The South Asia Book Award is delighted to announce our honors list for 2025! We received more than 100 submissions this year. Congratulations to all the amazing authors and illustrators listed below!
Award Winners
The Spice Box, written by Meera Sriram, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Penguin Random House Canada, 2024). In this heartwarming intergenerational story about love, legacy, and flavor, Rishi is ready to carry forward his Dad’s and his Paati’s stories through the beautiful family spice box. Paati was known in her hometown in India as the Wizard of Spice, and she passed the legacy to Rishi’s Dad when she honored him with the title Master of Spice. Now Rishi wants a chance to impress his Paati when she visits from India by helping his Dad make the potato curry using the fragrant spices from the family spice box. (Grades PK-2)
The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi (Harper Collins, 2024). Mahnoor navigates the challenges of home life and the struggles of school, all while dealing with friendships that test her strength. Amid the chaos, her passion for journalism becomes a lifeline—guiding her toward understanding her Pakistani identity. When her grandmother arrives from Pakistan, carrying a history long buried, Mahnoor begins to uncover powerful family stories that reshape how she sees herself, her roots, and her future. (Grades 5-8)
The Salt Thief by Neal Bascomb (Scholastic Focus, 2024) The Salt Thief is a dramatic, narrative nonfiction account of Gandhi’s Salt March and India’s struggle to gain independence from Britain. Gandhi is known throughout history for his nonviolent protestations. Leading his followers to the Arabian Sea to protest Britain’s salt tax led to decades of conflict and brutal crackdowns amongst his followers and against Gandhi himself. This account tells the story about the people involved and the difficult decisions Gandhi and his followers were confronted with. (Grades 7-12)
Honor Books
Once Upon a Sari, written by Zenia Wadhwani, illustrated by Avani Dwivedi (Penguin Random House, 2024) When little Avani rummages through her mother’s saris, she expects a scolding, but instead, her mother shares the memories woven into each one. From celebrations to family heirlooms and even a sari carried through Partition, the fabrics tell stories of love, struggle, and heritage. This vibrant picture book beautifully celebrates Indian culture, intergenerational bonds, and the emotional significance of tradition. (Grades PK-2)
Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani (Harper Collins, 2024) Prior to the Partition of 1947, Twelve year-old Raj, and his best friend, Iqbal, spent their days flying kites, climbing trees, and eating mangoes. After Partition, a British lawyer draws a line on a map splitting India into separate countries. Raj’s family originally lived in what is now Pakistan. They are forced to flee Pakistan because they are Hindus- and millions of families, friends, and neighborhoods are split apart by religion. Based on the Hemnani’s family history, this book provides readers a glimpse into the largest mass migration in history. (Grades 4 and up)
The Door Is Open (anthology of stories) edited by Hena Khan (Little, Brown Books for Readers, 2024) The Door Is Open, edited by Hena Khan, is a powerful collection of interconnected short stories that center the voices and experiences of South Asian American middle schoolers in the fictional town of Maple Grove, New Jersey. Each story takes place in or around the Maple Grove Community Center, a place that has become a home, a refuge, and a space for joy, protest, apology, creativity, and connection. The center is beloved by the community, but now it is at risk of being shut down. Across the anthology, young people offer many perspectives as they navigate identity, belonging, and resistance. Some discover new crushes or talents, while others face racism, speak truth to power, or learn to cook sabji. Told by eleven South Asian authors, this collection uplifts a vibrant mosaic of voices and reminds us that our stories, especially when shared in community, carry strength, humor, and heart. (Grades 3-7)
