About Us
Welcome to the Desi Kidlit Community Website.
This is a space to learn more about Desi creators and what they are writing.
We created this space to stay connected, exchange ideas, support each other, and collaborate.
This is a space to learn more about Desi creators and what they are writing.
We created this space to stay connected, exchange ideas, support each other, and collaborate.
Saadia Faruqi
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Gayatri Sethi
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Our Work
..is to amplifly the voices of all South Asian authors to write about the stories that matter to them, the issues they face, and to empower those facing the similar struggles and to offer insight to those who may not. We want literary shelves to reflect the diversity of voices within our own communities. There's such a need for books that reflect our struggles and those that normalize our stories. We hope to bring balance to the imbalance and distortion of South Asian representation in mainstream, commercial literature. We want to dispel the single stories and stereotypes associated with our identities.
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DISCOVER
.. the faces and voices of the Desi KidLit Community. Find out about the latest news, books, issues, and conversations we're having!
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NEWS
2021 Winners of South Asia Book Award 
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Great Escapes: Mango & Marigold Press Founder and CEO Sailaja Joshi Shares Her Reading List for 2021 
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BARRON'S - PENTA
By
Tracy Kaler
Feb. 19, 2021 2:40 pm ET
In late 2014, Sailaja Joshi took the lead to carve out a niche overlooked by other publishers: South Asian children’s books. The lack of titles reflecting the Indian way of life fueled her desire to produce diverse kids’ literature, not knowing at the time that launching an independent publishing company would be far from easy.
“The industry is really a machine designed to prop up the major publishing houses,” Joshi says. “And being an indie—particularly one focused on diverse kids’ lit—has been a continuous challenge.” Today, she funds the business through pre-order campaigns on every book as well as a “family and friends” investor who believes in her mission. “I think it was lovely optimism mixed with deep activism that brought this publishing house to life."
An avid reader since childhood, Joshi, 38, was captivated by every book she laid her hands on, from Harry Potter to Amelia Bedelia. But when she wanted her own children to read books written by South Asian authors featuring South Asian characters, she discovered that void in the market and seized the opportunity to fill it. Since the birth of Mango & Marigold Press (formerly Bharat Babies), the publisher has printed 20 titles across four categories, catering to various ages.
“We currently produce books from birth up to young adult,” Joshi says. The company’s titles include a middle-grade novel coming out in May, and the second book in the Anjali series—the first children’s title to spotlight a South Asian hero—scheduled for release in September.
Joshi assumed her target audience for these books would be folks who grew up in the U.S., but whose parents were raised in India and longed for their families to remain connected to their heritage. But that's not the case. Instead, Mango & Marigold’s collection reaches a broader demographic.
“I realized that the appeal of our books, really the need for our books, was much bigger,” Joshi explains. “I realized that our books were vital for not just BIPOC families, but also white families, so their children could see other children.”
Over the past year or so, Joshi has spearheaded the #1001DiverseBooks initiative, which encourages individuals in the community to sponsor a copy of a book for just $10, enabling every child access to high-quality children's literature. “This year, we’re doing some really big things with the initiative, so stay tuned,” she says.
As a reader, Joshi finds herself drawn to young adult, graphic, and romance novels because her mind needs an escape. These five books top her reading list for 2021.
If I Tell You The Truth, by Jasmin Kaur (January 2021). “I have really been vibing on poetry and prose for the past year or so, and I cannot wait for this wonderful piece by Jasmin. The book is her second and explores trauma, fear, courage, and the healing power of love. I love books like this as I often will take a moment in my day to leaf through, read a verse, and reflect.”
Sister of the Bollywood Bride, by Nandini Bajpai (May 2021). “I loved Nandini’s first book, A Match Made in Mehendi, because it didn’t fall into many classic tropes of exploring Indianness that I often see. I felt so connected to the characters. Nandini has a great way of creating such relatable stories.”
Red, White, and Whole, by Rajani LaRocca (February 2021). “I love Rajani’s first book Midsummer's Mayhem (so did my daughter), and how it turned a Shakespearean classic on its head and featured South Asian kids, well, being kids. Red, White, and Whole is a departure from Rajani’s Shakespeare-inspired middle-grade/young adult books. It explores the world of Reha, an Indian-American girl who feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian-American student, and home, where she celebrates those Indian traditions. When Reha finds out her mother is sick, she becomes determined to save her.”
