get creative alongside listening to each episode . You can also follow us on Instagram @storyseedspod, on Twitter @litsafarimedia, and on Facebook @literarysafari.
Get our Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity activity book! It pairs perfectly with the podcast and features tons of episode-inspired prompts and projects! Order your copy here!
This episode is also available on YouTube. Subscribe here.
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