Four Eids and Funeral by Faridah Abikke-Iyimide and Adiba Jaigirdar (Macmillan, 2024) Four Eids and a Funeral is a heartfelt, humorous, and community-rooted love story co-written by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar. When Said Hossain returns to his small Vermont hometown for the funeral of a beloved librarian, he finds himself face-to-face with his former best friend, Tiwa Olatunji. The two have not spoken in years, but now they must work together to save their local Islamic Center, which has been damaged by a fire and is at risk of being demolished. As they plan the upcoming Eid celebration and collaborate on an art project, their relationship begins to shift. Said, a Bangladeshi American teen who dreams of becoming an artist, and Tiwa, a Nigerian American girl navigating grief and community responsibility, each bring their own histories and hopes to the story. Told in alternating perspectives, this novel explores themes of friendship, loss, anti-Black racism, parental expectations, queer joy, and the rich diversity within Muslim communities. At its heart, this is a story about returning to the people and places that matter most and finding love and belonging along the way. (Grades 8+)
Highly Commended Books
Asha the Auto-Driver, written by Aruna Shekar, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Tulika Books, 2024) Follow Asha as she drives in the beautiful, bustling streets of Chennai from dawn to dusk. Her green-and-yellow auto is more than just a ride — it’s a moving sanctuary where stories bloom like the jasmine strings she sells. (Grades PK-2)
My Mother’s Tongues, written by Uma Menon, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell (Candlewick Press, 2024) Sumi is in awe of her mother’s superpower: her mom can speak two languages- Malayalam and English. Through beautiful mixed media images, the author and illustrator invites the readers to join a story that highlights the importance of communicating through multilingualism and the richness of linguistic diversity in a global society. While the book can be used with younger readers to connect to boundary shifting within immigrant families and understanding how identity shifts among different communities. Additionally, this book can be an engaging text to use with older readers in classrooms that focus on new language development, immigration, and global connections. (Grade 1 and up)
Yasmeen Lari, Green Architect, written by Marzieh Abbas, illustrated by Hoda Hadadi (Clarion Books, 2024) Yasmeen Lari has shattered multiple glass ceilings—not only as Pakistan’s first woman architect but also as a passionate activist and community organizer dedicated to preserving the country’s historic architecture and heritage sites. She has led humanitarian efforts that empower local communities to rebuild after natural disasters. As a committed environmentalist she has championed the use of sustainable, locally sourced materials. In this beautifully crafted biography, author Marzieh Abbas and illustrator Hoda Hadadi bring Lari’s remarkable journey to life through compelling text and rich, informative collages. Readers will be inspired by Yasmeen Lari’s vision and groundbreaking contributions as a leading architect in Pakistan and on the global stage. (Grades PK-3)
Amil and the After by Veera Hiranandani (Kokila/Penguin Random House, 2024) In Amil and the After, Veera Hiranandani continues the story from The Night Diary, following 12-year-old Amil as he adjusts to life in Bombay after the Partition of India. Struggling with loss, trauma, and identity, Amil finds healing through drawing, friendship, and small acts of kindness. This powerful middle-grade novel explores themes of resilience, hope, and the lasting impact of displacement. (Grades 3-6)
I’m From Here Too by Kashmira Sheth (Peachtree Books, 2024) Eighth grader Anoop has a lot on his plate – a new classroom without his best friend, his grandfather in India is sick and possibly dying, and attacks on American Sikhs are increasing. Anoop’s only respite is the poetry that he writes, but as he tries to make sense of the turmoil in his life, he turns to his family history and his grandfather’s experience during Partition. This novel-in-verse covers a number of heavy topics, but it handles them with a delicate touch that is not overwhelming to the reader. The poetry flows easily and makes this a smooth reading experience. (Grades 3-6)
My Big, Fat Desi Wedding by Prerna Pickett (Page Street Publishing, 2024) This YA romance anthology, featuring eight different Desi authors, contains the spectrum of stories one expects from an anthology – it runs the gamut from a “family curse” that turns speech to truth, to a vampiric marriage, to the ever-beloved trope of one’s soulmate’s feelings appearing as words upon one’s skin. Each story gives a glimpse into that author’s style. Overall, this anthology is a great introduction to a variety of authors, both debut and experienced, as well as an introduction to multiple facets of Desi weddings from across the region. (Grades 8+)
Contact SABA Award Administrators to learn more, schedule an author visit or event, recommend new titles, or inquire about the committee – saba@southasia.wisc.edu.
South Asia Book Award
Center for South Asia, 203 Ingraham Hall
Madison, WI 53706 – (608) 890-2847
southasiabookaward.wisc.edu