A Promised Land, by Barack Obama (Fall 2020). “Admittedly, I’m late to the game here, but I loved Michelle Obama’s book because it painted such a wonderful and honest picture of motherhood that I could easily relate to. I am hoping Barack’s will give me that hope and promise I so deeply need.”
Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, by Supriya Kelkar (February 2021). “This is a historical fiction young-adult book, and Supriya has such a powerful voice. I find I read her books in one sitting (if I get the time). The story takes place in 1857 India, where 12-year-old Meer escapes a life she had no say in. It explores the moment in time where India was beginning to seek its independence from the British. I love how Supriya explores the untold stories of India's history.”
By
Tracy Kaler
Feb. 19, 2021 2:40 pm ET
In late 2014, Sailaja Joshi took the lead to carve out a niche overlooked by other publishers: South Asian children’s books. The lack of titles reflecting the Indian way of life fueled her desire to produce diverse kids’ literature, not knowing at the time that launching an independent publishing company would be far from easy.
“The industry is really a machine designed to prop up the major publishing houses,” Joshi says. “And being an indie—particularly one focused on diverse kids’ lit—has been a continuous challenge.” Today, she funds the business through pre-order campaigns on every book as well as a “family and friends” investor who believes in her mission. “I think it was lovely optimism mixed with deep activism that brought this publishing house to life."
An avid reader since childhood, Joshi, 38, was captivated by every book she laid her hands on, from Harry Potter to Amelia Bedelia. But when she wanted her own children to read books written by South Asian authors featuring South Asian characters, she discovered that void in the market and seized the opportunity to fill it. Since the birth of Mango & Marigold Press (formerly Bharat Babies), the publisher has printed 20 titles across four categories, catering to various ages.
“We currently produce books from birth up to young adult,” Joshi says. The company’s titles include a middle-grade novel coming out in May, and the second book in the Anjali series—the first children’s title to spotlight a South Asian hero—scheduled for release in September.
Joshi assumed her target audience for these books would be folks who grew up in the U.S., but whose parents were raised in India and longed for their families to remain connected to their heritage. But that's not the case. Instead, Mango & Marigold’s collection reaches a broader demographic.
“I realized that the appeal of our books, really the need for our books, was much bigger,” Joshi explains. “I realized that our books were vital for not just BIPOC families, but also white families, so their children could see other children.”
Over the past year or so, Joshi has spearheaded the #1001DiverseBooks initiative, which encourages individuals in the community to sponsor a copy of a book for just $10, enabling every child access to high-quality children's literature. “This year, we’re doing some really big things with the initiative, so stay tuned,” she says.
As a reader, Joshi finds herself drawn to young adult, graphic, and romance novels because her mind needs an escape. These five books top her reading list for 2021.
If I Tell You The Truth, by Jasmin Kaur (January 2021). “I have really been vibing on poetry and prose for the past year or so, and I cannot wait for this wonderful piece by Jasmin. The book is her second and explores trauma, fear, courage, and the healing power of love. I love books like this as I often will take a moment in my day to leaf through, read a verse, and reflect.”
Sister of the Bollywood Bride, by Nandini Bajpai (May 2021). “I loved Nandini’s first book, A Match Made in Mehendi, because it didn’t fall into many classic tropes of exploring Indianness that I often see. I felt so connected to the characters. Nandini has a great way of creating such relatable stories.”
Red, White, and Whole, by Rajani LaRocca (February 2021). “I love Rajani’s first book Midsummer's Mayhem (so did my daughter), and how it turned a Shakespearean classic on its head and featured South Asian kids, well, being kids. Red, White, and Whole is a departure from Rajani’s Shakespeare-inspired middle-grade/young adult books. It explores the world of Reha, an Indian-American girl who feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian-American student, and home, where she celebrates those Indian traditions. When Reha finds out her mother is sick, she becomes determined to save her.”
