Most Popular Books by Mitali Perkins

"A lyrical exploration of the relationship between the natural elements, humanity, and God"--

This elegant young adult novel captures the immigrant experience for one Indian-American family with humor and heart. Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture--for better or worse. From a grandmother worried that her children are losing their Indian identity to a daughter wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair to a granddaughter social-activist fighting to preserve Bengali tigers, award-winning author Mitali Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity. Here is a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.

Top Ten ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Junior Library Guild Selection Starred Reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal BookPage’s “Top Ten Middle Grade Novels” A refugee and child soldier challenge the rules of war in this coming-of-age novel set against the political and military backdrop of modern-day Burma Bang! A side door bursts open. Soldiers pour into the room. They’re shouting and waving rifles. I shield my head with my arms. It was a lie! I think, my mind racing. Girls and boys alike are screaming. The soldiers prod and herd some of us together and push the rest apart as if we're cows or goats. Their leader, though, is a middle-aged man. He’s moving slowly, intently, not dashing around like the others. “Take the boys only, Win Min,” I overhear him telling a tall, gangly soldier. “Make them obey.” Chiko isn’t a fighter by nature. He’s a book-loving Burmese boy whose father, a doctor, is in prison for resisting the government. Tu Reh, on the other hand, wants to fight for freedom after watching Burmese soldiers destroy his Karenni family’s home and bamboo fields. When Chiko is forced into the Burmese army and subsequently injured on a mission, the boys’ lives intersect. Timidity becomes courage and anger becomes compassion as both boys discover that everything is not as it seems. Mitali Perkins delivers a touching story about hopes, dreams, and the choices that define who we are.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARD WINNER • A luminous and tender retelling of the Christmas story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Bare Tree and Little Wind, that is sure to become a cherished holiday favorite for families of faith. AN IMAGINATION SOUP BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR Little Star likes her usual spot in the night sky over Bethlehem. Every night, she twinkles above the hills and hopes that nothing will change. But one night, Maker gathers the galaxy! Holy Night is coming, and Maker wants the planets, Moon, and the stars to all take part. As Maker doles out jobs, Little Star holds back, each new role sounding too hard or too scary. But when Maker eventually calls on her to shine, Little Star discovers she is ready and able to welcome the Child and joins the other stars and planets in celebration. Khoa Le’s shimmering illustrations are the perfect complement to Mitali’s unique take on the Christmas story. Readers young and old will be captivated by Little Star’s journey as she discovers that Maker welcomes even the quietest gifts. Parents of faith will appreciate the message about the true gifts of Christmas and the foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission of salvation, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

"Ms. Perkins personal anec­dotes are a delight." —Wall Street Journal The stories we read as children shape us for the rest of our lives. But it is never too late to discover that transformative spark of hope that children's classics can ignite within us. Award-winning children's author Mitali Perkins grew up steeped in stories--escaping into her books on the fire escape of a Flushing apartment building and, later, finding solace in them as she navigated between the cultures of her suburban California school and her Bengali heritage at home. Now Perkins invites us to explore the promise of seven timeless children's novels for adults living in uncertain times: stories that provide mirrors to our innermost selves and open windows to other worlds. Blending personal narrative, accessible literary criticism, and spiritual and moral formation, Perkins delves into novels by Louisa May Alcott, C. S. Lewis, L. M. Montgomery, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and other literary "uncles" and "aunts" that illuminate the virtuous, abundant life we still desire. These novels are not perfect, and Perkins honestly assesses their critical frailties and flaws related to race, culture, and power. Yet reading or rereading these books as adults can help us build virtue, unmask our vices, and restore our hope. Reconnecting with these stories from childhood isn't merely nostalgia. In an era of uncertainty and despair, they lighten our load and bring us much-needed hope.

