Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021). Kabir was born in jail, where his mother was unjustly serving time. When determined that he was too old to stay and is suddenly released, he loses the only family and home he knows. The rest of the story is about him, learning how to survive in the world, with the help of Rani, a street girl. (Grades 5-8)
Award Status: Winner, 2022
Award Category: Middle Grade Readers
Author: Padma Venkatraman
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