A Promised Land, by Barack Obama (Fall 2020). “Admittedly, I’m late to the game here, but I loved Michelle Obama’s book because it painted such a wonderful and honest picture of motherhood that I could easily relate to. I am hoping Barack’s will give me that hope and promise I so deeply need.”
Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, by Supriya Kelkar (February 2021). “This is a historical fiction young-adult book, and Supriya has such a powerful voice. I find I read her books in one sitting (if I get the time). The story takes place in 1857 India, where 12-year-old Meer escapes a life she had no say in. It explores the moment in time where India was beginning to seek its independence from the British. I love how Supriya explores the untold stories of India's history.”
South Asian Today is talking about the Summit! 
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Hope in Desi Kidlit
While publishing can feel like an uphill battle, the Desi Kidlit Community is here to give you a lift.
This past Sunday, March 28th, was the second Desi Kidlit Summit, organized and hosted by Gayatri Sethi (author, Unbelonging, and educator), Saadia Faruqi (author, Yasmin series), and Sailaja Joshi (CEO, Mango & Marigold Press).
Sethi and Faruqi have created the Desi Kidlit Community to amplify the voices of all South Asian diaspora authors to write about the stories that matter to them, the issues they face, to empower those facing similar struggles and to offer insight to those who may not. The annual summit is an extension of that crucial work.
Spending a few hours in the community with approximately 100 South Asian creatives, including authors, both published and aspiring, illustrators, readers, and champions of South Asian stories, was incredible. And I'm not alone in that feeling. This number is twice what it was during the inaugural summit last year. So not only are people coming back, they're also bringing a friend.
How does the Desi Kidlit Summit manage to grow this engaement in a virtual setting?
For one thing, the intent is crystal clear. This is a space that is inclusive of South Asian diaspora experiences and it's about uplifting each other. As one attendee said, "build community, not competition."
The content for the spring summit is also perfectly organized by age group, but there's a common thread, "the audacity of hope," that weaves it all together, starting with the keynote speaker, Veera Hiranandani (author, The Night Diary).
The Picture Book Panel, moderated by Rashmi Bismark (author, Finding Om), and featuring Nadia Salomon (author, Goodnight Ganesha), Amitha Knight (author, Usha and the Big Digger), Sana Rafi (author, Little Seeds of Promise), and Meera Sriram (author, Gift for Amma), really brought home the need for a variety of stories even within the South Asian diaspora. As Sana Rafi put it, "We are in a box. Space is being made, but it's a tight box." There's hope for a book that isn't just about South Asian pain or trauma, but for books with South Asian kids just baking cupcakes on a Sunday.
This effort to dispel single stories and stereotypes associated with South Asian identities is at the core of the Desi Kidlit Community's mission. We've all heard the work begins at home, but Sethi and Faruqi are setting the bar for what it looks like to put those ideals into practice. Just look at the lineup for the Young Adult Panel, moderated by Intisar Khanani, (author, Theft of Sunlight). In a world where ‘South Asian’ is often used to mean Hindu and Indian, the panel included Adiba Jaigirdar (author, The Henna Wars), Anuradha Rajurkar (author, American Betiya) and Navdeep Singh Dhillon (author, Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions). The speakers and stories center Muslim and Sikh stories, queer stories, and Bangladeshi stories. Furthermore, the space isn't centered around the American diaspora. Jaigridar hails from Ireland, as do her characters. Sethi and Dhillon have both lived in African and European countries, offering a unique perspective and South Asian experience.
The panelists all bring insights from their publishing journeys, dealing with creating in a pandemic and navigating an industry affected by white supremacy. They also share their craft and expertise as writers. The Middle Grade Panel, moderated by Payal Doshi (author, Rea and the Blood of the Nectar), featuring Sayantani DasGupta (author, The Serpent's Secret), Reem Faruqi (author, Unsettled), and Rajani LaRocca (author, Much Ado About Baseball), all touched on the components of a great story. This panel gifted me one of my biggest takeaways from the summit, from Sayantani DasGupta, a reminder to “trust the reader” and give kids credit! They are voracious readers with a strong sense of justice and they will get the message.
