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“Grayscale comics and spot illustrations accentuate the lighthearted humor of the characters’ evergreen adolescent conflicts while earnest prose and a supportive cast emphasize themes of pressure to meet expectations and managing friendships.”

— Publishers Weekly

“[A] love letter to libraries…Readers will walk away from this one ready to stand up and fight for the people and places that matter most.”

— Booklist

“The fun, relatable story brims with clever wordplay and inventively draws parallels between the kids’ experiences and the book they’re reading. The interplay of text and comic-style illustrations has strong appeal…A heartwarming tale of friendship and the power of books to bring people together.”

— Kirkus Review

Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page

Written by Supriya Kelkar and Jarrett Lerner
Illustrated by Supriya Kelkar and Jarrett Lerner
Published by Amulet Books

Roohi and Nate are not friends. Their paths have crossed a handful of times over the years—and the outcome has never been good. Nate thinks Roohi is a snobby know-it-all, and Roohi thinks Nate is nothing but a slacker.

But that begins to change when they both somewhat reluctantly join a reading club that meets during lunch at their school library. The Lunch Bunch allows Roohi to open up about feeling disconnected from her friends on the track team after a broken toe sidelined her for the season.

Nate, who has always struggled in school, shares how tired he is of constantly being compared to his genius older brother. Despite their differences, and maybe because of them, Roohi and Nate form a friendship unlike any other they’ve ever had, with each other and with the other kids in the club.

As the Lunch Bunch gets stronger, though, things seem to be falling apart at the library. When the kids learn that their beloved librarian, Mrs. Sharp’s, job may be in danger due to budget cuts, they band together to find a solution . . . which proves to be easier said than done.

Can Roohi and Nate’s new friendship survive outside of the Lunch Bunch in order to save the place that brought them together?

Primary ISBN: 9781419778735
Publication Date: March 2026
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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