New Releases by Mitali Perkins

Jesus, now I come to you, at the start of something new . . . Children all encounter change differently. And whether a new year, a new school, a new neighborhood, or a new team, change can be hard. Through Doing Something New, award-winning author Mitali Perkins reminds kids that wherever they go and whatever they do, in all of these changes they are not alone: Jesus is with them. And not only is Jesus with them, but he also understands and empathizes with them because he, too, has experienced new and difficult things. In Doing Something New, you'll find a heartfelt prayer kids can lift to God during times of newness and change, a charming story brought to life through Andrés Landazábal’s vibrant illustrations of children in new everyday situations, and a note from the author to encourage further conversation about trusting Jesus in the midst of hard things. Doing Something New is a prayer that offers children—and the adults who read with them—language to pray in times of change or stress. Rooted in the promises of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-10, this book provides comfort and reassurance that everything matters to Jesus. Share Doing Something New with the children in your life and help them see how Jesus is with them in every moment of their lives.

National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a 12-year-old Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend's missing jewelry. Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, 7-10-year-old readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona. Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it. Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.

From author Mitali Perkins comes an essential companion for creatives who long for a more just world. Why should we keep making art while injustice wreaks havoc? Full of vivid stories, practices gleaned from artists living at the margins, and reflection questions, Just Making will inspire and equip you to keep making beauty in a broken world.

In this encouraging, reassuring picture book, National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins invokes the Indian custom of namaste, meaning “I bow to you,” to show how little hands are capable of great love. What’s between your hands when you namaste the world? Maya is only three days into summer vacation and already bored. Outside her window, the street is full of neighbors. Coming and going. Earning and spending. Fixing and mending. Everyone has something to do—everyone’s hands are busy. Except Maya’s. When she opens her palms, they are empty. They are small. What in the world can her hands do? As Maya longs to do something useful alongside her neighbors—proclaim truth, stand for justice, or show mercy—she discovers that children like her can give the greatest gift of all: love.

In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpower—while also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique. Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super? In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, a group of kids are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of animals in the pet store—which can be about as heart-tugging as you might imagine. It’s hard enough to be in middle school even without some weird ability, but these kids not only find their way to owning their unique powers and potential, they use them to change things for the better . . . and getting there with them is half the fun! These playful tales prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it. "Award-winning contributors keep delightfully inclusive and accomplished company in this emotionally grounded, compassionate collection. . . . These are not your run-of-the-mill, cape-and-tights-clad superheroes. These are kids with relatable struggles learning to embrace that quirky bit of themselves that makes them unique." —ALA Booklist (starred review) Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARD WINNER • A luminous and tender retelling of the Christmas story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Bare Tree and Little Wind, that is sure to become a cherished holiday favorite for families of faith. AN IMAGINATION SOUP BEST PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR Little Star likes her usual spot in the night sky over Bethlehem. Every night, she twinkles above the hills and hopes that nothing will change. But one night, Maker gathers the galaxy! Holy Night is coming, and Maker wants the planets, Moon, and the stars to all take part. As Maker doles out jobs, Little Star holds back, each new role sounding too hard or too scary. But when Maker eventually calls on her to shine, Little Star discovers she is ready and able to welcome the Child and joins the other stars and planets in celebration. Khoa Le’s shimmering illustrations are the perfect complement to Mitali’s unique take on the Christmas story. Readers young and old will be captivated by Little Star’s journey as she discovers that Maker welcomes even the quietest gifts. Parents of faith will appreciate the message about the true gifts of Christmas and the foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission of salvation, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

Hope in the Valley, from National Book Award Nominee Mitali Perkins, is a middle-grade novel exploring grief, friendship, family, and growing up in a community facing a housing crisis. Twelve-year-old Indian-American Pandita Paul doesn't like change. She's not ready to start middle school and leave the comforts of childhood behind. Most of all, Pandita doesn't want to feel like she's leaving her mother, who died a few years ago, behind. After a falling out with her best friend, Pandita is planning to spend most of her summer break reading and writing in her favorite secret space: the abandoned but majestic mansion across the street. But then the unthinkable happens. The town announces that the old home will be bulldozed in favor of new—maybe affordable—housing. With her family on opposing sides of the issue, Pandita must find her voice—and the strength to move on—in order to give her community hope.

