Bollywood Stories: Middle Grade and Young Adult
These heartfelt books pay tribute to Bollywood, its glamour, and its fans, who are watching Bollywood movies around the globe. You'll laugh, cry, and cheer — and you may just break out into a spontaneous dance number along the way!
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.
Sister of the Bollywood Bride
Mini's big sister, Vinnie, is getting married. Their mom passed away seven years ago and between Dad's new start-up and Vinnie's medical residency, there's no one but Mini to plan the wedding. Dad raised her to know more about computers, calculus, and cars than desi weddings but from the moment Mini held the jewelry Mom left them, she wanted her sister to have the wedding Mom would've planned. Now Mini has only two months to get it done and she's not going to let anything distract her. Flower garlands, decorations, music, even a white wedding horse — everything is in place.
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.
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything
Product Description: Eleven-year-old Dini loves everything about movies — especially Bollywood movies. So she would have been really excited about her family's move to India…if they were moving anywhere near Bombay, the center of the Bollywood universe and home to Dini's all-time most favorite favorite star, Dolly Singh. But no. Dini's now stuck in a teeny, tiny village that she can't even find on a map. But small villages can have surprises!
The Karma Map: A Novel
Born and raised in the US, Tara Bajaj hides her family secrets. With beautiful clothes, a popular social media presence, and a spot on the Rutgers High Bollywood dance team, she does it well―until her carefully cultivated image shatters. Shut out by friends and with her future in flux, Tara accepts a guide position for a youth group’s temple tour through North India. Rediscovering the heart of her ancestry is as good a place as any to start over. Silas D’Souza-Gupta is an aspiring photojournalist retracing the journey his two mothers took when they fell in love.
The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic
Dini and Maddie, very best friends, are back in the same country at the same time! Better still, Dolly Singh, the starriest star in all of Bollywood, is in America too. Life seems perfect to Dini — but why can't she untie the knot in her stomach? Because so much can go wrong when a big star like Dolly is in town. This sequel to The Grand Plan to Fix Everything will have fans cheering for Dini's ability to save the day once again!
Multicultural Literature
See more great related resources and videos in our Multicultural Literature section!