Save Me a Seat

by Sarah Weeks, Gita Varadarajan

Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.

Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own.

Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.

Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.


 

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Friendship, School, Childrens, Audiobook

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Sarah Weeks has been writing children's books and songs for the past twenty years. She is a graduate of Hampshire College and NYU and recently became an adjunct faculty member in the prestigious Writing Program at the New School University, in New York City.

Her first YA novel, So B. It, which appeared on the LA Times bestseller list was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and received the 2004 Parent's Choice Gold Award. In addition to being an author, Sarah is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has written for television, stage and screen and a number of her picture books include songs which she both writes and sings for the accompanying CDs. Sarah's titles have sold well over a million copies, including several foreign editions.

Sarah is a tireless promoter, visiting schools throughout the country, serving as author-in-residence and speaking to teachers and librarians at national conferences including IRA, ALA and NCTE. She lives in New York City with her two teenage sons.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Things are very different here in America."

Ravi moves to America after his dad gets a promotion and he thinks things are going rather well at first...but soon things change.

Meanwhile, Joe's best friends moved away, his dad is now a truck driver and his mom lost her nursing job and is now a lunch lady. OH! And the school bully knows all of this.

Things are not going well...for either of them during the first week of classes.

As the bully circles closer, the two of them are going to have to make a decision. Give it all up or stand together.

"Winning is not always about shining the brightest. Sometimes it's about sharing the light with someone who has been waiting in the shadows all along."

Well, this one worked surprisingly well for me.

I enjoyed how the author balanced the two characters.

Ravi was quite relatable and his perspective really invited the audience to emphasize with "off-the-boat" (as he calls it) kids.

And Joe was nicely done as well - he has an issue with paying attention when distracting sounds are happening and his disability was tastefully done.

It always annoys me when there's "the disabled kid" in the book and thankfully, that was not how Joe was treated. It certainly was part of his identity but not his entire character .

As for the plot - I thought the bullying in this book felt very realistic. So many times the "bully" (Dillion) is someone so easily taken down that the fact that he's a "bully" is almost laughable in the first place.

I felt for poor Ravi and Joe as they suffered under Dillion and I liked how the book subtly showed how to overcome bullying (namely - sticking together and supporting each other).

I enjoyed how this book didn't focus heavily on action, romance or even adventure - it was a true-to-life and from-the-heart kind of tale, and don't we all need more of these in our lives?

Audiobook Comments
Read by Josh Hurley and Vikas Adam - the audio was really well done - an absolute delight to listen!

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[Starjustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter recommended this book to me and I am very pleased that she did. This book is a great learning experience for young people, especially school age children. We can all take a life lesson away from this story book and I would recommend that all readers add it to their 'to be read list'. Easy reading, great teaching lesson, and the characters keep your interest at all times! Thank you to my granddaughter for recommending this lovely book to me.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Relatable school story with unusual points of view and clearly defined issues and characters. Give to fans of Fish In A Tree. I'm not surprised the authors collaorated on this project through TCRWP.... this book seems built for conferring points. More on that in a sec.

Review:

This book was made for teachin' -- on literary merits alone, this book is pretty ho-hum. The character shifts are brief and dramatic; the characterizations are somewhat unrealistic (for example, both main characters seem to love love love Bud, Not Buddy but no other mentions of their reading lives...); the bully character is nothing if not predictable. However, this sort of ho-hum predictability is often what growing readers need. So let me briefly outline some of the neat teaching points in this book.

Teaching point 1: Alternating points of view. Readers need to attend to the names at the top of each chapter in order to determine the "I" voice. The chapters alternate in an A-B-A-B pattern, which I think is easier for readers to track than a multi-voice book (A-B-C-D-B) or an inconsistent switchoff (A-A-B-A-B-B)

Teaching point 2: Character comparisons and inferences. Ravi recently moved from India and is unfamiliar with the customs of the U.S., which makes for some painfully awkward moments. Joe has Auditory Processing Disorder, which makes certain school tasks hard for him and makes him appear less capable than he is. Even though these characters are different, they have a lot in common: both are misunderstood, both are outsiders, both are struggling to make friends. Some of the readers I work with need the explicit teachings into character inferences ("How might this character be feeling right now?") even if they can capably track literal events. Good for the writers for creating multiple entry points to understand these characters' feelings of outsider-ness; if students miss one or two points, they can still see the others.

