Most Popular Books by Padma Venkatraman

An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too.

"Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers and stay with them long after turning the final page."--Aisha Saeed, author of the New York Times Bestselling Amal Unbound Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman''s stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh in Chennai''s teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city''s trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.

“Venkatraman has never met a heavy theme she did not like....Borrowing elements of fable, it''s told with a recurring sense of awe by a boy whom the world, for most of his life, has existed only in stories.”—New York Times Book Review The author of the award-winning The Bridge Home brings readers another gripping novel set in Chennai, India, featuring a boy who''s unexpectedly released into the world after spending his whole life in jail with his mom. Kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mom is serving time for a crime she didn''t commit. He''s never met his dad, so the only family he''s got are their cellmates, and the only place he feels the least bit free is in the classroom, where his kind teacher regales him with stories of the wonders of the outside world. Then one day a new warden arrives and announces Kabir is too old to stay. He gets handed over to a long-lost "uncle" who unfortunately turns out to be a fraud, and intends to sell Kabir. So Kabir does the only thing he can--run away as fast as his legs will take him. How does a boy with nowhere to go and no connections make his way? Fortunately, he befriends Rani, another street kid, and she takes him under her wing. But plotting their next move is hard--and fraught with danger--in a world that cares little for homeless, low caste children. This is not the world Kabir dreamed of--but he''s discovered he''s not the type to give up. Kabir is ready to show the world that he--and his mother--deserve a place in it.

Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit. Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.

From the acclaimed author of Climbing the Stairs comes a fascinating story set on a remote island untouched by time. Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe''s spiritual leader, but her new position brings her older brother''s jealousy and her best friend''s mistrust. And looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido''s little brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone''s doubts, including her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that has defined them. Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatraman was inspired to write this story after meeting natives who survived the 2004 tsunami and have been able to preserve their unique way of life. Uido''s transformation from a young girl to tribal leader will touch both your heart and mind.

Read Padma Venkatraman''s posts on the Penguin Blog. Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college— an unusual aspiration for a girl living in British occupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather’s library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya’s life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive? Watch a Video

Twelve short stories in verse by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the highs and lows of love – romantic, platonic, familial, and self-love. Love can be many things – all-consuming, fleeting, vengeful, selfless, toxic, uplifting, and always, a core part of the teen experience that leaves an indelible mark. This enchanting, genre-crossing anthology delivers something for every reader with unique characters, global settings, and a dazzling mixture of myth, historical, speculative, and contemporary fiction. With the turn of a page, get swept away by unexpected love blooming between two princes from enemy Mesoamerican nations in the 15th century, who''d rather make music rather than war; cheer for a timid bearded lady who was shunned by her family and runs away to find belonging and safety at the circus during the 1800s experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved pet; breathlessly watch a myth unfold as a siren bound to the water falls in love with a winged forest spirit, their love seemingly impossible from the start. Root for a girl who emerges from grief and battles with chronic pain to discover how to love herself and life again. Love is complicated, and this anthology embraces the messiness and the joy of all kinds of love. Contributors include: Alexandra Alessandri David Bowles Melanie Crowder Margarita Engle Eric Gansworth Robin Gow Mariama J. Lockington Laura Ruby Padma Venkatraman Jasmine Warga Charles Waters Kip Wilson

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: In this story from India, a farmer’s three lazy sons don’t want to work, they just want to make a lot of gold. When their mother tells them about gold buried in the field, they discover the value of a good day’s work.

A collection of 16 remarkable short stories for aspiring teen activists centered on the climate crisis, highlighting how small actions can make Earth sustainable against climate change. Young adult powerhouse authors such as Erin Entrada Kelly and Jeff Zentner come together in this anthology of speculative, dystopian, and contemporary realistic fiction. This inspiring collection of sixteen short stories is packed with fascinating characters and settings that illuminate current and possible changes to our planet and how humanity responds. Included here is prose, verse, and personal essays from a wide range of authors diverse in ethnic background, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. A few tales: Shayta cares for a tiny green plant in a futuristic world where Earth has become a barren, over-farmed landscape fraught with dirt storms. Hana and her father travel by catamaran to the farthest place from land in the entire world—only to discover a giant, floating carcass of trash and a few other surprises. William and his family want to protect an endangered fish from a potential dam on a river that’s flowed through their land for generations . . . There’s also a section where readers can find concrete and practical steps to help curtail the global climate crisis, including resources specific for every story. There’s even a section specifically “For the Severely Overwhelmed.” This young adult anthology cultivates deep hope and stunning resilience—what we all need in order to make life on Earth more sustainable for us all. "Whether you are feeling hopeful or frustrated about the climate crisis (or somewhere in-between), Onward: 16 Climate Fiction Short Stories to Inspire Hope is a captivating example of how the power of story can build resilience, activate hope, uncover blind spots and unstick us from our complacency. The fear and anger many of us feel right now is matched with equal humor, insight and beauty in this diverse collection of stories." —Naisa Beaumont, environmental scientist and children’s writer

Chaque jour est un combat dans les rues bondées de Chennai, en Inde. Et lorsque Viji et sa soeur, Rukku, fuguent pour ne plus subir la violence de leur père, la situation semble sans espoir. Dans un monde impitoyable et dangereux, où nul n’accorde un regard aux parias, elles sont des plus vulnérables. Mais leur rencontre avec deux jeunes sans-abri, sur un pont en ruine, va peut-être tout changer.