A lyrical, captivating retelling of the Palm Sunday and Easter story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, that is sure to become a beloved tradition for families of faith. Little Wind and the trees of Jerusalem can't wait for Real King to visit. But Little Wind is puzzled when the king doesn't look how he expected. His wise friend Bare Tree helps him learn that sometimes strength is found in sacrifice, and new life can spring up even when all hope seems lost. This story stands apart for its imagination, endearing characters, and how it weaves Old Testament imagery into Holy Week and the promise of Jesus's triumphant return. While the youngest readers will connect to the curious Little Wind, older children and parents will appreciate the layers of meaning and Scriptural references in the story, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

Hope in the Valley, from National Book Award Nominee Mitali Perkins, is a middle-grade novel exploring grief, friendship, family, and growing up in a community facing a housing crisis. Twelve-year-old Indian-American Pandita Paul doesn't like change. She's not ready to start middle school and leave the comforts of childhood behind. Most of all, Pandita doesn't want to feel like she's leaving her mother, who died a few years ago, behind. After a falling out with her best friend, Pandita is planning to spend most of her summer break reading and writing in her favorite secret space: the abandoned but majestic mansion across the street. But then the unthinkable happens. The town announces that the old home will be bulldozed in favor of new—maybe affordable—housing. With her family on opposing sides of the issue, Pandita must find her voice—and the strength to move on—in order to give her community hope.

The award-winning author of You Bring the Distant Near explores identity, homecoming, and the legacy of assault in this personal and ambitious new novel. Katina King is the reigning teen jujitsu champion of Northern California, but she’s having trouble fighting off the secrets in her past. Robin Thornton was adopted from an orphanage in India and is reluctant to take on his future. If he can’t find his roots, how can he possibly plan ahead? Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places—a summer service trip to Kolkata to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds build between the travelmates, Robin and Kat discover that justice and healing are tangled, like the pain of their pasts and the hope for their futures. You can’t rewind life; sometimes you just have to push play. In turns heart wrenching, beautiful, and buoyant, Mitali Perkins's Forward Me Back to You focuses its lens on the ripple effects of violence—across borders and generations—and how small acts of heroism can break the cycle. This title has Common Core connections.

New York Public Library’s “100 Best Children's Books of the Past 100 Years” Jane Addams Honor Book Maine Library Association Lupine Honor Book ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Award Book Bank Street Best Children's Books List (Starred) Association of Children's Booksellers Best Book The moving and critically acclaimed story of a young, artistic Bangladeshi girl who bravely defies tradition in order to support her family through hard times Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day. Includes a glossary of Bangla words and an author's note about a changing Bangladesh and microfinance.

In First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, Sameera showed the United States it was ready for a Pakistani-born First Daughter. With her brains and bravado, she helped her dad win the presidential election. Now she’s living in the White House. Fabulous! Right? Actually, it’s no fairy tale. The Secret Service and the paparazzi follow Sameera everywhere. She misses her friends—and even her school—back home. So Sameera decides to escape. Will she be able to pull it off, or will her plan backfire on the entire First Family? This smart and funny novel continues the adventures of a Pakistani- American teen in the spotlight.

A timely debut picture book about love overcoming the border fences between Mexico and the United States. Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature Winner Golden Poppy Award Winner Charlotte Huck Honor Book ALSC Notable Children's Book NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Pick Junior Library Guild Selection Northern California Book Award nominee A California Department of Education Recommended Title It's almost time for Christmas, and Maria is traveling with her mother and younger brother, Juan, to visit their grandmother on the border of California and Mexico. For the few minutes they can share together along the fence, Maria and her brother plan to exchange stories and Christmas gifts with the grandmother they haven't seen in years. But when Juan's gift is too big to fit through the slats in the fence, Maria has a brilliant idea. She makes it into a kite that soars over the top of the iron bars. Here is a heartwarming tale of multi-cultural families, and the miracle of love.

In this encouraging, reassuring picture book, National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins invokes the Indian custom of namaste, meaning “I bow to you,” to show how little hands are capable of great love. What’s between your hands when you namaste the world? Maya is only three days into summer vacation and already bored. Outside her window, the street is full of neighbors. Coming and going. Earning and spending. Fixing and mending. Everyone has something to do—everyone’s hands are busy. Except Maya’s. When she opens her palms, they are empty. They are small. What in the world can her hands do? As Maya longs to do something useful alongside her neighbors—proclaim truth, stand for justice, or show mercy—she discovers that children like her can give the greatest gift of all: love.

