Celebrating Indian Heritage

Danielle Sachdeva
Each fall, people in India and across the globe celebrate the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness during the five-day festival of Diwali. In this column, we honor Diwali by spotlighting books for all ages with characters and creators of Indian heritage. 

The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie. Radhika Sanghani. (2025). Carolrhoda Books.
Twelve-year-old Priya feels pressure to be perfect. Her parents argue all the time, keeping her awake at night and too tired to focus on school. Her gymnastics schedule is rigorous, leaving little time for Priya to hang out with her best friends Sami and Mei. Priya suffers silently until one day, she dons a magic bangle, which forces her to tell the truth whether she wants to or not. At first, her inability to lie helps. She grows closer to Sami and Mei, discovers her crush on teammate Dan Zhang is mutual, and is given Friday nights off from gymnastics. But when Priya begins sharing things she shouldn’t, she alienates her loved ones and creates a mess that seems impossible to fix. Priya’s dilemmas, from navigating family dynamics to repairing broken friendships, are relatable and will resonate with middle grade readers. While The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie features believable characters who confront real issues like divorce, grieving, and bullying, the story is fast-paced and often humorous, reflecting the ups and downs of middle school. (Gr 5-8)

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The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery. Mitali Perkins. Illus. by Maithili Joshi. (2025). Charlesbridge. 
When her friend Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing, it is just one more problem for 12-year-old Sona, a Nepali girl who lives on a tea plantation in Darjeeling, India. Sona worries about many things, including her overworked and tired mother, a plantation worker, and her brother, who was once falsely accused of theft and now seems like a prime suspect for the missing jewelry. Through careful sleuthing, Sona finds the jewelry, saves her brother’s reputation, and helps Tara, who wants to run her own tea plantation that treats workers fairly. While the story’s pace is slow at times and the characters are not well-developed, the large font and short chapters could support readers making the transition to chapter books. The book also highlights India’s cultural and linguistic diversity by including characters from different ethnicities like Nepali, Bengali, and Tibetan, and addresses issues like water access and workers’ rights. This book is for readers who enjoy a mystery and do not mind a slow burn. (Gr 3-5)

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The Greatest River. Namita Moolani Mehra. Illus. by Khoa Le. (2025). Harper.
Often called “mother” by India’s people, the Ganges River, or Ganga, is revered as a goddess with the power to heal. When her mother becomes ill, Ananda and her aunt, Maasi, visit Ganga seeking peace. As Ananda soaks in the cold water, all she can feel is “Ganga’s warm embrace.” Ananda and Maasi float diyas down the river and chant prayers, admire the “million floating diamonds” on Ganga’s surface, and journey across for the evening aarti at an ancient temple. When it is time to leave, Ananda takes a pebble from Ganga’s banks for her mother while Maasi collects healing water. The visit to Ganga gives Ananda peace, a feeling she will long remember. The theme of peace is supported by rhythmic text enhanced by alliteration (“Ganga glistened/Ganga gurgled/Ganga glowed”) and short sentences that invite the reader to pause (“A river rhapsody - sacred, graceful, powerful”). Muted shades of brown, blue, and pink further complement the theme. An outstanding choice for reading aloud, The Greatest River will help readers appreciate Ganga’s significance and sacredness. (Gr K Up)

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Happy Holi!: Celebrating the Festival of Colors. Chitra Soundar. Illus. by Amberin Huq. (2025). Bloomsbury. 
Usually occurring in March, Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrating the arrival of spring. Happy Holi! is told from the perspective of a child who shares their family’s Holi traditions with readers. On the day before Holi, the family makes sweet treats, gathers sticks and wood, and collects flower petals to make dyes. That night, they assemble around a bonfire and tell stories. When they wake up the next morning, everyone blasts one another with colorful dyes and powders in honor of the Festival of Colors, and they enjoy a lunchtime feast with neighbors and friends. The rhyme scheme and alliteration (e.g., “later, by the full moon’s light, we make a bonfire blazing bright”) make it perfect for repeated read-alouds, and a glossary defines Hindi words appearing in the text. The cartoon-style illustrations are brightly colored and include accurate cultural details. Happy Holi! captures the joyful spirit of this much-anticipated spring celebration. Gr (PreK Up)

