A Project of the South Asia National Outreach Consortium
The South Asia Book Award is delighted to announce our honors list for 2026! We received more than 100 submissions this year. Congratulations to all the amazing authors and illustrators listed below! Award Winners Midnight Motorbike Written by Maureen Shay Tajsar, Illustrated by Ishita JainNeal Porter Books/Holiday House Join a young girl and her Amma …
Home Has No Borders: A Collection of South Asian Stories Edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra (HarperCollins, 2025) Journey across a rich tapestry of contemporary stories that explore the many meanings of home for South Asian teens living across the diaspora. Through a diverse collection of voices, characters, and experiences, readers encounter moments of …
Zarina Divided by Reem Faruqi (Harper Collins Children, 2025) A much-needed book focusing on the Partition of India into India and Pakistan. Reem Faruqi’s story in verse is inspired by her grandmother’s life. Zarina, an 11 year-old girl living in Poona in 1947, experiences the heartbreak of having to leave her home and her friends …
Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees Written by Sandhya Acharya. Illustrated by Avani Dwivedi. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025) Join a young narrator and his mentor as they take a wonder-filled walk across a living bridge in the mountainous state of Meghalaya in northeastern India. The Living Root Bridges, …
Four Eids and Funeralby 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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
This non-fiction graphic novel comprises 16 distinctive narratives that provide the histories of India’s hard-fought independence. The author notes that in a few years’ time, “there will not be a single person alive who fought for [India’s] freedom”. These (his)stories are available for adolescent and young adult learners to gain a deeper, and more humane, understanding of India’s history. Classrooms can easily use this book as a supplement to research projects, or as a classroom text that delves deeper into India’s past. (Grades 8-12)
Fourteen-year-old Kavi dreams of escaping her impoverished village life in Sri Lanka and finding freedom through her poetry. After receiving a scholarship to an elite school in Colombo, Kavi is caught between two worlds: her rural home and the privileged urban life of her classmates. Set against the backdrop of the 1998 Sri Lankan civil war, Kavi’s journey explores themes of resilience, belonging, and self-discovery. (Grades 3-7)
