Mrs. Anna Saeli has published a book series describing the diverse experiences of students coming to the United States from a range of countries.
These books share the unique stories from the students’ home countries, their journey to America, and their experiences adjusting to the new culture and education system.
Mrs. Saeli, who is Bearden’s ELL department chair, found herself disappointed with the lack of relatable learning material offered to her students. Turning her thoughts into inspiration was easy with the fascinating stories shared by her students.
“All my students are from around the world, they speak different languages, they’re different religions, and they have this really unique experience,” she said.
She said she noticed a lack of available books that her students found relatable.
Her books represent student stories from 18 different countries, spanning five continents.
Recognizing the diverse backgrounds of her students, Mrs. Saeli was inspired to write stories to help her students learn from each others’ experiences and see themselves represented in literature.
“I felt like my students were finally getting to read something that they’re like, ‘Oh, I had this experience too or this happened to me too,’” she said. “Because students would talk about learning English, starting school in a new country, making friends, and culture shock.”
Recognizing the potential for a wider impact, Mrs. Saeli started sharing her stories to publishers. The publisher she used was also excited by the idea and thought it would be useful for other teachers and schools.
Mrs. Saeli’s books are available online, but are mostly catered to schools to buy them for their libraries.
“I think it’s really important for their experiences to be validated and for them to see themselves in a story and in characters and in literature,” she said.
The journey from idea to publication took about two and a half years. This included interviewing students, writing, and collaborating with publishers.
“It’s just been really cool to see,” she said. “It’s kind of a dream come true, and I feel like it’s really cool to see other teachers using them.
“That was my goal, and I feel like it’s working.”
The books are available for students to check out from the Bearden library.
“I think [the students are] pretty excited about it because most students don’t love to read,” she said, “but this is the first time I’ve seen students say, ‘Which book are you going to read next?’”