They are inspiring talented stunning remarkable wise

They are also fearless depressed hilarious impatient in love out of love pissed off

And they want you to let them in.

Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet and anthologist and the acclaimed author of Habibi: A Novel and Sitti's Secrets, a picture book, which was based on her own experiences visiting her beloved Sitti in Palestine. Her book 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East was a finalist for the National Book Award. She has taught writing and worked in schools all over the world, including in Muscat, Oman. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

“Alternately raw, poignant, quiet, and loud…Readers will have no trouble finding little pieces of themselves in this beautifully orchestrated collection.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Gripping and provocative in its portrayal of vastly different lives and experiences, strong sense of place, and sheer exuberance.” — Publishers Weekly

“[An] exceptionally well-selected collection.” — The Horn Book