Teaching point 3: Understanding something before the character does. Through Joe's point of view we understand that Dillon Samreen is a major Grade A bully who has a long history of teasing Joe. (Dillon's mom drives a Mercedes with the license plate ENVY ME.) Ravi sees a fellow Indian in the class and is expecting Dillon to become a good friend. Readers should be asking: when is Ravi going to figure out that Dillon isn't a good friend? Ravi's realization that Dillon isn't a good person is dramatic and Ravi repeatedly returns to how his feelings on Dillon changed.

Teaching point 4: Knowing how stories go. Ravi and Joe start out the book as classmates; based on the title of the book and prior story knowledge about school stories readers can predict that by the end, they will become friends.

There are a variety of organizers and teaching tools one could use (charts, timelines) to help readers see this growth over time. And this book "sits still" for that kind of study for the readers who need it.

[sAmAnE · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب روایتگر چالش‌های پسربچه‌ای است که به‌تازگی به آمریکا مهاجرت کرده و با مسائل فرهنگی و اجتماعی متعددی روبه‌رو می‌شود. آشنایی او با جو، یکی از هم‌کلاسی‌هایش، زمینه‌ساز شکل‌گیری نگاهی تازه به مفهوم دوستی و ارتباط انسانی می‌شود. اثر به‌صورت غیرمستقیم به تجربه‌ی مهاجرت، جابه‌جایی مدارس کودکان و همچنین نژادپرستی اشاره دارد. به‌نظر من این کتاب برای کودکان ۱۰ تا ۱۲ سال و بالاتر مناسب است، چرا که نشان می‌دهد دوستی‌هایی که در شرایط خاص‌تری شکل می‌گیرند، می‌توانند عمیق‌تر و ماندگارتر باشند...

[Maria Caplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had so many different emotions for me. I was angry with the teacher for not taking the time to pronounce Ravi's name correctly. Furious with Dillion the bully who picked on both Ravi and Joe. Loved learning more about the perspective of Ravi's family who moved here from India. Wish I would have known there was a dictionary in the back of the book earlier. Thrilled I will be adding this book to my classroom library to celebrate diversity.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Winning is not always about shining the brightest. Sometimes it's about sharing the light with someone who has been waiting in the shadows all along." (p.215)

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read the summary for this book, I knew I had to read it as it dealt with the immigrant experience from a child's point of view. I was not disappointed by this book.
I found myself both laughing and uncomfortable hearing Gita Varadarajan's adult characters speak; this author wonderfully captured their attitudes. The particular style of sniping by the Indian mother-in-law, the pride in culture, the lack of empathy for difference...I felt like I was listening to the various parental units of my childhood. On the school-side, there was the persistent mispronunciation of Ravi's name and belief by Ravi's teacher and classmates that an accent implies stupidity, rather than just an accent.
I liked the use of Ravi's and Joe's points of view. Ravi doesn't suffer from a lack of confidence, having been top of his class in some subjects in school in Bangalore, and a good cricket player. Joe, on the other hand, struggles with his classmates and his environment, thanks to his sensitivity to auditory stimuli (Joe's been diagnosed with Auditory processing disorder). His classmates treat him like he's an idiot, thanks to Joe requiring assistance from a special resources educator, and his father believes all Joe needs to do to cope with anything is to simply "Man up!"
These two boys end up in the same grade 5 class. Joe has been bullied for years by Dhillon Samreen, who is also in this class. (Ravi's immediate naming of Dhillon as an ABCD was spot on. And Ravi naming himself as an FoB made me smile. I haven't heard that term in a while!)
The story takes place over one week, and shows how everyone needs to change some of their attitudes. There's humour (the melodrama of Ravi's grandmother had me grinning and rolling my eyes), sadness, and anger since most adults did not seemed to notice Dhillon's bullying or address it. Thankfully, there are a few sensitive and caring adults in the boys' lives (their mothers, a few teachers, Ravi's grandfather) who give them respect and a chance explain what's going on in their heads. Definitely an enjoyable read.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Sarah Weeks,

I hope you don't find this offensive, but after I read your novel, Save Me a Seat, I immediately had to look up how old you were, because I thought for sure we must have both been in middle school in the late 1990s, especially at your mention of "Ghetto Superstar," which has been stuck in my head since last night. (Thanks for that.)