Making friends with faraway relatives you’ve never met can be a little daunting at first, but this family finds a unique way to connect. It’s a joyous occasion when you get to visit family in another country after a long time apart. But sometimes it takes a while to connect. That’s what happens to the little girl in this book—when she first sees her faraway family, they feel like strangers. To make matters worse, the power goes out at bedtime, and that means no more night-light. Then a flashlight beam appears—it’s her grandmother, who invites her into a lively game of shadow play. And soon the two of them are having a grand adventure, and the girl’s faraway family starts feeling more like friends. Award-winning author Padma Venkatraman’s picture book debut shows the joy of connecting through imaginative play, and Nicole Wong’s evocative illustrations bring the story to brilliant life.

The history of mathematics is dotted by names like Albert Einstein, Euclid, and Carl Friedrich Gauss, men of genius. But many women-though not as well-known by history-aided in the development of mathematics. Emilie de Breteuil, Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Mary Somerville, Ada Byron Lovelace, Sonya Kovalevsky, and Emmy Noether faced unique challenges on their way to success. All were born at times when women were expected to get only a minimal education. Furthermore, even when their passion prevailed and they were able to attain the knowledge they sought, they were often unable to find careers in their chosen field, blocked by men and the prejudices of their time. Still, they worked tirelessly, to learn more and to get the respect of their male peers. With time and determination they succeeded, creating works that influenced people''s thinking about mathematics and the universe; in doing so, they not only achieved their own goals, but helped to forge the modern world. Book jacket.

A young adult biography of British astronomer Caroline Herschel

Princess. World War II spy. International hero. Noor Inayat Khan was all three—and much more. Acclaimed novelist Padma Venkatraman makes her nonfiction debut with this mesmerizing biography that reads like a thriller. Perfect for readers of Candace Fleming, Steve Sheinkin, and Ruta Sepetys. Imagine an Indian princess. Do you hear the swish of her gold-threaded sari? See the glow of her diamond-studded necklace? Think again. Take a step back in time. The Second World War rages across the globe. France is reeling under Nazi occupation. Across the English Channel, the British are rallying to withstand Hitler’s ruthless bombing campaigns while devising ways to attack his deadly regime from the inside. Britain must find people willing to risk everything in the fight for freedom: spies who will serve in enemy-occupied territory. A descendant of South-Indian royalty, Noor Inayat Khan is not what most British intelligence officers might envision as the “ideal” recruit. Despite her smarts and drive to protect her beloved France (where she spent much of her childhood), Noor is underestimated at every turn. Armed with the codename Madeleine and her father’s Sufi teachings, she is sent to Paris, where the Gestapo prowl the streets, the line between ally and enemy blurs, and each dangerous mission could be her last. In Secret Agent Noor: The True Story of the Indian Sufi Princess and WWII Spy, readers will meet a real-life hero whose unbreakable spirit and daring feats of espionage helped ensure the success of the D-Day invasion and beyond.

Como cualquier adolescente, la quinceañera Vidya vive una vida apacible con unos padres y un hermano que la quieren y que luchan para que sea feliz. A la inquieta Vidya le gusta imaginar cómo será su vida cuando sea mayor. Su gran sueño es poder ir a la universidad. Pero está escrito que el destino de Vidya no sea fácil. Una tragedia golpea su vida, y Vidya tiene que trasladarse a vivir con la familia de su padre, donde es difícil sentirse en casa. Sus tíos no admiten que las chicas tengan los mismos derechos que los chicos, y empiezan a hacerle la vida imposible. Por suerte, cuando las cosas no pueden empeorar más, Vidya conoce a Rama, un chico que la escucha y la comprende, y que pronto se convierte en su aliado. Rama la acompañará hasta lo que hay más allá de la escalera prohibida: un mágico mundo de palabras en el que quizá sus sueños puedan cumplirse. La escalera prohibida es la universal historia de una chica extraordinaria que lucha por sus sueños y su libertad... en un país y un momento tan fascinantes como complejos, la India de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Una emocionante novela juvenil que te llevará al corazón de India y al descubrimiento del mundo de las palabras como camino hacia la superación.