My Bindi (HB)

Description

A young girl finds the magic, power, and history of wearing a bindi for the first time. Divya is scared to put on the bindi for the first time. What if she gets made fun of? But Amma assures her that her bindi will bring protection. After Divya looks inside Amma's special box to find the perfect bindi to put on, she gazes in the mirror and discovers a new side of herself, and it gives her strength. A powerful story about belonging, embracing your heritage, and believing in yourself.

Gita Varadarajan was born and raised in India. She has worked with children all over the world, and now teaches second grade in Princeton, New Jersey. Save Me a Seat, written with Sarah Weeks, was her first novel. Archana Sreenivasan is a freelance illustrator based in Bangalore, India. Her illustrations have been published in magazines, children's books, book covers, and comics. She finds the natural world and people watching most inspiring and engaging.

Praise for Save Me a Seat * A novel treatment of a familiar situation delivered with fizz and aplomb. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review Through their struggles, Ravi and Joe will capture the hearts of readers and inspire fans to cheer for them just as loudly as they did for Auggie from R.J. Palacio's Wonder (Knopf, 2010) and Ally from Linda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree (Penguin, 2015). -- School Library Journal