I know this book was about Joe and Ravi, but frankly, I think the strongest character was Dillon Samreen, the bully. The cool boy shaggy hair, the stupid "statement" boxer shorts, that hideous, smarmy little smile before doing something awful, stealing things and shoving them down his pants--you just described my bully. The guy whose face I can still remember so vividly that, 19 years later, it still feels like he could walk around the corner at any minute and ruin my day. I have a hunch that I'm not the only reader who's felt this way, and I wonder if every adult picking up this book has thought, "OMG, she just described that complete jerkface from 6th grade English. Wait, did Sarah Weeks sit next to me in class or something? How did she know?" If that's not the mark of a well-developed character, then I don't know what is.

[Fatemeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

با مزه بود. شوک فرهنگی که راوی تجربه کرد توی اون یک هفته‌ی اول حضورش در آمریکا واقعا زیاد بود طفلک :))

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the first week of 5th grade for both Joe and Ravi, and things are not going well. Joe was expecting trouble — he’s been the target of the school bully for years, and he knew this year would be worse for him since his mom just took a job as the school lunch monitor. School has never been easy for him, since he struggles with Auditory Processing Disorder, but until this year, lunchtime was his favorite part of the day. Now that is ruined too.

Ravi, on the other hand, was not expecting any difficulty. He was the top student at his school in Bangalore, as well as being popular and a good cricket player to boot. He’s sure he’ll fit right in at his new school in the US. Yet it seems that misunderstanding and humiliation are waiting for him at every turn. His teacher mispronounces his name, and the class as a whole can’t seem to understand his accent. He’s sent to the resource room for help with his English skills, even though English is his first language. Everything he does to try to establish his competence and identity winds up slapping him in the face. He’s bullied and teased by the people he thought would be his friends, and he can’t seem to find his footing at this new school.

The book switches back and forth between Joe and Ravi’s perspectives, often addressing the same events from different points of view. The narration flows seamlessly, and the reader comes to know and understand both boys individually. They have very distinct voices, and the immediacy of the writing makes it seem as though they’re talking to us. This is a story about the dangers of relying on assumptions and stereotypes, and about the trust and growth that come from learning to see another person’s point of view. Both boys grow and mature in their own ways over the course of this difficult week in their lives.

My only complaint was that the book ended too abruptly. The two boys recount their experiences throughout the first week of school, but it’s not until Friday that they give each other a chance and end up becoming friends. There is so much potential in their friendship, and I would have loved to see a more fleshed out exploration of their relationship. So much of the book takes place when both boys are isolated and alone. I wanted to see how they worked through their differences and became close.

At the end of the book, the authors provide some additional cultural resources. There are two separate dictionaries (one with terms that Ravi uses and another with terms that Joe uses) — a tool that could surpass its obvious use as a source of definitions. American students who are needing to look up terms like “dosa” or “tennikoit” might find it thought-provoking to see entries for “M&Ms” or “snow globe” in the accompanying dictionary. It can be enlightening to see how many things are familiar to us simply because of our cultural context. The book also closes with two recipes — one for the apple crisp that Joe’s mom makes, and the other for naan khatais that Ravi’s mom makes. Making and sharing food cross-culturally is always a good starting point in building solidarity and understanding.

Overall I found this book to a very satisfying read. I came to feel a close connection to both boys, and was drawn in to see what would happen to them. It’s a beautiful reminder to seek to understand the people around us, and not to judge based on preconceptions and assumptions.

[Arghavan-紫荆 · Rating 5 out of 5]

•یه داستان نسبتا کوتاه و خوش‌خوان با جزئیات خیلی قشنگ و شخصیت پردازی هنرمندانه!