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Home Has No Borders. Samira Ahmed & Sonia Charaipotra. (2025). Harper. 
In this anthology by South Asian writers, teens will encounter 16 short stories about the meaning of “home.” In “Love the One You’re With,” bullied teen Ali finds home in the freedom and anonymity he feels while working his weekend job at a haunted house attraction. For Damon in “Star Anise,” home is in the kitchen, creating food for others, while for heartbroken Ava in “Lovesick,” home is the unconditional love of her best friend. The stories featured in this collection are written by notable authors, including Newbery Honorees Rajani LaRocca (Red, White and Whole) and Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary), and 2025 Notable Books for a Global Society recipient Samira Ahmed (This Book Won’t Burn). Protagonists include characters from a variety of religious traditions and backgrounds, such as Indo-Fijian and Pakistani, which presents readers with the cultural richness of South Asia and its global diasporas. This diverse collection has a story for every reader. (Gr 9 Up)

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Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite. Suhasini Gupta. Illus. by Devika Oza. (2025). Gnome Road Publishing. 
During Sankranti, the Indian festival of kites, people not only fly kites but enter kite battles, cutting down one another’s kites and shouting “Kai po che!” with each victory. Finders of fallen kites get to keep them. This Sankranti, the weather is breezy and perfect for kite flying. Mini is excited to join for the first time, but the problem is that she doesn’t have a kite. She puts her craft skills to work, and with her own ingenuity and a little help from her older brother Bhai, she is soon flying a kite of her own. Everything is going well until a large red kite looms nearby, cutting down other kites, even Bhai’s. With some careful maneuvers, Mini cuts down the red kite, catches it, and wins her first kite battle: “Kai po che!” Digitally rendered, cartoon-style illustrations support the text, and readers will experience the joy and fun of kite flying through Mini’s infectious excitement. Educators can capitalize on the back matter, which includes the science behind flying kites and math connections. (PreK-Gr 1)

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Maya in Multicolor. Swati Teerdhala. (2025). Hyperion. 
After a failed relationship and disappointing first semester at Neadham University, Maya is ready for change. While old Maya would rather spend Friday nights at home watching Bake Off, new Maya wants to fully embrace her college experience. Her first step? Planning the Hindu Student Association’s spring Holi celebration. Maya is thrilled to revive her cherished Holi traditions for the Neadham community, but her excitement turns to dismay when Nishant, the biggest heartbreaker on campus, signs up as co-chair and insists on a new vision for Holi. As Maya and Nishant clash and compromise, she learns he is more than a flirt and handsome face. Their surprising new friendship begins deepening into something more, and Maya must decide if she should guard her heart or take a chance on love. Readers will cheer for Maya as she faces her own vulnerabilities, embraces new challenges, and starts believing in herself. Though the story’s ending is predictable, it is no less satisfying. Teens will adore this sweet and charming love story. (Gr 8 Up)

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Midnight Motorbike. Maureen Shay Tajsar. Illus. by Ishita Jain. (2025). Neal Porter Books.
On a night when it is too hot to sleep, a girl and her mother hop on their motorbike and travel the roads of South India toward the Bay of Bengal. Along the way, they observe the scents, sights, and sounds of the night: the glow of snake eyes, a cup of steaming chai, an old man weaving garlands of jasmine, temples with stone-carved monkeys, and the wind at their feet. The girl’s imagination soars as she listens to Amma’s stories and experiences the sensations of the night until finally, she is lulled to sleep. The text is rhythmic, lending itself to reading aloud, and the inclusion of metaphors and sensory details makes readers feel as if they are along for the ride. The illustrations, created in an expressionistic, textured style using gouache, crayons, and colored pencils, are stunning and perfectly complement the story. Vibrant reds, pinks, and oranges make the sunset glow on the page, while indigos and deep blues envelop readers in the warm night. This outstanding picture book can be read and appreciated multiple times and will appeal to readers of all ages. (Gr K Up)