Scope out the hashtags, #DesiKidlitCommunity or #DesiKidlitSummit and you'll find tweets from South Asian creatives uplifting the stories we so desperately want. And in an industry that is constantly centering white stories and white readers, this support is crucial to the continued success of South Asian stories. The Desi Kidlit Community is by us and for us. And while anyone in publishing is welcome to listen and learn, the experience is centered around the needs of South Asian creatives.
Often, when publishers acquire stories by authors of colors, they do not provide the same marketing resources or budget that they would provide to white authors. People can't buy a book they don't know about. This work then falls onto the author to figure out marketing and promotion after just having figured out how to write and publish a book.
Indie publishers like Mango and Marigold Press have started to fill that need by nurturing the stories traditional publishing often overlooks. Along with the Desi Kidlit Community, the foundation to truly uplift each other, and to uplift a variety of South Asian stories is there. This community is loudly and proudly sharing knowledge, wisdom, and support, in an industry that thrives on whisper networks.
Suddenly, the three hours seem jam packed with content. Add on that the chat is lively with individuals sharing their information to foster further connections and praise for every speaker. But the vibe throughout the summit was incredibly grounded. Between panels, Nandini Bajpai gave a beautiful tribute in gratitude to all of the South Asian authors that have come before us, and paved the way for the South Asian stories we are sharing today.
Navdeep Singh Dhillon noted during the YA panel that hope is a verb, something you actively engage with and work on. This was the perfect preview to the closing of the summit. In lieu of a speech, Sethi (author, Unbelonging) engages in conversation with Karuna Riazi (author, The Gauntlet) on Brown Solidarity with Black Liberation: Hopeful Actions for Us All. Truly, the work starts at home. Sethi and Riazi empowered attendees to go forth, in solidarity with the Black community. To speak up and out, but not over. To decolonize our writing, and check the anti-blackness within our communities as we write stories. Because to build a world where a variety of stories are valued and cherished, we have to lift up others, not only ourselves.
The closing conversation highlights the most underrated component to what makes this summit so successful. The work put in by the organizers. Sethi, also known as DesiBookAunty on Instagram, is known for sharing South Asian stories through her Chai & Chats, Pyarful Reads, and all around colorful bookstagram. She’s also consistently sharing Black stories, Indigenous stories, and anti-racist reads for all ages. She’s vocal in calling out anti-blackness in South Asian communities, and that makes her qualified to lead these conversations. Attendees can trust that these conversations will be held with the utmost care, because to the person leading them, this isn’t just a viral moment or part of the media cycle. It is a deeply intentional and painstakingly consistent effort to build community.
Whether you are a writer, blogger, agent, editor, educator, or reader, you need the Desi Kidlit Community on your radar. If you are like me, and you’re constantly gifting books to the kids in your life, Desi Kidlit Community is your one stop shop to finding a variety of South Asian stories. Check out the Desi Kidlit Store here.
- By Jaspreet Kaur
- 04 Apr 2021
While publishing can feel like an uphill battle, the Desi Kidlit Community is here to give you a lift.
This past Sunday, March 28th, was the second Desi Kidlit Summit, organized and hosted by Gayatri Sethi (author, Unbelonging, and educator), Saadia Faruqi (author, Yasmin series), and Sailaja Joshi (CEO, Mango & Marigold Press).
Sethi and Faruqi have created the Desi Kidlit Community to amplify the voices of all South Asian diaspora authors to write about the stories that matter to them, the issues they face, to empower those facing similar struggles and to offer insight to those who may not. The annual summit is an extension of that crucial work.
Spending a few hours in the community with approximately 100 South Asian creatives, including authors, both published and aspiring, illustrators, readers, and champions of South Asian stories, was incredible. And I'm not alone in that feeling. This number is twice what it was during the inaugural summit last year. So not only are people coming back, they're also bringing a friend.
How does the Desi Kidlit Summit manage to grow this engaement in a virtual setting?
For one thing, the intent is crystal clear. This is a space that is inclusive of South Asian diaspora experiences and it's about uplifting each other. As one attendee said, "build community, not competition."
The content for the spring summit is also perfectly organized by age group, but there's a common thread, "the audacity of hope," that weaves it all together, starting with the keynote speaker, Veera Hiranandani (author, The Night Diary).