•ترجمه واقعا خوب بود و یسری اسامی خاص هندی یا انگلیسی که پیدا کردن معادل براشون سخت بود توی واژه‌نامه انتهای کتاب توضیح داده شده بودن که خیلی کار درستیه و از معادل‌های چرت و پرت به زور فارسی شده خیلی بهتره، علاوه بر این دستور پخت دوتا از غذاهایی هم که جو و راوی (دو شخصیت اصلی داستان) میخوردن انتهای کتاب اضافه شده بود که واقعا باعث شد لبخند بزنم :)

•هنوز چهار صفحه از شروع داستان نگذشته بود که با این شاهکار شخصیت‌پردازی روبرو شدم و از همینجا میدونستم دارم کتاب درجه‌یکی میخونم:
خانم بیم به سمت میز من می آید. قیافه اش طوری است که انگار دلش برایم می سوزد. روی شانه‌ام می‌زند و می‌گوید : « نگران نباش راوی. بعدا میتونی خودت رو به کلاس معرفی کنی، بعد از اینکه یه کم روی انگلیسیت کار کردی. ما یه معلم خیلی مهربون به اسم خانوم فراست توی کلاس بازآموزی داریم. مطمئنم که میتونه کمکت کنه.»
می‌خواهم بگویم:
۱. انگلیسی من خوب است.
۲. به خانم فراست نیازی ندارم.
۳. توی « ویدیا مندیر » شاگرد ممتاز بودم.
اما به جایش این کارها را انجام میدهم:
۱. عینکم را هل می دهم عقب.
۲. دماغم را می مالم.
۳. مینشینم و انگشتهایم را در هم گره میزنم.

•شخصیت جو منو خیلی خیلی یاد بردلی چاکرز توی کتاب "ته کلاس، ردیف آخر، صندلی آخر" انداخت There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom
این دوتا شخصیت از خیلی نظر ها شبیه هم بودن و من جفتشونو خیلی دوست دارم.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this would make a great read aloud in an upper elementary classroom.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audiobook is so well done that I am giving this title an additional star. Having Ravi and Joe read their own chapters brings the book to life. Both boys are struggling in the first few days of fifth grade. Yet neither of them recognize at first that they are more alike than they are different. There are not as many books out there that boys can relate to and I will be ready to recommend it to girls as well. A fantastic reminder that we are all different and can't all be the best at everything. Let's treat one another with kindness and stand up for others against bullying.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new friend could be sitting right next to you. Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL. Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and he was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.
The story is told from the point of view of two fifth-grade boys with seemingly nothing in common. We have Ravi, who is "fresh off the boat", His father has received a promotion and accepted an IT position in America...New Jersey. Ravi assumes that the only other Indian student in his class, Dillon Samreen, will quickly become his best buddy. Dillon is an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) who dresses and speaks more like an American. Dillon finds school not so challenging academically, but socially and culturally, he has a lot to learn.

Then with have Joe. Poor Joe. He's not only the biggest kid in the class, but he's also the loneliest. His two closest friends have moved away. Joe has an "auditory processing disorder", which makes most of school hard for him. He also is an easy target for bullies like Dillon, who prey on other kid's vulnerabilities. Dillon unmercifully picks on Joe and does it sneakily so that the teachers will be unaware. To make matters even worse, Joe's mom has recently lost her job and has just started a new job...working in the school cafeteria as a lunchroom monitor. Dillon puts that fact to use right away to torment Joe even more.

The new 5th-grade teacher, Mrs. Beam doesn't realize at first how intelligent Ravi is and sends him to go to the resource room with Joe to be tested. Ravi takes this request as an enormous insult, making him angry and frustrated. Joe is more than happy to go to his resource teacher, Miss Frost, who understands Joe and provides him with support and lots of M & M's. Chocolate will heal a lot of really bad things:)

Ravi finds out just how cruel Dillon can be when he tricks him into eating chili that was made with meat.... something that Ravi's religion does not allow. Joe and Ravi are pretty smart and use these torments to both learn a valuable lesson... that things are not always what they seem.

Anyone who has ever experienced bullying will identify with Joe, who was a lovable character with a kind heart. Joe also has gotten to know Ravi and feels empathy for him knowing he is in for a rude awakening when Dillon finally shows his "true colors".

Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan have done a good job of portraying these characters and succeed in telling a moving and realistic story. It did have some things that I didn't understand the author's reasoning for. The authors never reconcile the fact Ravi has anti-learning-disabled prejudices and Joe’s dad is apparently a raging anti-immigrant "nut job". But those things can be over-looked since it has many, many valuable lessons embedded in the 234 pages. I won't hesitate to give it five stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charmer. Ravi is an immigrant from India, Joe is white, but bullied, and the bully is an ABCD, American born confused desi. Fast-paced and suspenseful, with characters so deftly drawn that I fell in love with them even thought the book was short enough for me to read in one sitting.

