Category Archives: South Asia Book

Outside In

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Twelve-year-old Ram, who lives on the streets of Chandigarh in northern India, discovers a hidden garden full of sculptures.  He follows a man on a bicycle who seems to be collecting rocks and cast off materials. The man, Nek Chand, uses scraps of metal, bike tires, broken glass and dishes, old rags – junk according to Ram – to create a secret world of thousands of odd statues.  Ram and Nek become friends and learn how the story of the Ramayana parallels their story.  This heartwarming book was inspired by the true story of the famous Indian artist who was displaced from his home after Partition and illegally built an entire village in Chandigarh.  Today, Nek Chand’s Rock Garden is the second most visited site in India, after the Taj Mahal.  A glossary of Indian terms and an author’s note are included.  mjw

Title: Outside In Author: Jennifer Bradbury Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.  New York Copyright: 2017 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4424-6827-6 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Chandigarh, India Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S., taught in Chandigarh Awards: 2018 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Architecture, Asian, Chandigarh, Fables, Hindu, Homelessness, Legends, Myths, Nek Chand, Orphans, Poverty, Ramayana, Rock gardens, Sculptors

The Bridge Home

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Eleven-year-old Viji and her younger sister Rukku who has intellectual and developmental disabilities have run away into the harsh streets of Chennai to get away from their abusive father.  The girls find shelter and friends on an abandoned bridge.  Two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, and the girls survive by scavenging the city’s garbage heaps and by selling the bead necklaces that Rukku makes.  The four bond into a family of sorts.  They are often hungry and scared, but they have each other and their dog Kutti. When the rainy season comes, Rukku and Muthi get sick and Viji and Arul have to make decisions about who they can trust to help them.  The courage and strength of the children is an inspiration. mjw

Title: The Bridge Home Author: Padma Venkatraman Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books Copyright: 2019 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-5247-3811-2 Hardcover pages: 208 Age range: 10-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Chennai, India Author’s ethnicity: Born in Chennai, India Author’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2020 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Asia, Domestic violence, Homelessness, Lower caste children, Runaways, Sisters

The Rumor

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Pandurang, a fruit seller in the village of Baddbaddpur, is an ill-tempered, grumpy man who never smiles. One day he coughs up a feather. The story of Panduang’s feather is passed on from one person to another until it is barely recognized. All the villagers come to see the forest, tigers, and birds that supposedly come out of his mouth. Pandurang listens to them and his frown grows lighter and lighter until he finally smiles. Funny, brilliant illustrations complement this version of “broken telephone” by the Indian Dr. Seuss. mjw

Title: The Rumor Author: Anushka Ravishankar Illustrator: Kanyika Kini Publisher: Tundra Books. Toronto, Canada Copyright: 2012 Original Title: The Rumour Original Publisher: Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd. India Original Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-77049-280-6 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: India Illustrator’s ethnicity: Indian Illustrator’s residence: Munich Awards: 2013 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Fairytales, Folktales, Myths

One Half From The East

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Ten-year-old Obayda’s father lost one of his legs in a bomb explosion and the family is in need of some good fortune. They move from Kabul to s small village. Obayda is dressed as a boy, a bacha posh. This is a longstanding tradition in Afghanistan. Families without a son designate a preteen daughter to fill the void with a simple physical transformation involving swapping clothes and cutting hair. Before she reaches puberty, she is changed back and resumes life as a girl, a gender that enjoys far less freedom and privilege. Obayda becomes Obayd and everything changes. She meets Rashim, another bacha posh. They become friends, explore the village, and play sports, but there is no forever as a bacha posh. This heart-stirring and enlightening coming-of-age story includes an author’s note. mjw

Title: One Half From The East Author: Nadia Hashimi Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English  ISBN: 978-0-06-242190-6 Hardcover pages: 272 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Afghanistan Author’s ethnicity: Afghan Author’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2017 South Asia Book Award Highly Commended Subjects: Bacha posh, Child marriage, Gender, Prejudice and racism, Self-esteem and self-reliance

What Elephants Know

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Young Nandu was abandoned in the Nepalese Borderlands and raised by a pack of dhole, Asiatic wild dogs, much like Mowgli in The Jungle Book, until he was brought to the king’s elephant stable. There, Subba-sahib, the stable head, and Devi Kali, a protective female elephant become his new “parents.” Nandu wants to be a mahout, an elephant driver. He goes to boarding school where his teacher, Father Autry, becomes his mentor. When the elephant stable is to be closed, Nandu works to save it. This beautiful coming-of-age story includes rich detail about the culture of Nepal and a wealth of knowledge about the natural world. A glossary helps with the Nepalese words and common elephant commands. Maps adorn the endpapers. The book “dedicated to elephant lovers everywhere” was written by a world-class scientist specializing in the ecology of the Himalayan region. mjw

