The Immigration Experience
... India
Click a title to check the Skokie Public Library catalog for the status of the book in the Youth Services collection. Titles marked with * are available on audio.
Download this booklist in its original print format
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| Picture books |
| Fiction |
| Junior High |
Picture Books
- Gilmore, Rachna. Lights for Gita. 1994.
Youth Picture book GIL - It is Divali. In India it would be warm, and Gita’s family would be all together, sharing sweets and watching fireworks. But in America it is raining, cold– and lonely.
- Gilmore, Rachna. Roses for Gita. 2004.
Youth Picture Book GIL - Gita misses her grandmother’s garden back in India. She wonders if she will ever have a garden of her own in America.
- Gilmore, Rachna. A Gift for Gita. 1998.
Youth Picture Book GIL - Gita’s father has been offered a job back in India. Gita has wished for so long to return to India– but now she is not certain she wants to go.
- Heine, Theresa. Elephant Dance: Memories of India. 2004.
Youth Picture Book HEI - When Ravi’s grandfather comes from India, Ravi asks him question after question about India. Grandfather’s answers are full of magic.
- Krishnaswami, Uma. Bringing Asha Home. 2006.
Youth Picture Book KRI - On Rakhi, the Hindu holiday for brothers and sisters, Arun will be getting a new baby sister all the way from India. But it’s so hard to wait for her to come!
- Krishnaswami, Uma. Chachaji’s Cup. 2003.
Youth Picture Book KRI - Neel’s uncle, Chachaji, tells him wonderful stories as they share tea together. Chachaji always drinks his tea out of the same china cup, because the cup came from his home in India.
- Krishnaswami, Uma. The Closet Ghosts. 2006.
Youth Picture Book KRI - Anu hates her new house. Why? There are ghosts in her closet!
- Krishnaswami, Uma. The Happiest Tree. 2005.
Youth Picture Book KRI - Meena always has to be moving. So she is worried when she has to be a tree in the class play! How will she manage to stay still?
- Makhijani, Pooja. Mama’s Saris. 2007.
Youth Picture book MAK - Mama’s beautiful saris are irresistible!
- Sheth, Kashmira. My Dadima Wears a Sari. 2007.
Youth Picture Book SHE - Rupa wonders why grandmother wears a sari every day, even though she now lives in America. Enjoy this fun story, and learn how to wrap a sari, too!
- Smith, Jeremy. Lily’s Garden of India. 2003.
Youth Picture Book SMI - Lily’s mother’s garden is filled with plants from all over the world. As she wanders through a path surrounded by plants of India, the plants seem to speak to her– and they tell her about their native land.
- Yamate, Sandra S. Ashok. By Any Other Name. 1992.
Youth Picture Book YAM - Ashok wishes his name sounded more American, so he decides to change it. But none of the names he chooses seems quite right.
Fiction
- Banerjee, Anjali. Looking for Bapu. 2006.
Youth Fiction BAN - When Anu’s beloved grandfather suffers a stroke and dies, Anu misses him terribly. But maybe Bapu’s spirit is left behind. Anu decides to try to find out.
- Banerjee, Anjali. Rani and the Fashion Divas. 2005.
Youth Series Paperback STAR SISTERZ - Trying to fit in, Rani joins the fashion divas, the most popular girls in school. But are they true friends?
- Clarke, Judith. Kalpana’s Dream. 2004.
Youth Fiction CLA - The freshman class has been assigned an essay: “Who Am I?” Neema, half Indian and half Australian, wonders how she will answer that question.
- Dhami, Narinder. Bindi Babes. 2003. *
Youth Fiction DHA - A year after their mom’s death, sisters Geena, Amber and Jazz seem fine, but Dad thinks they need a woman to care for them. Enter Auntie, who arrives from India. Auntie is a very traditional Indian woman. The girls are super independent. Culture clash!
- Dhami, Narinder. Bollywood Babes. 2005. *
Youth Fiction DHA - Geena, Amber and Jazz set out to liven up their school fundraiser by getting a Bollywood star to appear. This is not as easy as it sounds!
- Dhami, Narinder. Bhangra Babes. 2005.
Youth Fiction DHA - The girls have been trying to get Auntie married so she’ll leave them alone– and their plan has worked! Now Auntie’s wedding day is just around the corner.
- Fleming, Candace. Lowji Discovers America. 2005.
Youth Fiction FLE - Nine-year-old Lowji has just moved from the big, noisy city of Bombay, India to the small, quiet town of Hamlet, Illinois. What a difference!
- Krishnaswami, Uma. Naming Maya. 2004.
Youth Fiction KRI - When Maya was born, her parents argued over her name. Now Maya wonders if that argument is what caused their divorce.
- Nagda, Ann Whitehead. Meow Means Mischief. 2003.
Youth Easy Fiction NAG - Oh no! Rana is sure that that her grandparents from India don’t like her. Now they’re coming to babysit! How will Rana ever get through the week?
- Sreenivasan, Jyotsna. Aruna’s Journeys. 1997.
Youth Fiction SRE - Aruna is so self-conscious about being Indian that she wants to avoid anything Indian– especially an upcoming trip to Bangalore.
Junior High
- Banerjee, Anjali. Maya Running. 2005.
Junior High Fiction BAN - Thirteen-year-old Maya lives in Manitoba, Canada, where she tries to fit in– but does that mean denying her Indian heritage?
- Budhos, Marina Tamar. Ask Me No Questions. 2006.
Junior High Fiction BUD - What is it like to be in America illegally? When immigration laws are tightened after 9/11, Nadira's family must hide to avoid deportation.
- Desai Hidier, Tanuja. Born Confused. 2002. *
Junior High Fiction DES - When her parents try to arrange an Indian boyfriend for her, Dimple refuses. But when her best friend gets interested in him, everything changes!
- Gilmore, Rachna. A Group of One. 2001.
Junior High Fiction GIL - Tara wonders why grandmother's upcoming visit is causing so much family tension. When Naniji arrives, Tara begins to understand. Naniji immediately starts criticizing the family's move from India.
- Lamba, Marie. What I Meant. 2007.
Junior High Fiction LAM - Life in suburban Philadelphia is great for 15-year-old Sang– that is, until her Indian aunt moves in.
- Perkins, Mitali. First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover. 2007.
Junior High Fiction PER - Sameera was adopted from a Pakistani orphanage when she was three. Now her dad is running for president, which makes Sameera an instant celebrity! Suddenly she has "handlers" who want her to be an all-American girl.
- Perkins, Mitali. Monsoon Summer. 2004.
Junior High Fiction PER - The last thing 15-year-old Jasmine wants is to spend the summer in India. After all, she has a life! But her mom is going to volunteer in an orphanage, and wants Jazz with her. Will there be anything to do there?
- Perkins, Mitali.The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen. 2005.
Junior High Fiction PER - Ever since grandma and grampa have come to visit from India, Mom has been acting weird– taking a leave from her university post, wearing a sari and cooking curry all day. What is going on?
- Sheth, Kashmira. Blue Jasmine. 2004.
Junior High Fiction SHE - For 12-year-old Seema, being an immigrant is just plain hard. Iowa City seems strange, her classmates are unfriendly, and learning English is a struggle. Seema longs to go home– but where is home?