Bindu's Bindis

Bindu's Bindis
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2021-03-02
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9781454940203

A companion to Kelkar's The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, this picture book features a little girl named Bindu whose bindis connect her to family and help her find courage to compete in the school talent show. This charming picture book is about a little girl who loves her bindis (and the many creative shapes they come in!). The bindis are also a connection to her Nani who lives in India. When Nani comes to visit Bindu and brings the bindis to her, it is just in time to wear something new to the school talent show. Bindu and Nani work together to shine their brightest and embrace their sparkle, even when they stand out from the crowd.

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Total Pages: 31
Release: 2020-02-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1454941456

“Alea Marley’s cover illustration screams JOY and LOVE. I love everything about this important and necessary picture book, especially Harpreet Singh and his big heart.” —Mr. Schu, Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic “This simple yet sensitive story about a child coming to terms with things beyond his control will resonate across cultures.” —Kirkus Harpreet Singh loves his colors—but when his family moves to a new city, everything just feels gray. Can he find a way to make life bright again? Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. He especially takes care with his patka—his turban—smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again?

That Thing about Bollywood

That Thing about Bollywood
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2021-05-18
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1534466738

Bollywood takes over in this contemporary, magical middle grade novel about an Indian American girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into glamorous song-and-dance routines during everyday life. You know how in Bollywood when people are in love, they sing and dance from the mountaintops? Eleven-year-old Sonali wonders if they do the same when they’re breaking up. The truth is, Sonali’s parents don’t get along, and it looks like they might be separating. Sonali’s little brother, Ronak, is not taking the news well, constantly crying. Sonali would never do that. It’s embarrassing to let out so many feelings, to show the world how not okay you are. But then something strange happens, something magical, maybe. When Sonali gets upset during a field trip, she can’t bury her feelings like usual—instead, she suddenly bursts into a Bollywood song-and-dance routine about why she’s upset! The next morning, much to her dismay, Sonali’s reality has shifted. Things seem brighter, almost too bright. Her parents have had Bollywood makeovers. Her friends are also breaking out into song and dance. And somehow, everyone is acting as if this is totally normal. Sonali knows something has gone wrong, and she suspects it has something to do with her own mismanaged emotions. Can she figure it out before it’s too late?

American as Paneer Pie

American as Paneer Pie
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2020-06-09
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1534439404

An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk and Amina’s Voice. As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian. When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha. To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school. When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.

My Bindi

My Bindi
Author: Gita Varadarajan
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2022-08-16
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338815423

In this universal story about embracing who we are and where we come from, a young girl finds the magic, power, and history of wearing a bindi for the first time, in this moving and lyrical picture book debut from Gita Varadarajan. There in the mirror, I see a shining star. My mother’s joy, my father’s pride. And then I see something else: I see me. Divya is scared to put on the bindi for the first time. What if she gets made fun of? What will it feel like? But Amma assures her that her bindi will bring protection. After Divya looks inside Amma’s special box to find the perfect bindi to put on, she gazes in the mirror and discovers a new side of herself, and it gives her strength. In this tender debut picture book, author Gita Varadarajan crafts a powerful story about belonging, embracing your heritage, and believing in yourself. Archana Sreenivasan's vibrant and magical illustrations bring to life this journey of self-discovery. My Bindi is a universal message of the importance finding oneself and celebrating the unique beliefs and experiences that make us who we are.

Unashamed

Unashamed
Author: Aziza Kibibi
Publisher: Aziza Kibibi McGill Ayinde
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015-05-03
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780990489726

Unashamed is the riveting account of a daughter's life as her father's, MTV award winning music video director Aswad Ayinde's, sex slave and the challenges she faces as the biological mother of her own siblings.

Brown Is Beautiful

Brown Is Beautiful
Author: Supriya Kelkar
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Total Pages: 21
Release: 2022-10-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0374391564

For fans of Hair Love and Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, here is an empowering picture book about recognizing the beauty around you and within you by award-winning author Supriya Kelkar and rising star illustrator Noor Sofi. Brown is beautiful. On a hike with her grandparents, a young Indian-American girl makes note of all the things in nature that are brown, too. From a nurturing mother bear, to the steadiness of deep twisting roots, to the beauty of a wild mustang, brown is everywhere! On her way, the girl collects the beautiful brown things she encounters as mementos for a scrapbook to share with a very special new addition to her family--a baby brother! Brown is you. Brown is me.

American Desi

American Desi
Author: Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2022
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780316705301

An American child of East Asian descent revels in dances, clothing, games, foods and other characteristics of both cultures, while blending them into what makes this American desi unique.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary
Author: Paola Mendoza
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1984815717

Co-founder of the Women's March makes her YA debut in a near future dystopian where a young girl and her brother must escape a xenophobic government to find sanctuary. It's 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked--from buses to grocery stores. It's almost impossible to survive as an undocumented immigrant, but that's exactly what sixteen-year-old Vali is doing. She and her family have carved out a stable, happy life in small-town Vermont, but when Vali's mother's counterfeit chip starts malfunctioning and the Deportation Forces raid their town, they are forced to flee. Now on the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to her tía Luna's in California, a sanctuary state that is currently being walled off from the rest of the country. But when Vali's mother is detained before their journey even really begins, Vali must carry on with her younger brother across the country to make it to safety before it's too late. Gripping and urgent, co-authors Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher have crafted a narrative that is as haunting as it is hopeful in envisioning a future where everyone can find sanctuary.