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Sanskari Sweetheart. Ananya Devarajan. (2025). Harper. 
It’s the National Bollywood Dance Circuit finals competition, and for senior and two-time champion Raina, it’s the last time she will compete. The stakes become even higher when Raina makes a deal with her mother. If she wins the Nationals scholarship, she can study dance at college. But if she loses, she will pursue a STEM major. As Raina prepares for Nationals, other problems weigh on her like the constant fights with Aditya, her dance team co-captain and boyfriend of four years, and the scrutiny from aunties in her Indian community who question if Raina is sanskari, or traditional, enough. When Aditya breaks up with her right before their big dance number and she is injured on stage, Raina enters a time loop and continually relives the day of the competition. To break the loop, Raina must prevent losing Aditya, save her dance team, and learn a few things about herself. The characters are not well-developed and the plot is slow in the second half, diminishing the book’s appeal to a broad audience. However, readers who enjoy romance will be invested in Raina and Aditya’s love story, and readers interested in dance will also find this book appealing. (Gr 9 Up)

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The Singular Life of Aria Patel. Samira Ahmed. (2025). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
At the precise moment when her mother’s life is about to end in a tragic accident, Aria suddenly finds herself in front of a house that isn’t hers (where is she?), sporting bangs (when did she get a haircut?) and platform Uggs (why is she wearing these hideous shoes?). Thus begins Aria’s journey into the multiverse. She moves from one universe to another, inhabiting the lives of other Arias until a splitting headache and shimmer of light appear and transport her somewhere else. Desperate to save her mother, Aria tries to uncover the meaning of a cryptic poem that surfaces in each universe, certain it contains the key to getting home. But when Aria enters yet another universe, one not unlike her own, one where her father is alive again and she has an adoring little sister, she must decide whether to stay in the warm comfort of this world or go home and face the possibility of losing her mother. Thought-provoking and filled with both humor and heartache, Aria and the bittersweet moments of her journey will linger with readers long after the last page. (Gr 8 Up)

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The Sunshine Project. Uma Krishnaswami. Illus. by Julianna Swaney. (2025). Groundwood Books. 
At first, the new solar panel factory sounds like a great idea for Anil’s city. More solar panels mean more clean energy. When Anil and his classmates are assigned to investigate a local issue and interview residents, they learn there is more to the factory’s plans than what the mayor and media are reporting. Not only will the factory destroy the mangrove trees and the tidal ecosystem at the building site, but local villagers will lose their homes. Anil and his friends must speak out before the new factory breaks ground and causes devastating environmental impacts. Though The Sunshine Project is the final book in a trilogy, readers do not need to be familiar with the first two books to understand the storyline. The short chapters, fast pace, and straightforward plot make it ideal for emerging chapter book readers. Importantly, The Sunshine Project draws attention to environmental concerns, the necessity of considering all sides of an issue, and how kids can work together to make a difference. (Gr 3-5)

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A Vaisakhi to Remember. Simran Jeet Singh. Illus. by Japneet Kaur. (2025). Kokila. 
Vaisakhi is a festival celebrating the spring harvest and a significant day in the Sikh religion. The narrator, a young Punjabi girl, loves the festival’s traditions like dancing, preparing meals with her grandmother, and celebrating with her family and neighbors at the gurdwara (a Sikh community space). When she moves from her rural village to a big city, she fears that Vaisakhi will never be the same. But when Vaisakhi morning comes, her parents surprise her with a visit to a local gurdwara, where there is familiar music, delicious food, and new friends. The narrator happily concludes that “even in our new home, Vaisakhi is still the best day.” The text, sprinkled with multiple Punjabi words, could be challenging for those unfamiliar with the language; yet, this aspect invites readers to research the vocabulary. The watercolor illustrations contribute to the book’s wistful tone but include many elements, making the pages appear “busy” and unfocused. However, A Vaisakhi to Remember is notable in its portrayal of a celebration that may be new to some readers. (Gr 2 Up)

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Danielle Sachdeva, Ph.D., is Professor of Literacy and Elementary Education at the University of North Georgia and a past president of the CL/R SIG.