Plot: Sixth grade Sonia has been attending Community school since she started school. All she knows is the atmosphere at Community, round tables in classrooms, no grade scale, and very approachable teachers. However, when her father loses his job and her family is no longer able to pay for the private schools tuition, Sonia must face public school for the first time. As Sonia struggles to understand the rigidity of public school teaching, she must also try to make new friends. Along with the changes in school, Sonia’s home life is also changing. Her mother is working more, and her father is more distant and angry. Will Sonia be able to keep up with her changing world?
Review: The novel is told in first person narrative, from the view point of Sonia. Sonia is half Indian and half Jewish. She is trying to find herself in a mainly white community. She asks her parents where she fits in between the black and white community in her school. Since she isn’t used to having to label herself, she struggles with the norms of her junior high school. She makes friends with one black and one white girl. For most of the novel she identifies with the white girl, but as the story goes on, she realizes that she prefers the company of the black girl. This novel deals with issues of race, religion, and middle school cliques.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Multicultural/Problem Novel
Interest Level: ages 9 and up
Related Books: Are you there God? It’s me Margaret; The Mighty Miss Malone
Characters:
Sonia Nadhamuni is the protagonist and narrator of the story. She is trying to define herself in a mostly white community.
Natasha is Sonia’s little sister. Sonia wishes that she could be as carefree as Natasha.
Kate is the first person that reaches out to Sonia at her new school. They soon become close friends and are on the cheerleading squad together.
Alicia is Sonia’s other friend at her new school. Sonia slowly picks Kate over Alicia at school and the two have few interactions in the middle of the novel.
Jess is Kate’s best friend. Jess is rude and talks bad about Sonia and Alicia.
Sam is Sonia’s best friend from Community. As Sonia develops her friendships at her new school, her friendship with Sam quickly diminishes.
Author Information can be found at http://www.veerahiranandani.com/.
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