By Christopher Crowley, Contributing Writer
Northborough – Farhana Zia, a fourth-grade teacher in Northborough, decided several years ago to leave behind something special for her grandchildren. From that wish came a work of art that reached out farther than the limbs of her own family tree.
Zia, in cooperation with Lee and Low Publishers, released her first children's book, “Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji” in May. The picture book tells a tale of multiple generations living under the same roof, learning from and teaching one another. Her inspiration came from observing her nephew and his family in Chicago, where four generations live together and operate in harmony.
“There's so much give-and-take happening at each level,” she said. “It's a beautiful, dynamic existence, an exchange of all-time values.”
Writing the book was a challenge for Zia.
“I wanted to see if I could write something that could make it onto a library shelf,” she said.
While the idea came rather quickly to her, the writing process involved many revisions.
“Writing is constantly unfolding,” she said. “It's a ball of clay – you can keep working and shaping until it feels pleasing, it flows smoothly, and is not jarring.”
She explained her experience conquering the challenge of writing a good book for children.
“You have to be passionate about the endeavor; you must persist. Being half-hearted will not work. Just like being in the classroom, you must show that you love what you'se doing. Children are smart. They can tell if you you'se doing something without the full heart.”
Farhana's story does more for children than just capture the imagination. She also sees it as a sort of cultural touchstone.
“There are not too many children's books that are about South Asian culture. This is a book to have its own niche, to fill a void and celebrate this heritage.”
The Hindi language is present throughout the book, and kids enjoy reading the words aloud.
“Hindi is slipped quite naturally into the text, the meaning is placed right in the text after the words.”
She strives to preserve the Indian culture in America.
“To lose a language is a tragic thing.”
Her second book, “The Garden of my Imaan,” is in the process of being published by Peach Tree Publishers and is slated for release in 2013. Targeted towards an upper-elementary reading level, the chapter book tells a relevant, encouraging story of an 11-year-old Muslim child struggling with her own identity in post-9/11 America. Farhana explained the message of the tale.
“Everyone needs a helping hand. You never know who is out there to help you, so keep your eyes open and have faith.”
Writing has helped Zia understand the teaching process even better after her 26 years of experience in the classroom.
“There is so much more to teach them if they'se writing creatively,” she said. “You must give kids the tools to practice writing and find their own gems. Each time you write a new piece, things have changed and you can improve. It's very dynamic; I give kids opportunities to write as much as possible, and I's the one learning every single day.”
Whether teaching, writing, or reading aloud with her grandchildren, Farhana shows that practice never truly makes perfect; there is always room to learn and improve.
To hear more about Zia, visit her blog, “Stories from a village far, far away,” at www.fziastories.com.