A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic by Lisa Papademetriou (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2015). In this contemporary mystery, two girls – Leila in Pakistan and Kai in Texas – are linked to each other through a magical …
2016
Sona and the Wedding Game
Sona and the Wedding Game by Kashmira Sheth; illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi (Peachtree Publishers, 2015). Sona is excited about attending her first Indian wedding, particularly since her sister is the bride. She discovers tradition expects her …
My Friend is Hindu
My Friend is Hindu by Khadija Ejaz (Purple Toad Publishing, 2015) Most of us don’t have a friend like Arjun to explain to us about sanatana dharma, varnas, samskaras, and atman, but Cameron’s Hindu pal shows …
Crane Boy
Crane Boy by Diana Cohn; illustrated by Youme (Cinco Puntos Press, 2015). Every year Kinga waits for the black-necked cranes to return to his village in Bhutan. When he discovers they are endangered, he and his …
Razia and the Pesky Presents
Hilariously encapturing the frustrations of being a female ruler in the thirteenth century (not as different from today as you might imagine!), this tale bubbles with sly humor, rhythmic rhymes, and a fascinating cast of caricatured characters who are as comical in the exaggerated illustrations as they are in the narrative. (Grades 2-4).
The Boy Who Speaks in Numbers
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).
Bhimrao Ambedkar: The Boy Who Asked Why
Young Bhimaro does not understand why he is not allowed to sit at a school desk or drink from the same water tap as the other children. His search for answers to all his “whys” leads him on a quest that culminates in his becoming the first Law Minister in India and a writer of the country’s Constitution. Beautiful and vibrant illustrations bring to life the story of one of India’s most important social justice fighters. (Grades K-3).
Dear Mrs. Naidu
When twelve-year-old Sarojini is forced to begin the school year without her best friend, Amir, who begins attending a higher class school outside of their neighborhood, she becomes wholly conflicted about her own social standing. Fortuitously, Sarojini’s spirited new teacher assigns her to write letters to someone she would like to know, and as Sarojini channels her thoughts as correspondence with her deceased, freedom-fighter namesake, Sarojini Naidu, she awakens her own sense of activism, communal relationships, familial bonds, and confirmed friendships, both old and new. (Grades 6 and up).
Tiger Boy
A gripping and heartfelt tale of a young boy’s love for, and sense of responsibility towards, his island home in the Sunderbands of West Bengal and the wildlife that shares it with him. Universal concerns of conservation, equal education, and economic inequality are seamlessly intertwined with the narrative of Neel’s daily life and his adventure with a tiger cub. (Grades 3-6).