In the timely yet timeless picture book Home Is in Between, critically acclaimed author Mitali Perkins and illustrator Lavanya Naidu describe the experience of navigating multiple cultures and embracing the complex but beautiful home in between. Shanti misses the warm monsoon rains in India. Now in America, she watches fall leaves fly past her feet. Still, her family’s apartment feels like a village: Mama cooking luchi, funny stories in Bangla, and Baba’s big laugh. But outside, everything is different – trick-or-treating, ballet class, and English books. Back and forth, Shanti trudges between her two worlds. She remembers her village and learns her new town. She watches Bollywood movies at home and Hollywood movies with her friends. She is Indian. She is also American. How should she define home?

When a tiger cub goes missing from the reserve, Neil is determined to find her before the greedy Gupta gets his hands on her to kill her and sell her body parts on the black market. Neil's parents, however, are counting on him to study hard and win a prestigious scholarship to study in Kolkata. Neil doesn't want to leave his family or his island home and he struggles with his familial duty and his desire to maintain the beauty and wildness of his island home in West Bengal's Sunderbans.

From National Book Award finalist, Mitali Perkins, comes a dramatic tale about a displaced Indian family in the 1970s. When Asha’s father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Baba’s brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporary—just until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reet’s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. Asha’s only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door—against the rules of the house. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jay’s attention. But when tragedy strikes, Asha must make a painful choice that will change their lives forever “Well-developed characters, funny dialogue, and the authentic depiction of spunky Asha's longing for romance and female self-determination, set in a culture that restrains women's choices, make this book an attractive pick.”—School Library Journal "Achingly realistic."—Kirkus "An intimate and absorbing drama.”—Publisher's Weekly "Heartbreaking and hopeful." —ALA Booklist

From the author of Rickshaw Girl and You Bring the Distant Near, a National Book Award Longlist title, comes a story about the magic of India’s monsoon season—“monsoon madness”—and all the change it brings to a teenage girl and her family. Jasmine “Jazz” Gardner heads off to India during the monsoon season. The family trip is her mother’s doing: Mrs. Gardner wants to volunteer at the orphanage that cared for her when she was young. But going to India isn’t Jazz’s idea of a great summer vacation. She wants no part of her mother’s do-gooder endeavors. What’s more, Jazz is heartsick. She’s leaving the business she and her best friend, Steve Morales, started—as well as Steve himself. Jazz is crazy in love with the guy. Only when Jazz befriends Danita, a girl from the orphanage who cooks for her family and faces a tough dilemma, does Jazz begin to see how she can make a difference—to her own family, to Danita, to the children at the orphanage, and even to Steve. As India claims Jazz, the monsoon works its madness and magic.

In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpower—while also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique. The kids in these humorous short stories each have a minor superpower they’re learning to live with. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell whether an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of the animals in the pet store! But what these stories are really about is their young protagonists “owning” a power that contributes to their individuality, that allows them to find their place in the world, that shows them a potential they might not have imagined. Because if you really think about it, we all have something special and unique about ourselves that makes us a little bit super. We all have the power to change as an individual, to change our communities for the better, to have a voice and to speak up. These playful, thought-provoking tales from some of today’s top middle grade authors prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it. Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt.

Originally published in 1993 as "The Sunita Experiment," this touching yet lighthearted tale is back in print with a snappy new title, a spectacular jacket design, and a reader's guide. Young Adult.

Discover stories of fear, triumph, and spectacular celebration in this warm-hearted novel of interconnected stories that celebrates the diversity of South Asian American experiences in a local community center. Discover stories of fear, triumph, and spectacular celebration in the fictional town of Maple Grove, New Jersey, where the local kids gather at the community center to discover new crushes, fight against ignorance, and even save a life. Cheer for Chaya as she wins chess tournaments (unlike Andrew, she knows stupid sugary soda won't make you better at chess), and follow as Jeevan learns how to cook traditional food (it turns out he can cook sabji-- he just can't eat it). These stories, edited by bestselling and award-winning Pakistani-American author Hena Khan, are filled with humor, warmth, and possibility. They showcase a diverse array of talented authors with heritage from the Indian subcontinent, including beloved favorites and rising stars, who each highlight the beauty and necessity of a community center that everyone calls home.

Listen in as ten YA authors -- some familiar, some new -- use their own brand of humor to share their stories about growing up between cultures. Henry Choi Lee discovers that pretending to be a tai chi master or a sought-after wiz at math wins him frie

When her grandparents come for a visit from India to California, thirteen-year-old Sunita finds herself resenting her Indian heritage and embarrassed by the differences she feels between herself and her friends.

