Hasina: Through My Eyes

Description

The men come at night. The first Hasina knows of it is her aunt's voice, urgent, full of fear. 'Up, up. Get up! ' The second thing is smoke. Then there is a scream. 'Run,' her father shouts. 'And don't stop!' Hasina races deep into the Rakhine forest to hide with her cousin Ghadiya and her little brother, Araf. When they emerge some days later, it is to a silent, smouldering village. Their own house has not been burnt down but where are the rest of her family? Perhaps they have been gathered up and taken away ... or worse. So many Rohingyas are gone, how will she survive? Will her parents return? Hasina must find the courage to save her family amid the escalating conflict that threatens her world and her identity.

Michelle was born in Burma, now Myanmar, in the year of the military coup and left with her parents when she was an infant. She grew up in Canada, worked as an advertising copywriter in London and now calls Australia home. Her first book, The Monsoon Bride, is set in colonial Rangoon. She is finalising a book about the cosmopolitan history of the city, which she researched in the Luce Collection at the National Library of Australia. She likes travel and the outdoors and Melbourne coffee. Michelle currently teaches at RMIT University. Series editor and series creator Lyn White has extensive experience as a primary classroom teacher, teacher-librarian and EAL teacher. In 2010 Lyn completed postgraduate studies in Editing and Communications at the University of Melbourne. Lyn is passionate about children's literature and has great expertise in engaging students with quality texts. Her work with refugee children motivated her to create the acclaimed Through My Eyes series of books set in contemporary war zones. Lyn also created and edited the Through My Eyes - Natural Disaster Zones series that pays tribute to the courage and resilience of children who are often the most vulnerable in post-disaster situations. Lyn continues to teach EAL and is an education consultant and conference presenter.