Books by This Author
American as Paneer Pie
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! But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.
Brown Is Beautiful: A Poem of Self-Love
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!
Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame
As a child, Meera's parents married her to a boy from a neighboring village whom she barely knows. But when Indian soldiers mutiny against their British commanders and destroy the British ammunition depot, Meera's husband is killed. Upon hearing the news, Meera's father insists that she follow the dictates of their fringe religious sect: She must end her life by throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Risking everything Meera runs away, and is soon forced to become a servant in the house of a high-ranking British East India Company captain.
That Thing about Bollywood
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. 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.
