University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Highly Commended

Thukpa For All

Set in Ladakh, this story is about a young blind boy who lives with his grandmother. It delivers the message that specially-abled persons are no different from others and in fact suggests that they have different capabilities. It also introduces the reader to the culture of the people of Ladakh and demonstrates the importance of community. (Grades K-3)

A Circle of Elephants

The youngest elephant driver in the Nepalese Borderlands, thirteen year-old Nandu, faces challenges from both nature and poachers with the help of family, friends, and his bull elephant Hira Prasad, while learning the rhythm of the jungle and compassion for its animals. A companion novel to What Elephants Know. (Grades 4-8)

A Maiden’s Prayer: A Family Story Set in 1970s Sri Lanka

This spellbinding novel narrated by a witty and keenly observant aspiring writer, teenager Tamara de Silva, unravels family and community secrets while detailing the role of astrology, match matchers, and scheming Aunties’ efforts to marry off her eligible bachelor uncle, all amid the cultural and political atmosphere of the times.