Kashmira Sheth

For eleven-year-old Gopal and his family, life in their rural Indian village is over: We stay, we starve, his baba has warned. With the darkness of night as cover, they flee to the big city of Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. Gopal is eager to help support his struggling family until school starts, so when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factory job, he jumps at the offer. But Gopal has been deceived. There is no factory, just a small, stuffy sweatshop where he and five other boys are forced to make beaded frames for no money and little food. The boys are forbidden to talk or even to call one another by their real names. In this atmosphere of distrust and isolation, locked in a rundown building in an unknown part of the city, Gopal despairs of ever seeing his family again. But late one night, when Gopal decides to share kahanis, or stories, he realizes that storytelling might be the boys' key to holding on to their sense of self and their hope for any kind of future. If he can make them feel more like brothers than enemies, their lives will be more bearable in the shop—and they might even find a way to escape.

Boys Without Names

Ba slipped the gold bangles from my wrists. The gold ones were plain so I didn’t mind taking them off, but I loved wearing my milk-glass bangles and the lakkh bracelets. "A widow can't wear bangles,” she said. "They are signs of a woman's good fortune. When your husband dies it's over." "What if my good fortune comes back?" “It doesn’t.” Pretty as a peacock, twelve-year-old Leela has been spoiled all her life by everyone in her Gujarat village. She’s never been interested in school and barely takes notice of the growing unrest between the British colonists and her own countrymen. Why should she? Her future has been planned since her engagement at two and marriage at nine. And now, as the day she moves in with her husband's family draws near, she’s too busy collecting bangles and ribbons to care about much else. But when Leela’s husband dies, her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with gifts and affection, she is is forced to shave her head and give away her beloved saris and bangles. Leela is considered unlucky now, and will have to stay confined to her house for a year—keep corner—in preparation for a life of mourning for a boy she barely knew. When her schoolteacher hears of her fate, she offers to give Leela lessons at home. For the first time, despite her confinement, Leela begins to open her eyes to the changing world around her. India is suffering from a severe drought, and farmers are unable to pay taxes to the British. She learns about a new leader of the people, a man named Gandhi, who starts a political movement and practices satyagraha—non-violent protest against the colonists as well as the caste system. The quiet strength ofsatyagraha may liberate her country. Could it be that she can use the same path to liberate herself? In this novel based on her great aunt's life, Kashmira Sheth paints a heartfelt and evocative portrait of a child turned widow in Gandhi-era India.

Keeping Corner

Growing up with her family in Mumbai, India, sixteen-year-old Jeeta disagrees with much of her mother's traditional advice about how to live her life and tries to be more modern and independent.

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet

I'm from Here Too

When twelve-year-old Seema moves to Iowa City with her parents and younger sister, she leaves friends and family behind in her native India but gradually begins to feel at home in her new country.

Blue jasmine

Experience the magic of an Indian wedding in story about a girl playing a fun, traditional game on her sister’s wedding day. Sona's big sister Nisha is getting married and Sona has been given an important job. She has to steal the groom's shoes. Her grandmother tells her that this tradition is intended to help the bride's and groom's families get to know each other. If Sona is successful, Anil-ji will have to bargain with her to get his shoes back and she can ask for a special reward. Sona has never attended a wedding before, so she's unfamiliar with this Indian tradition-as well as many of the other magical experiences that will occur before and during the special event. There's so much to do: making garlands and rangoli designs to decorate their home, welcoming relatives from India, and helping Nisha-ben get ready. And there are so many exciting things happening: an artist draws patterns on the hands of the girls and women at a mehndi party, Dadima fancy braids Sona’s hair—and the groom arrives on a white horse! Still, Sona can't stop worrying about how she will steal Anil-ji's shoes. Fortunately her know-it-all cousin Vishal, who has arrived from India, is available to help Sona come up with a plan. In an author's note, Kashmira Sheth describes her childhood experiences attending weddings in India (she never got to steal the shoes!) and explains the significance of the Hindu customs and rituals described in the story.

Sona and the Wedding Game

Nina Soni is a lovable, distractible Indian American girl with big plans and cast of family and friends to help her make her realize her dreams—or resolve the chaos that often results. Nina tried as hard as she could but still somehow forgot about her school project. Fortunately, a class lesson about Alexander Fleming suggests how she might make a great discovery—and thus a great project! But with little sister Kavita's birthday party right around the corner, and her longtime friendship with Jay on the rocks, Nina has a lot to keep track of. Middle grade readers are sure to relate to Nina Soni and her entertaining efforts to manage her life with lists, definitions, and real-life math problems. Perfect for STEAM enthusiasts.

Nina Soni, Former Best Friend

Nina Soni is a lovable, distractible Indian American girl with big plans and cast of family and friends to help her make her realize her dreams—or resolve the chaos that often results. It's Take Your Child to Work Day, and Nina, Kavita, and Jay are all going to work with Mom, a landscape architect, to learn how to start a garden. Naturally that's not enough for Nina, who quickly develops big plans for a business selling the vegetables she plans to grow. But her plans don't include managing the problems that inevitably arise, including rabbits, slugs, mosquitos, and more! Middle grade readers are sure to relate to author Nina Soni and her entertaining efforts to manage her life with lists, definitions, and real-life math problems. Perfect for STEAM enthusiasts.

