I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp
by Anthony Del Col; 
illustrated by Fahmida Azim
Lev Gleason/Diamond Books
WINNER OF THE 2022 PULITZER PRIZE FOR ILLUSTRATED REPORTING!
A 2024 JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION!
This graphic novella, from New Friday an imprint of Lev Gleason®, recounts the true story of Zumrat Dawut, as originally published in the independent online news organization, Business Insider, through interviews conducted by Anthony Del Col and testimony given to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Zumrat Dawut is a mother of three in the Xinjiang autonomous region in China, who was arrested and sent to a detention facility for simply being a Muslim. There, she endured brutal living conditions, torture, interrogations, anti-Muslim propaganda, and sterilization. But that was just the beginning of Zumrat’s troubles, who with her husband would soon hatch a plan to escape to America.
This story, featuring art by Golden Kit Award-Winner Fahmida Azim (Samira Surfs), and adapted by best-selling writer Anthony Del Col (Kill Shakespeare), was originally published online by Business Insider. This print edition, published by New Friday an imprint of Lev Gleason®, includes a foreword by Nicholas Carlson, Global Editor-in-Chief of Business Insider, an interview with the creative team, a follow-up interview with Zumrat Duwat, a teaching/discussion guide, and process art.
I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp is a harrowing, evocative, and important story that will enthrall and enlighten readers worldwide.
This review was originally published in 
Gr 4-8–It’s been three months since 11-year-old Samira and her family fled persecution in their homeland of Burma; three months since they paid a man to board a boat to cross the Naf River, seeking safety and a better life in Bangladesh; and three months since that same river swallowed her grandparents alive and dragged them to the bottom of the sea. In Bangladesh, Samira and her family do their best to make a life as unregistered refugees living outside of the refugee camps: Samira sells hard-boiled eggs along the beach to tourists; her brother cleans dishes and tables at a local café, and her father performs grueling work on shrimping boats. As refugees, they face resentment, suspicion, and threats of violence by some members of the local Bengali population, who view them as competition for scarce resources. Meanwhile, Samira struggles to pursue her own dreams, which conflict with her parents’ cultural expectations. New friendships along the beach offer community and the opportunity to surf, an activity that gives Samira freedom and the chance to face and overcome her fears. Written in verse, this well-paced novel weaves Burmese history and the plight of the Rohingya, a persecuted predominately Muslim ethnic minority. Characters are multidimensional and are portrayed with nuance and empathy. Illustrations offer additional texture and help bring the plot to life. Although this is a work of fiction, it will hopefully inspire readers to learn more about the “surfer girls of Bangladesh,” the Rohingya people, and Southeast Asian history.
Though Eid is full of the joy and community she loves, missing picture day puts a damper on the celebration, until Amira thinks of a possible solution. Deceptively simple, Faruqi’s narrative gently addresses the impact that the celebration of non-dominant cultures and holidays has on children and choices families make to uphold traditions. Moreover, Amira’s conflicted feelings and insistence on finding a solution create opportunities for dialogue about the importance of acknowledging spaces that matter to children, especially while families try to foster positive identity. Azim’s illustrations are fun and colorful, with tiny details reflecting the family’s personality, while the people attending Eid celebrations at Amira’s masjid are racially and culturally diverse, with varied skin tones, body types, and expressions of fashion and style.
Back matter features an author’s note and glossary of terms, referencing Urdu and Amira and her family’s Pakistani roots.
Amira’s Picture Day by Reem Faruqi