American as Paneer Pie

Gr 4-6—Kelkar depicts the life of Lehka, an 11-year-old Indian American girl navigating two worlds with heart and compassion. As "Home Lehka," she lives with her parents in a suburb of Detroit, where her family is the only Indian American family in the neighborhood. Her best friend and neighbor, Noah, is appreciative of Lehka's culture and the flavorful food her family enjoys. But as "School Lehka," her voice is absent. She allows teachers and students to mispronounce her name and to make disrespectful comments about her heritage. When a new Indian American family—with a daughter Lehka's age—moves to her neighborhood, she is thrilled, assuming that her new friend Avantika will also prefer to keep her two identities separate. But Avantika confidently talks about her family and traditions, even at school, and Lehka is simultaneously inspired and confused. As she begins taking tentative steps toward speaking up about what matters to her, a classroom assignment to write an opinion piece becomes the catalyst for embracing her identity. Secondary plots and minor characters enrich the story of a girl striving to find her voice, especially in scenes involving Lehka's swim team and a touching moment in which Lehka speaks out about what it means to be American. VERDICT Filled with references to Lehka's rich culture, this title is a tender depiction of a young girl navigating prejudice and finding ways to be her whole self in the process.—Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

In this resonant #OwnVoices novel, a first-generation Indian American girl who initially wishes to blend into her predominantly white community learns to honor her identity. Sixth grader Lekha Divekar is the only Desi kid in her Detroit suburb. In order to avoid bullying at school, she covers the bindi-shaped birthmark on her forehead (which earned her the nickname Dot) and avoids bringing her favorite Indian foods for lunch. At home, however, Lekha takes pride in her heritage and Hindu faith, practicing folk dances and celebrating Diwali with her family. When another Indian family moves in across the street, Lekha's initial attitude toward 11-year-old Avantika is one of condescension: "My new neighbor had a thick Indian accent. My new neighbor was a fob." But as classmates, Lekha admires Avantika's confidence and eloquence, and the two become friends. After Lekha's family is the target of racist vandalism, she determines to speak out against the xenophobia in her town, where a new political slogan, "Don't like it? Leave," has taken hold. Though Lekha's transformation from silent onlooker to vocal activist feels sudden, taking place in the book's final portion, Kelkar (Ahimsa) illuminates the need for voices raised against discrimination and paints a convincing portrait of a girl straddling two cultures. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. (May)