Nina Soni, Master of the Garden

An adventurous boy defeats an unlikely foe in this story of reading, imagination, and tigers! Sometimes it's almost impossible to get your big sister to read your favorite book to you. Sometimes you have to go to great lengths even to get her attention! But if you're really creative and use your imagination, you might just get what you want. Take care, though, not to go too far. Once you conjure up a tiger, there's no telling where it might lead... Author Kashmira Sheth brings readers a humorous, reading-centered story of the dynamic between a younger brother and older sister.

Tiger in My Soup

Organized but sometimes forgetful Nina has a lot to keep track of as she rushes to complete a school project, help with little sister Kavita's birthday party, and make up with best friend Jay.

Third-grader Ishan Mehra wants his family to get a dog, but his efforts to convince his parents often get him into trouble.

The No-dogs-allowed Rule

When twelve-year-old Seema Trivedi learns that she and her family must move from their small Indian town to Iowa City, she realizes she'll have to say good-bye to the purple-jeweled mango trees and sweet-smelling jasmine, to the monsoon rains and the bustling market. More important, she must leave behind her best friend and cousin, Raju. Everything is different in Iowa City, where Seema feels like an outsider to the language and traditions. As she begins to plant roots in the foreign soil, however, her confidence starts to bloom, and she learns she can build a bridge between two homes. With lyrical language and poignant scenes, Kashmira Sheth unearths the meaning of "home" and "family" in this tender debut novel. Kashmira Sheth's own experiences as a teenager who moved by herself from India to America inspired her to write this novel. She is a microbiologist and lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. Kashmira Sheth was born in Bhavanger, Gujart, India and immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. Sheth attended Iowa State University where she received her B.S. in Microbiology. She is married to a civil engineer and they have two daughters. Sheth is both a scientist and an author. Sheth has worked for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as a microbiologist. In 2012 she will teach at the Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program at Pine Manor College. In her free time Sheth teaches Indian dance to children. "When 12-year-old Seema moves with her parents and younger sister from India to Iowa City, she must leave her grandparents, extended family, and, most distressingly, her cousin Raju, who has been like a brother to her. Seema describes her adjustment to the newness of the U.S.–the food, clothing, weather, education–and her feelings: "I was always the outsider listening in…." Although she makes friends, she also encounters surprising hostility from another newcomer to her class, and ultimately learns the coping skills necessary to deal with this troubled girl. The writing is infused with evocative descriptions: "…the few leaves left clinging to the trees made them look like beggars in ragged clothes" or "the days… stretched out like a sari." Sheth uses Seema's letters to India and a classroom assignment to transmit significant cultural information, but at times this approach takes on a didactic and unnatural air. Still, the narrative advances steadily, with many opportunities for insights into the experience of this new immigrant, plus enough tension introduced through the bully to keep readers interested." -School Library Journal –Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. “Filled with details that document an immigrant's observations and experiences, Seema's story, which articulates the ache for distant home and family, will resonate with fellow immigrants and enlighten their classmates.” Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -Booklist

Blue Jasmine

Left in the care of his older sister, a boy begs her to read his favorite book, but she is too absorbed in her own reading even to notice when a tiger comes to life in the steam from his soup.

The second title in a humorous series featuring a charming, distractible Indian-American girl and her family and friends. A long rainy stretch during spring break has Nina restless and hungry for a new project and aggravated with little sister Kavita’s embarrassing behavior. A fresh pile of dirt just delivered to the neighbor’s house for a landscaping project ends up being too tempting to resist. Can Nina fix Kavita and create something amazing at the same time? With her sister’s help, Nina launches a grand engineering project—with unexpected consequences. Readers are sure to relate to author Kashmira Sheth’s endearing Nina Soni and her slightly scatter-brained efforts to manage her life with lists, definitions, and real-life math problems.

Nina Soni, Sister Fixer

A young boy and his grandfather find much they can do together on a rainy day during monsoon season in India.

Monsoon Afternoon

An Indian grandmother and her American granddaughter explore culture, imagination, and individuality through a sari. Every day, Rupa's grandmother wears a beautiful Indian sari. Some are made of cotton and others of fine silk. Each is brightly colored and very pretty. "Don’t you ever want to wear a green dress like me?" Rupa asks. But Dadima prefers to wear her traditional saris. Dadima shares all the wonderful things that saris can do—from becoming an umbrella in a rainstorm to providing a deep pouch to carry seashells. Soon Rupa's own imagination is sparked as she envisions saris protecting her in the scary Gir Jungle, bandaging up an injured knee, and holding a special secret for her and Dadima to share. Inspired by Kashmira Sheth's American-born daughters' curiosity, My Dadima Wears a Sari introduces readers to this wardrobe staple from the Indian subcontinent, the different styles and ways it can be worn, and its beauty and benefits. Yoshiko Jaeggi's graceful, fabric-inspired watercolor illustrations offer readers a glimpse into the culture and customs of India, while reinforcing universal themes of love and the importance of family. An author's note explores Sheth's childhood memories of wearing her first saris and back matter photos display the process of wrapping and wearing one.

Kashmira Sheth

About

Books

Join the club