Title: What Elephants Know Author: Eric Dinerstein Publisher: Disney Hyperion Copyright: 2016 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1484728543 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 9-12 Genre: Fiction Book setting: Nepal Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2017 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Elephants, India, Jungles, Nepal history 20th century, Orphans

Dear Mrs. Naidu

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Spunky twelve-year-old Sarojini lives in Bangalore with her mother, who works in rich people’s houses. They struggle to make ends meet. Her best friend Amir has moved from their poor government school to a posh private school and Sarojini worries that she has lost her friend. She learns about the Right to Education law and becomes determined to improve her school. She gets help from feisty Deepti, a classmate; Vimala Madam, a human rights lawyer who might also be an evil genius; and Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, a long-dead freedom fighter and poet. Told through letters written to Mrs. Naidu, this is Sarojini’s life-changing journey, where she learns about justice and important education issues in India. The book concludes with a note about the real Sarojini Naidu and a list of organizations working for child rights. mjw

Title: Dear Mrs. Naidu Author: Mathangi Subramanian Publisher: Zubaan Publishers Pvt Ltd. New Delhi Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-93-83074-98-3  Paperback pages: 286 Age range: 12 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Bangalore, India Author’s residence: New Delhi, Delhi, India Awards: 2016 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Education, Friendship, Human rights, Law, Right to Education

Same, Same But Different

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Elliot lives in America and Kailish lives in India. They exchange drawings and notes as part of a Picture Pals project in their schools. The boys compare families, pets, cities, alphabets, and art and yoga classes, and discover that they are best friends even though they live in two different worlds. Or do they? “Different, different but the same!” The colorful, detailed and vivid art, rendered in acrylic, crayon, pencil, collage, and tissue paper, illustrates the differences and similarities between the boys’ homes. Stamps on the endpapers are whimsical and fun. In this age of instant access through the Internet, students can see a different way to communicate. The author/illustrator traveled to Nepal and India where she learned the popular saying “same, same but different” that is used to compare cultures. mjw

Title: Same, Same But Different Author: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw Illustrator: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York Copyright: 2011 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-8050-8946-2 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 4-7 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: U.S. and India Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: U.S. Illustrator’s residence: U.S. Awards: 2012 South Asia Book Award, 2012 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Subjects: Alphabet, Friendship, Pen pals

The Secret Sky: A Novel Of Forbidden Love In Afghanistan

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This modern Romeo and Juliet story of sorts, set in Afghanistan, is narrated by three of the main characters. Samiullah, a Pashtun boy, and Fatima, a Hazara girl, are two innocent teenagers who fall in love. Their ethnic groups differ and do not get along because of their historical backgrounds. Their desire to get married disgraces their families and sets a series of horrific events in motion. The third narrator is Samiullah’s cousin Rashid, the villain, who has fallen under the influence of the Taliban. He has seen Samiullah and Fatima together, assumes the worst, and turns them in to the local Taliban. Disturbing depictions of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against men, women, and children; amazing acts of kindness, bravery, and sacrifice; vivid imagery; complex characters; and a suspenseful ending make the book unputdownable. Though fictional, this powerful and hopeful love story paints a realistic picture of the conflicts and culture clashes in Afghanistan today. The author was a foreign news correspondent in Kabul for nearly five years. mjw

Title: The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love In Afghanistan Author: Atia Abawi Publisher: Philomel Books, Penguin Young Readers Group Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0-399-16078-3 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 14 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Afghanistan Author’s ethnicity: Afghani Author’s residence: Jerusalem Awards: 2015 South Asia Book Award – Highly Commended, 2015 Amelia Bloomer List Subjects: Conflict, Culture, Ethnic relations, Family relations, Hazaras, Love, Marriage, Pushtuns, Social justice, Talibans

Twenty-two Cents: Muhammad Yunus And The Village Bank

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Muhammad Yunis grew up in India in the 1940s in a family that cared for and wanted to help others. He witnessed extreme poverty. He studied economics in America, and when he returned to his homeland (which became Bangladesh), as an economics professor, he founded Grameen Bank where people could borrow small amounts of money to start a job, and then pay back the bank without unfairly high interest charges. Over the next years, he was responsible for loaning more than 10 billion U.S. dollars in micro-credit, and empowering the poor, especially women, to break the cycle of poverty. Yunus would become renowned as the Banker to the Poor. Accurate and authentic soft chalk pastels enhance this true story. Back matter includes an Afterword with information on poverty in America, an update on Yunus’s life, and photos of him as a young Boy Scout and as a Nobel Prize laureate in 2006. Author’s Sources are also provided. mjw