This practical parenting guide encourages parents to think of raising children in a world saturated by pop culture as comparable to being ambassadors in a foreign country.

National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a 12-year-old Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend's missing jewelry. Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, 7-10-year-old readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona. Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s golden necklace goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it. Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.

Des années 1960 aux années 2000, cinq femmes cherchent leur propre voie, entre leur culture indienne et le rêve américain auquel elles aspirent. Ranee migre avec sa famille du Bengale à New York pour une vie meilleure. Tara, sa première fille, est admirée par tous, mais se sent obligée de jouer un rôle pour continuer à être aimée. Sonia, sa cadette, rebelle et engagée, provoque un véritable séisme au sein de la famille lorsqu'elle tombe amoureuse. Chantal, la fille de Sonia, talentueuse danseuse et athlète, est prise dans une lutte entre ses deux grands-mères et ses origines. Anna, enfin, reproche à sa mère, Tara, de l'avoir forcée à quitter l'Inde pour les États-Unis et doit trouver sa place à New York. Le fragile équilibre que les femmes de la famille Das peinent à trouver est chaque jour menacé par des blessures qui mettront des générations à cicatriser...

Shes short, shes spunky, shes just a regular girlSameera-Sparrow to her friends-is used to feeling invisible. But all that is about to change. As her fathers presidential campaign heats up, Sameera trades in her summer vacation for a crash course in becoming a celebrity. Step 1: Fabulous Makeover, of course!As it turns out, the makeover is amazing. But some of the campaign staff arent content with a trendy haircut, stilettos and designer outfits. Theyve decided to package Pakistan-born, plain-speaking Sameera as Sammy Righton-a giggly, carefree, all-American girl. No more wearing comfy jeans and sneakers, dancing the bhangra or blogging from the heart-in other words, Sameera must forget about being herself.What they dont know is that Sameera has a mind of her own. And plenty to say. Not to mention a gutsy, straight-talking blog that could go live to millions...

Asha, Reet et leur mère doivent aller vivre à Calcutta dans la famille de leur père, parti chercher du travail à New York. Bientôt, elles le rejoindront, c'est sûr. Les mois passent, loin de Dehli, rien n'est pareil, les filles ne font plus ce qu'elles aiment. Le départ pour New York est sans cesse reculé. La charge est lourde pour l'oncle qui les héberge. Il faut marier Reet. Un vieil homme se présente. Asha est désespérée pour sa soeur, elle va chercher une solution, la moins pire...

This bound volume is a compilation of stories, poems, and pictures by the 4th and 5th grade students at Emerson Elementary School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, after studying the writings of children's multicultural author Mitali Perkins.

'I think I'll go mad living in this house... What happens to my happily-ever-after?' - 'Secret Keeper', 1974 When Asha travels with her mother and sister from Delhi to her father's ancestral home in Calcutta, it is supposed to be a temporary measure only; as soon as her father finds work in distant America, they will join him. In the meantime, there's plenty to keep her busy: overcoming the conservatism of the extended family, becoming friends with her cousins, keeping her mother's depression at bay, teaching a lesson to the neighbourhood boys who don't think girls are 'good enough', fending off her sister Reet's unsuitable would-be suitors, and so on. Overwhelmed by all that's happening around her, Asha escapes to her rooftop hideaway every day, where she pours her heart out into her diary, her secret keeper. And it is here that she encounters Jay, her reclusive neighbour, who makes her heart beat faster...

Dans son petit village du Bangladesh, Naima n'a pas sa pareille pour réaliser de magnifiques peintures. Pourtant, elle se sent inutile : elle rêve d'aider son père qui pédale jour et nuit pour rembourser sa nouvelle bicyclette. Seulement, dans son pays, les femmes n'ont pas le droit de travailler. Si seulement elle était un garçon... Naima imagine un stratagème pour contourner cet interdit... Et prouver de quoi les filles sont capables.

A selection of nominees and winners of the Monarch and Bluestem children's book awards on a full-color Kindle Fire.

In her Bangladesh village, ten-year-old Naimi excels at painting designs called alpanas, but to help her impoverished family financially she would have to be a boy--or disguise herself as one.

A six-session study introduces the basic tenets of Islam and sheds light on the core of Christian faith.