Looking For Bapu

by Anjali Banerjee

Anu's beloved grandfather Bapu moved from India to Anu's home in the Pacific Northwest when Anu was small, and Anu is devastated when Bapu dies. But when he is visited by Bapu's ghost, he knows that there must be a way to bring him back to life -- he's just not sure how. Anu enlists his friends Izzy and Unger to help him. From shaving his head to making up fortunes in the hope of becoming more holy, Anu tries everything. He even journeys to the island of the Mystery Museum. Perhaps there, Karnak the Magician will be able to help?


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Middle Grade, Family, Childrens, Death, India, Asian American, Fiction

176 pages, Library Binding

First published October 10, 2006

About the author

I was born in India, raised in Canada and California, and I now live in the Pacific Northwest, in a cottage in the woods, with my husband and six rescued cats.

I've always loved to write. When I was seven, I penned my first story about an abandoned puppy on a beach in Bengal. Then, inspired by my maternal grandmother—an English writer who lived in India—I wrote a mystery, The Green Secret, at the age of nine. I illustrated the book, stapled the pages together and pasted a copyright notice inside the front cover. After that, I churned out a series of mysteries and adventure novels with preposterous premises and impossible plots.

Growing up in a small town in Manitoba, Canada, my favorite family event was the weekly drive to the garbage dump to watch for bears. I also loved jaunts to the library, where I checked out the same Curious George books dozens of times. I adored a picture book called The Bear Who Couldn’t Sleep, starring a baby bear who refused to hibernate in winter. My favorite authors were Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, Alexander Key, C.S. Lewis and others. Every night my dad read to me from C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia or Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

After I grew up and finished university, I tried on jobs like new sets of clothes before rediscovering my love for writing. Since then, my fiction has appeared in several literary journals and an anthology, and I was a contributing writer for three regional history books and local newspapers before I began writing novels.

I've now written five novels for youngsters and four for grownups, including ENCHANTING LILY. Romantic Times magazine gave ENCHANTING LILY a top rating of 4.5 stars: "This is a wonderful story with lovable characters who are trying to start fresh after tragedy touches their lives. Readers will fall head over heels for a four-legged character who almost upstages the two-legged leads.”

Of my recent novel, HAUNTING JASMINE, Melinda Bargreen of The Seattle Times wrote, “Banerjee invites the reader into her colorful, hopeful world, one in which the Northwest island tides coexist with the ghost of Julia Child, Charles Dickens’ mirror, and a sari or two.”

I've had many more wonderful reviews, but like any author, I know what it's like to receive a not-so-nice review. So I'm going to review only the books I love. I want to put positive energy out into the world.

Thank you for reading my books!

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel subtly handles many aspects of being a young child, of feeling powerless and curious and silly. Anu deals with racism, but finds that most people are just as confused and scared as he is. Andy, one of Anu’s classmates, has cancer and there is a really wonderful scene between the two boys. Izzy and Unger are perfect friends, bringing quirkiness and warmth to the story.

Ultimately, grief is universal, and that is the point of Looking for Bapu. There are many types of grief here: from the grief of adults (Anu’s parents), childhood grief, living with a life-threatening illness, but also the collective grief we felt as a country after 9/11. But still, within all that sadness, there still has to be laughter, happiness and joy.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is such a thing as a really cute book about grief, this is it. When his beloved grandfather, Bapu, dies, Anu is determined to bring him back. With the help of his friends Izzy and Unger, Anu devises various schemes until finally determining that his only hope lies with the magician at the Mystery Museum, a shop "two really expensive bus trips and a ferry ride away."

Anjali Banerjee does a great job of capturing the perspective of the tweenish Anu and injecting moments of humor and healing into a what is, out of necessity, a bittersweet book.

[Atomicgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having come highly recommended by the children's librarian, I picked up this book expecting to find it too somber for my liking, but I was pleasantly suprised.

It is a poignant depiction of a child trying to come to terms with his grandfather's death. Anu is a respectable character; a main character who can be recognized as a child, but a person who is given the respect of a grieving family member. It is not so much depressing as it is tender.

[Darshan Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

a smart novel for older children grappling with the loss of a grandparent. also useful for narrativizing the horrors of the aftermath of 11 sept 2001 as lived by south asians in the u.s. i must admit that i loved loved loved the curiosity shop dimension of this book. gothic horror, i believe, is an excellent framework for examining the so-called war on terror and the events the u.s. claims to have launched it.

[John Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for kids but enjoyable by adults, Looking for Bapu is a particularly sensitive and engaging adventure novel about a child coming to terms with the loss of his grandfather. The first-person narrator, Anu, is believable and likable, and I was particularly impressed with the realism with which his thoughts and impressions are portrayed. This is a kid I feel like I know.