The Picture Book Panel, moderated by Rashmi Bismark (author, Finding Om), and featuring Nadia Salomon (author, Goodnight Ganesha), Amitha Knight (author, Usha and the Big Digger), Sana Rafi (author, Little Seeds of Promise), and Meera Sriram (author, Gift for Amma), really brought home the need for a variety of stories even within the South Asian diaspora. As Sana Rafi put it, "We are in a box. Space is being made, but it's a tight box." There's hope for a book that isn't just about South Asian pain or trauma, but for books with South Asian kids just baking cupcakes on a Sunday.
This effort to dispel single stories and stereotypes associated with South Asian identities is at the core of the Desi Kidlit Community's mission. We've all heard the work begins at home, but Sethi and Faruqi are setting the bar for what it looks like to put those ideals into practice. Just look at the lineup for the Young Adult Panel, moderated by Intisar Khanani, (author, Theft of Sunlight). In a world where ‘South Asian’ is often used to mean Hindu and Indian, the panel included Adiba Jaigirdar (author, The Henna Wars), Anuradha Rajurkar (author, American Betiya) and Navdeep Singh Dhillon (author, Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions). The speakers and stories center Muslim and Sikh stories, queer stories, and Bangladeshi stories. Furthermore, the space isn't centered around the American diaspora. Jaigridar hails from Ireland, as do her characters. Sethi and Dhillon have both lived in African and European countries, offering a unique perspective and South Asian experience.
The panelists all bring insights from their publishing journeys, dealing with creating in a pandemic and navigating an industry affected by white supremacy. They also share their craft and expertise as writers. The Middle Grade Panel, moderated by Payal Doshi (author, Rea and the Blood of the Nectar), featuring Sayantani DasGupta (author, The Serpent's Secret), Reem Faruqi (author, Unsettled), and Rajani LaRocca (author, Much Ado About Baseball), all touched on the components of a great story. This panel gifted me one of my biggest takeaways from the summit, from Sayantani DasGupta, a reminder to “trust the reader” and give kids credit! They are voracious readers with a strong sense of justice and they will get the message.
Scope out the hashtags, #DesiKidlitCommunity or #DesiKidlitSummit and you'll find tweets from South Asian creatives uplifting the stories we so desperately want. And in an industry that is constantly centering white stories and white readers, this support is crucial to the continued success of South Asian stories. The Desi Kidlit Community is by us and for us. And while anyone in publishing is welcome to listen and learn, the experience is centered around the needs of South Asian creatives.
Often, when publishers acquire stories by authors of colors, they do not provide the same marketing resources or budget that they would provide to white authors. People can't buy a book they don't know about. This work then falls onto the author to figure out marketing and promotion after just having figured out how to write and publish a book.
Indie publishers like Mango and Marigold Press have started to fill that need by nurturing the stories traditional publishing often overlooks. Along with the Desi Kidlit Community, the foundation to truly uplift each other, and to uplift a variety of South Asian stories is there. This community is loudly and proudly sharing knowledge, wisdom, and support, in an industry that thrives on whisper networks.
Suddenly, the three hours seem jam packed with content. Add on that the chat is lively with individuals sharing their information to foster further connections and praise for every speaker. But the vibe throughout the summit was incredibly grounded. Between panels, Nandini Bajpai gave a beautiful tribute in gratitude to all of the South Asian authors that have come before us, and paved the way for the South Asian stories we are sharing today.
Navdeep Singh Dhillon noted during the YA panel that hope is a verb, something you actively engage with and work on. This was the perfect preview to the closing of the summit. In lieu of a speech, Sethi (author, Unbelonging) engages in conversation with Karuna Riazi (author, The Gauntlet) on Brown Solidarity with Black Liberation: Hopeful Actions for Us All. Truly, the work starts at home. Sethi and Riazi empowered attendees to go forth, in solidarity with the Black community. To speak up and out, but not over. To decolonize our writing, and check the anti-blackness within our communities as we write stories. Because to build a world where a variety of stories are valued and cherished, we have to lift up others, not only ourselves.
