New Arrival/New American Books

Written by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Eleven-year old Dini loves movies watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own especially those oh-so-fabulous Bollywood movies where you don’t need to know the language to get what’s going on. But when her mother reveals some big news, it does not at all jibe with the script Dini had in mind. Her family is moving to India. And not even to Bombay, which is the center of the filmi universe (and home to Dini’s all-time most favorite star, Dolly Singh). No, they’re moving to a teeny, tiny town that she can’t even find on a map: Swapnagiri. It means Dream Mountain, a sleepy little place where nothing interesting can happen…. But wait a movie minute! Swapnagiri is full of surprises like rose petal milk shakes, mischievous monkeys, a girl who chirps like a bird, and…could it be Dolly herself?

Primary ISBN:
Available As: Paperback
Chapter Book, Age 08 or older

Community Represented: Indian/Indian American

Themes: Multiracial Identity, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Visiting Home Country

Setting: India, United States

Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation

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

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