A Project of the South Asia National Outreach Consortium
Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, broke from patriarchy to lead her citizens in an arduous fight against the British. Her story is an important part of the story of India’s uprising beginning in 1857, eventually leading to independence. This brilliantly illustrated retelling introduces readers to a female hero for all times. (Grades 7 and up)
Editors Gabrielle Deonath and Kamini Ramdeen have curated a brave and beautiful anthology filled with Brown Girls’ voices telling their personal stories of discovery, self-love, mental health, and more across the South Asian diaspora.
In this beautiful graphic novel, Bangladeshi-American Nisrin, a traumatized victim of a hate crime, emerges from her home for her freshman year, having decided to wear the hijab at her new school. What follows leads to Nisrin’s discovery of her complex family history with both Islam and Bangladesh.
An unnamed boy, obsessed with numbers, must not only navigate war torn Sri Lanka, but also the cast of characters and talking animals occupying the refugee camp where he lives. At the heart of this fantastical and often humorous tale is a story about resistance and dealing with the tragedy of a country ripped apart by civil war. The amazing illustrations are dark and rough, which expertly reflect the horrors of the story. (Grades 8 and up).
In this gripping coming of age story, Indian-American teenager, Rani, must decide whether to be drawn into a dysfunctional relationship with her first love, Oliver, or stay true to who she is and where she comes from. (Grades 10-12)
The dense, chaotic, yet lyrical, pulse of daily life in Bombay collides with the dissonant, hip-hop sensibility of affluent, urban Indian youth in this story of Dimple, a young Indian-American woman’s journey of self-discovery. (Grades 10 and up)
Before India was divided, three teens, each from wildly different backgrounds, cross paths. And then, in one moment, their futures become irrevocably intertwined. Tariq, Anupreet, Margaret are as different as their Muslim, Sikh, and British names. But in that one moment, their futures become entirely dependent on one another. (Grades 8 and up)
Perkins scoops up readers, traveling across oceans and through time to meet Ranee, Tara, Sonia, Anna, and Chantal as they create new lives in London, New York City, and Ridgeford, New Jersey. Learn what all three generations gain from each other, all in their own voices! (Grades 9-12)
Robin, Kat and Gracie travel to Kolkata, India with their church group to help girls who have been rescued from trafficking, but find that they are the ones whose lives are changed. (Grades 9 and up)
A mother and daughter story of resilience, strength, and love, as they rediscover themselves and each other while being lost in the myriad gallis of the City of Djinns, Delhi. Sheba Karim transports you with Ruby and Noreen to the heart and soul of Delhi through her vivid descriptions of culture, architecture, ruins, and of course-the food. (Grades 9-12)