The closing conversation highlights the most underrated component to what makes this summit so successful. The work put in by the organizers. Sethi, also known as DesiBookAunty on Instagram, is known for sharing South Asian stories through her Chai & Chats, Pyarful Reads, and all around colorful bookstagram. She’s also consistently sharing Black stories, Indigenous stories, and anti-racist reads for all ages. She’s vocal in calling out anti-blackness in South Asian communities, and that makes her qualified to lead these conversations. Attendees can trust that these conversations will be held with the utmost care, because to the person leading them, this isn’t just a viral moment or part of the media cycle. It is a deeply intentional and painstakingly consistent effort to build community.
Whether you are a writer, blogger, agent, editor, educator, or reader, you need the Desi Kidlit Community on your radar. If you are like me, and you’re constantly gifting books to the kids in your life, Desi Kidlit Community is your one stop shop to finding a variety of South Asian stories. Check out the Desi Kidlit Store here.
Kirkus is talking about us! 
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Diversity in publishing is not as simple as it looks at first glance: Numbers of titles alone don’t tell the whole story. October 2020 saw the first Desi KidLit Summit, a stimulating and inspiring event featuring South Asian diaspora voices from the world of literature for young people. It was organized by author and educator Gayatri Sethi and co-hosted by Sethi, author Saadia Faruqi, and publisher Sailaja N. Joshi of Mango and Marigold Press.
During two weekend sessions, the participants—inhabiting roles from author, agent, and editor to publisher—discussed a range of topics. But one that arose frequently was the tremendous diversity of South Asians yet—despite recent growth in the number of #ownvoices titles published in the U.S.—the narrow range of experiences that are represented.
This is harmful: Non–South Asian readers often come away with the mistaken belief that the glimpse they were shown represents a universal truth while readers from within the community, who are thirsting for mirrors of their own experiences, are left wanting. Also, outside readers often expect definitive answers about whether a particular book is “authentic” or not, a great oversimplification. Of course, all of this applies to books about other marginalized groups as well.
At the event, authors spoke about writing serious, issue-driven books to help young people who are experiencing struggles similar to their own. Others deliberately avoid writing about racism, assimilation, and other painful topics as a way of bringing diverse perspectives to the lighter stories in young readers’ literature. Both types of books are valuable and necessary, but mainstream publishing has long privileged the former, leading to an imbalance and distortion in representation.
I was struck by the words of author Syed M. Masood, who said, in part, “None of my work actually ever addresses bullying, Islamophobia, [or] racism directly. I don’t give it any space on the page; my characters just assume they’re equal. I realize that’s a luxury and that’s not always accurate, but I do it that way because of what [Kokila publisher] Namrata [Tripathi] said: You can destroy something just by not acknowledging it. Karuna [Riazi] said, ‘Speak your truth,’ and what I want to emphasize is that it is going to be your truth. It’s not necessarily going to speak to everyone in the community. Remember that it’s #ownvoices and not #ownvoice. As readers we should have respect for that, and as writers we can just do the best we can and tell the truth as we understand it.”
Here are a few #ownvoices South Asian books for young adults that celebrate the diverse stories the community has to tell:
Mad, Bad Dangerous To Know by Samira Ahmed (Soho Teen, April 7): A French and Indian American girl goes to Paris, meets a cute boy, and solves a fascinating mystery.
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali (Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster, 2019): While visiting her aunt in Qatar, a self-possessed Pakistani/West Indian hijabi girl from the Midwest finds love.
Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sona Charaipotra (Imprint, July 2): An intellectually precocious 16-year-old Punjabi American doctor finds love in a sweet story filled with family and great food.
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (Page Street, May 12): Two Irish teen girls, one of whom is Bangladeshi and Muslim, fall out and make up in this charming queer romance.
If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur (HarperCollins, Jan. 19, 2021): A heartfelt verse novel about a young Punjabi Sikh woman who immigrates to Canada.
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood (Little, Brown, Aug. 4): A Pakistani American boy who dreams of becoming a chef is surprised by both history and love.
96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash (Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown, 2019): A Hindu story retold, centering a Black and Indian American girl summering at an ashram.
Laura Simeon is a young readers' editor.
All Materials © 2021 Desi Kid Lit Community Website by Nadia Salomon
