American as Paneer Pie

An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk and Amina's Voice.

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 Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She's new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.

To Lekha's surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn't take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school.

When a racist incident rocks Lekha's community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it's too late.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 06/09/2020
ISBN: 9781534439382
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.20d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2020
School Library Journal 04/01/2020 pg. 129
Publishers Weekly 04/06/2020
Booklist 04/15/2020 pg. 58
Shelf Awareness 06/12/2020

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 508739 / American as Paneer Pie
Reading Level: 5.4 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 9