In the course of looking for his departed Bapu, Anu goes on some interesting journeys: there's the emotional journey, of course, and the intellectual struggle of coming to terms with death for the first time. But the physical journeys around the Pacific Northwest and to the famous "Mystery Museum" (a thinly disguised version of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, on Seattle's waterfront) are vivid and fun. With plenty of humor, Looking for Bapu takes a serious subject and treats it with the respect it deserves while maintaining a lightness of heart that makes this book a positive pleasure to read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anu's beloved grandfather (Bapu) dies in front of him, and he blames himself. The story is all about how he forgives himself and gives up on the magical thinking that he'll keep Bapu around if he just does the right penance or is holy enough. Though Anu is in 3rd grade, I'm not sure 3rd graders will quite get the subtlety of whether it is Bapu's ghost, or Anu's imagination that he sees/senses. I loved the representation (we've never had a Southeast Asian character before), but somehow it just read a little old to me, and I would want to read it *with* a 3rd grader and discuss it, which isn't what the Reading Challenge is about.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best “juvenile fiction” book I’ve read in awhile. It is a great read for people of any age. The language and story are both beautiful and touching. It is a quest story that deals with issues of grief, being an “outsider,” finding one’s true friends, family, and touches upon the strangeness of a post 9/11 world for all people, but especially for brown-skinned people. It is a story of love, friendship, and growth that everyone can learn from, no matter their stage in life. I highly recommend it especially for teachers who want to include more cultural diversity in their classroom libraries and curricula.

[Mark Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a tender book! The main character had me brimming with compassion from the minute his grandfather dies. I just wanted to scoop him up and give a big hug as his parents were way too distracted to focus on his pain. Sometimes kids get lost in the shuffle. We forget that they are suffering too. I loved the perspective of the child trying to come to terms with stereotypes and assumptions in this post 9/11 world.

[Vidya Tiru · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Preview: When I joined the South Asian Challenge this year along with a few more (did I bite off more than I could chew? In all likelihood, yes, just like I end up doing other elsewheres too.. but am I enjoying it? I would have to say - An Enthusiastic Yes!), I knew a few authors I would be reading including Salman Rushdie, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Tagore, and also Munshi Premchand (need to see where I can find his books though here in the US), but I also wanted to read other authors whom I had not before so this meant going through the internet searching for books and authors, and Anjali Banerjee was one such result. Her first book that I found - Looking for Bapu- it was in the childrens’ section - I wondered whether I should read it but given my great experience with Rushdie's books for children (Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Luka and the Fire of Life), I knew I should at least try to read it - the result - I read it all in one sitting and now am one satisfied reader with little gems of wisdom and humor floating around in my head.
The Review: Looking for Bapu tells the story of 8-year-old Anu as he deals with feelings of grief, guilt, fear, and loss after the death of his beloved grandpa, Bapu. Throughout the book, he researches fantastic websites (http://www.bring-back-dead-loved-ones...) to find out various ways he can get his Bapu back as he is convinced that his Bapu is still there. His friends Unger, Izzy, and Andy help him in his endeavors. The author depicts the way a child reacts very well here (I can easily see my 8 year olds’ thinking wheels turning the same way asking similar questions) – the child’s inquisitive mind, his feeling of helplessness in the grand scheme of things, his faith, his goofiness and more. The way adults and friends react and try to help Anu are also very real and help the reader (whatever age) relate to the book and its characters.
In a post 9/11 US, as Anu deals with racism, he also realizes that being just a different skin color is not the only way you are different.
One humorous example of this: when they are looking for coffee mugs imprinted with names in a store (Adam, Alan, Amy, Betsy,….) and both Izzy and Unger mention that there’s never an Izzy or Unger in these stores
‘I know there won’t be an Anu. I never bother to look. I never realized that Unger and Izzy wouldn’t find their names either. I feel closer to them now, closer because we’re here together, together in trouble, all of us with funny names, looking for holy.’

Other quotable quotes from Looking for Bapu:
Pg 30 When a friend tells Anu - 'I collect curiosities over the internet.' He thinks - 'I never knew you could collect curiosity. I guess that since Bapu died, my family has been collecting sadness.'
Pg 19 'Doesn’t this day know he has gone? Doesn’t it miss him the way I do?'
Pg 63 ‘My dad is not what anyone calls him. My dad is just my dad. Is it brave to be what you are, I wonder? Brave to just be yourself?”
You can find more such wonderful quotes in ‘Looking for Bapu’.
A great read and I am looking forward to reading other books by Anjali Banerjee now.