A lyrical, captivating retelling of the Palm Sunday and Easter story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, that is sure to become a beloved tradition for families of faith. Little Wind and the trees of Jerusalem can't wait for Real King to visit. But Little Wind is puzzled when the king doesn't look how he expected. His wise friend Bare Tree helps him learn that sometimes strength is found in sacrifice, and new life can spring up even when all hope seems lost. This story stands apart for its imagination, endearing characters, and how it weaves Old Testament imagery into Holy Week and the promise of Jesus's triumphant return. While the youngest readers will connect to the curious Little Wind, older children and parents will appreciate the layers of meaning and Scriptural references in the story, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

"A lyrical exploration of the relationship between the natural elements, humanity, and God"--

In the timely yet timeless picture book Home Is in Between, critically acclaimed author Mitali Perkins and illustrator Lavanya Naidu describe the experience of navigating multiple cultures and embracing the complex but beautiful home in between. Shanti misses the warm monsoon rains in India. Now in America, she watches fall leaves fly past her feet. Still, her family’s apartment feels like a village: Mama cooking luchi, funny stories in Bangla, and Baba’s big laugh. But outside, everything is different – trick-or-treating, ballet class, and English books. Back and forth, Shanti trudges between her two worlds. She remembers her village and learns her new town. She watches Bollywood movies at home and Hollywood movies with her friends. She is Indian. She is also American. How should she define home?

Join award-winning author Mitali Perkins as she explores the promise of seven timeless children's novels for adults living in uncertain times. Through works by Louisa May Alcott, C. S. Lewis, L. M. Montgomery, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and other literary "uncles" and "aunts," Perkins unpacks wisdom to help us thrive.

The award-winning author of You Bring the Distant Near explores identity, homecoming, and the legacy of assault in this personal and ambitious new novel. Katina King is the reigning teen jujitsu champion of Northern California, but she’s having trouble fighting off the secrets in her past. Robin Thornton was adopted from an orphanage in India and is reluctant to take on his future. If he can’t find his roots, how can he possibly plan ahead? Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places—a summer service trip to Kolkata to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds build between the travelmates, Robin and Kat discover that justice and healing are tangled, like the pain of their pasts and the hope for their futures. You can’t rewind life; sometimes you just have to push play. In turns heart wrenching, beautiful, and buoyant, Mitali Perkins's Forward Me Back to You focuses its lens on the ripple effects of violence—across borders and generations—and how small acts of heroism can break the cycle. This title has Common Core connections.

“One of the new tiger cubs has escaped from the reserve!” When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel’s island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub’s anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching—he wants to sell the cub’s body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs. The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel’s preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn’t mind—he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends. But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future. Awards & Honors • Notable Books for a Global Society • NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction (Honorable Mention) • CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People • A Junior Library Guild Selection • CCBC Choices • 2017 North Dakota Library Association Flicker Tale Children's Book Award nominee, intermediate fiction • 2016 South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

New York Public Library’s “100 Best Children's Books of the Past 100 Years” Jane Addams Honor Book Maine Library Association Lupine Honor Book ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Award Book Bank Street Best Children's Books List (Starred) Association of Children's Booksellers Best Book The moving and critically acclaimed story of a young, artistic Bangladeshi girl who bravely defies tradition in order to support her family through hard times Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day. Includes a glossary of Bangla words and an author's note about a changing Bangladesh and microfinance.

From National Book Award finalist, Mitali Perkins, comes a dramatic tale about a displaced Indian family in the 1970s. When Asha’s father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Baba’s brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporary—just until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reet’s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. Asha’s only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door—against the rules of the house. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jay’s attention. But when tragedy strikes, Asha must make a painful choice that will change their lives forever “Well-developed characters, funny dialogue, and the authentic depiction of spunky Asha's longing for romance and female self-determination, set in a culture that restrains women's choices, make this book an attractive pick.”—School Library Journal "Achingly realistic."—Kirkus "An intimate and absorbing drama.”—Publisher's Weekly "Heartbreaking and hopeful." —ALA Booklist

Two Burmese boys, one a Karenni refugee and the other the son of an imprisoned Burmese doctor, meet in the jungle and in order to survive they must learn to trust each other.

In First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, Sameera showed the United States it was ready for a Pakistani-born First Daughter. With her brains and bravado, she helped her dad win the presidential election. Now she’s living in the White House. Fabulous! Right? Actually, it’s no fairy tale. The Secret Service and the paparazzi follow Sameera everywhere. She misses her friends—and even her school—back home. So Sameera decides to escape. Will she be able to pull it off, or will her plan backfire on the entire First Family? This smart and funny novel continues the adventures of a Pakistani- American teen in the spotlight.