There weren't too many books featuring other cultures and countries when I was growing up as an immigrant kid here in the States.
Mitali PerkinsResearch is always a high priority in my fiction. Songs, fashion, politics, television, movies, trends - I try to get those details right.
Mitali PerkinsIf you have a chance to see Children Of War, you can watch expert trauma counselors try to help bring healing to young people who have experienced atrocities in conflict.
Mitali PerkinsAmerica inevitably "brings the distant near" because apart from members of the Native Nations, all of us originated in faraway places. Sadly, proximity within the United States doesn't automatically generate friendship. But if we choose to cross borders that may at first bring discomfort and open our hearts to those who seem like strangers, I believe that we can be transformed and united as individuals, families, communities, and even as a country.
Mitali Perkins