[Esther Storrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very hard for me to pick which book to comment on, but I chose “Looking For Bapu”, by Anjali Banerjee. It was published by Yearling in 2008, and tells the story of Anu, an eight-year-old boy who is devoted to his Indian grandfather, Bapu, who cares for him while his parents are busy at work. The book begins with Anu and Bapu taking a bird watching trip into the woods behind their Seattle house. Bapu suffers a stroke and later dies at the hospital. Anu is devastated by the loss and tries to maintain his connection to Bapu by trying to become a holy man, or sadhu. With the help of two best friends, Izzy and Unger, he tries out different rituals including somersaulting everywhere instead of walking. His friends help him find a way to accept his grandfather’s death and reconnect with his parents.

I thought this book did an excellent job of illustrating the complexities of navigating cultural and religious identity for an American-born son of Indian immigrants. Anu’s parents are busy professionals; his mom is a doctor and his father a mathematics professor. They are very “modern”, and don’t cook much and are not very connected to their Hindu religion. Bapu is the opposite, making delicious Indian food for Anu and meditating every morning at his shrine to Shiva. After his death, Anu thinks he still sees Bapu, which starts his quest. Underlying much of the book is the conflict Anu feels as an Indian-American who wants to stay true to the spirit of his beloved Bapu. So much of the novel rang true to me based on what I know from many friends who are Indian immigrants. I could picture the late-night calls to India to tell of Bapu’s death, and the days long preparation for Auntie Biku’s arrival from India. I also think the way that Hinduism is woven through the story is outstanding. This is the first children’s book I have read that discusses Hindu religious practices in a modern context. Everything from Bapu’s morning meditation at his shrine to Shiva, to the rituals after his death, to the descriptions of the sadhu’s practices were informative and thoughtfully written. The novel also takes place just after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Anu struggles with the racism as classmates and others associate him with the terrorists based on the color of his skin. I think that is an important additional element in the book, especially when the author describes a Sikh businessman being pulled aside for interrogation at the airport because of his appearance. Another component that I appreciated was how the children used the Internet for research. It is very realistic for these children of educated families to be using computers. Online, they discover the rolling sadhu, Ludkan Baba, and Anu tries to emulate him. The choice of this “holy roller” is both sweet and light-hearted, and allows the reader to learn more about Anu and his friends.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I thought it portrayed a modern Indian-American boy very authentically. The book would be best for grades 3-5, and would be a great addition to a classroom or school library.

[Salsabrarian]

Anu feels tremendous guilt when Bapu, his beloved grandpa, suffers a fatal stroke while they are on a hike in the woods. Anu regrets not bringing his cell phone or running home fast enough to call 911. Anu is inspired to become a holy man, a healer, so that he can bring Bapu back. This amusing journey includes shaving his head, giving away his school lunches and somersaulting all the way to school. When nothing seems to work, his last chance is Karnak the magician. But Karnak turns out to be nothing more than an ordinary man in a costume suffering a cold. Back home, Anu comes across an old picture of himself, and realizes it is a picture of Bapu as a child. Bapu hasn’t really left; he’ll always be with Anu. Indeterminate Pacific Northwest setting.

[Wendi Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Main character is preteen. Must be to want to be a holy person who gets around solely by rolling along the ground. He also has some problems being the only Indian around but makes some interesting friends, one of which is a fun homeschooler so I liked that! This book made me cry a lot because he spends the entire story trying to reestablish a link with his recently deceased grandfather who has been the primary caregiver since his parents work all the time. Such a touching story.

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Anu's grandfather Bapu moved from India to Anu's home in the Pacific Northwest when Anu was small, and he is devastated when Bapu dies. But when he is visited by Bapu's ghost, he knows that there must be a way to bring him back to life--he's just not sure how. Anu enlists his friends Izzy and Unger to help him. From shaving his head to making up fortunes in the hope of becoming more holy, Anu tries everything. He even journeys to the island of the Mystery Museum. Perhaps there, Karnak the Magician will be able to help?

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

2006 - Multicultural

Anu is closer to his grandfather than anyone else. He loves all the time that he spends with him. On one fateful day, Bapu suffers from a massive stroke and dies. Even though he has been told that he is gone, Anu still is able to see and here Bapu through visions. Anu goes on a quest to find Bapu. This is a very touching story. One gets to learn all about the Bengali culture at the same time. Good Read

[Taliah]

Hi

[Rachel Canning]

I loved when when Aniu does all these things to get his Bapu back.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story. Treats delicate issues with warmth, sincerity, insight, and humor. Go out of your way to find a copy.

[Corianne Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book dealing with death and the preciousness of life from the perspective of an 8 year old.