Title: Twenty-two Cents: Muhammad Yunus And The Village Bank Author: Paula Yoo Illustrator: Jamel Akib Publisher: Lee & Low Books, New York Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-60060-658-8 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 6-11 Genre: Picture book, Biography Book setting: India and Bangladesh Author’s ethnicity: Korean-American Author’s residence: U.S. Illustrator’s ethnicity: English and Malaysian Illustrator’s residence: England Awards: 2015 South Asia Book Award, 2015 IRA Notable Books for a Global Society Subjects: Bangladesh, Bankers, Economics, Economists, Generosity, Microcredit, Microfinance, Nobel Peace Prize 2006, Social activists, Social justice

A Moment Comes

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Set preceding the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, this story of turmoil and politics is told from the alternating points of view of three very different narrators. Margaret is a privileged British girl, living in India because her father is one of the cartographers finalizing the borders that will divide the country into two separate religious states. She is spoiled and finds India hot, loud, and dangerous, but is enthralled by the culture. Anupreet, a beautiful Sikh girl, once confined to her home to protect her from violent angry men, is employed as a maid for Margaret’s family, where her family believes she will be safe. Eighteen-year-old Tariq, a Muslim, hired as a translator for Margaret’s father, is caught between his forbidden interest in Anupreet and Margaret, who might be able to help with his goal of studying at Oxford. It is a dark and violent time, when no one is safe. Ultimately, 10 to 14 million people in India relocated and over one million died as a result. The time of Partition is underexplored in Western literature, especially in young adult historical fiction. A Glossary defines words used in the book and also mentions places and foods.   An Author’s Note offers even more information and details Bradbury’s connection to India. mjw

Title: A Moment Comes Author: Jennifer Bradbury Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon & Schuster, New York Copyright: 2013 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4169-7876-3 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 12 up Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Jalandhar, India Author’s ethnicity: U.S. Author’s residence: U.S.  Author has lived in India. Awards: 2014 South Asia Book Award Subjects: Culture, Household employees, India, Muslims, Pakistan, Partition 1947, Punjabi, Radcliffe Line, Sikhs, Tolerance

A Time To Dance

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Teenage Veda, who studies classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, is injured in a car accident and her leg has to be amputated below the knee.  She is devastated, but an American doctor understands her love of dance and designs a special prosthetic limb for her.  Veda starts dancing all over again.  She meets Govinda, a student teacher, who shows her a new way to bring joy to her dancing and who becomes her love interest.  This enthralling story of Veda’s journey and of familial relationships in modern India is told in verse that captures the fascination of India. mjw

Title: A Time To Dance Author: Padma Venkatraman Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Book, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group Copyright: 2014 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0-399-25710-0 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 12 up Genre: Novel in Verse/Poetry Book setting: India Author’s ethnicity: Indian Author’s residence: United States Awards:  2015 South Asia Book Award – Honor, Grades 6 and up Subjects: Amputees, Dance, India, Novels in verse, People with disabilities, Southern Asia

Razia’s Ray Of Hope: One Girl’s Dream of An Education

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When young Razia learns that there will be a new school for girls in her Afghan village, she is determined to attend.  Her baba gi (grandfather) supports her, but her father and brothers refuse to give her permission.  The school’s founder assures them that Razia will be safe and that allowing her to go to school will be for the good of the family, the village, and the country.  The book is a fictionalized account of the building of the Zabuli Education Center, a school for girls in the Afghan village of Deh’Subz.  The story is enhanced by photo, fabric, and drawing collage.  Illustrations capture the beauty and harsh realities of the small village.  Background information on the lack of girls’ education worldwide; a brief biography of Razia Jan, the school’s founder; a glossary; and classroom activities accompany this powerful book. mjw

Title: Razia’s Ray Of Hope: One Girl’s Dream Of An Education Author: Elizabeth Suneby Illustrator: Suana Verelst Publisher: Kids Can Press Ltd. Copyright: 2013 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-55453-816-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Afghanistan Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s ethnicity: Belgian Illustrator’s residence: Canada Awards: 2014 USBBY Outstanding International Book List, 2014 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Honor, 2014 South Asia Book Award, 2014 Middle East Outreach Council Book Award Subjects: Afghanistan, Girl’s educations, Southern Asia