What I especially love is that the kids had agency, and they solved their own problem. Teachers & parents were helpful and mostly understanding, but not saviors... this was about outsiders getting even and sticking up for themselves.

Also, two authors, so each was able to provide OwnVoices representation.

Also, Joe uses the resource room because he is learning coping strategies for his APD. He is thankful for that, and wishes the classroom teachers would understand that his special needs do require accommodation. "Sometimes teachers think they're doing you a favor by treating you like you're no different from anyone else. The thing is, I *am* different."
---
Reread. Includes one recipe (for after-school treats) from each family. My previous rating & review stand.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must for my school library. Possibly a "mirror book" for so many of our Indian students. (And a "window book" for the rest!)

[saeedeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story!
I wish it was longer tho ...

[Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because now it started out with Ravi thinking that Joe tripped him in class. Joe did not really trip Ravi in class. It was Dylan. I really liked the bullying in this book because of if it didn't have all of the bullying, it would not be as good. I like how Ravi blames Joe for every thing but in the end, it rapped up. Joe and Ravi became friends.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was a very good book. It teaches you and gives you real life lessons. In this book Ravi and Joe are victims of bullying Dillon the kid that bully's them ends up getting embarrassed in front of the whole class. Joe and Ravi end up as best friends. I usually don't like books like this, but this one just really hit me.

[HeavenlyO · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was amazing because I got to read each side of the story , very detailed ,and
it was fun and entertaining to read. The lesson I learned from the story was that ¨some of the
best friends are lurking in the shadows waiting to be found.This book has drama and it has
funny moments in the story .I wonder is there going to be another book that is another part of
the story?

[Yael J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I thought about "Save Me a Seat" was that it teaches very good lessons to students. I really loved reading this book. It was very funny and detailed about how things happened in the book. This book made me want to read another book like it, but I wish it could continue the story to see what happens at school with Ravi and Dillon. Save Me a Seat could be my very first favorite book that I have read this school year.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was chosen by my students to be read aloud during class time. It was a great book to use for teaching themes. This book has themes regarding bullying, friendship, different cultures, and perspectives. My students really enjoyed this book. They got a big kick out of the end and how the bully got what he deserved. The author also did a great job of building suspense as the book neared the end.

[ستایش · Rating 4 out of 5]

بخش‌هایی از کتاب:

گاهی وقت‌ها فقط به این نیاز داری که از یک دوست کمک بخواهی.

پیروزی همیشه به معنی درخشیدن نیست. گاهی‌وقت‌ها، پیروزی یعنی سهیم شدن نور با کسی که تمام مدت توی سایه منتظرت نشسته است.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I think about Save Me Seat it´s very interesting book. Even though, Ravi and Joe are having hard time friendship zone cause they realize they are different culture so they don´t hang out alot this lately. But when Ravi noticed Joe tried to give attention that Dillion is just bullying and make fun to him. The reason why Ravi want to hang with him cause he´s populur in the school until he´s noticed what mistake he make. Lastly, in the stories I learned being hard friendship and it won´t change your life but they become friends even though they´re different cultures.

[Marleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Aannames kloppen vaak niet, er schuilt vaak veel meer onder de oppervlakte dan mensen vermoeden.' Wat een fijn verhaal, verteld vanuit twee perspectieven, dat van de Indiase Ravi en de Amerikaanse Joe, die het allebei lastig hebben op school.

[Brenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book because it was about bullying and it was read from 2 different perspectives. I also liked the book because it was about how the two main characters were getting bullied and how they were standing up for themselves. This book is a very good book and I hope everybody else who reads it thinks the same. The book was about a kid named Ravi who was moved from India to New Jersey. The book is about the food that he ate and about who he sits with. Thats why I like the book.

[Jaden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it lets kids know about things that can happen in real life such as bullying, making new friends from different cultures, and friendship. This book taught me that if you are mean to someone you might get a taste of your own medicine. I also learned that you don't need violence or emotions to get your point out there to everyone.

[Kermit · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.9 stars

It's the story of a young boy, Ravi, who has recently moved to the U.S. from India. He's in 5th grade. He's highly intelligent and was always at the top of his class in India. On the first day of school, his teacher has him introduce himself to the class. Ravi speaks perfect English, but he does have an Indian accent. His teacher and the other students have a difficult time understanding him. His teacher pretty much assumes that Ravi has problems understanding and learning. So on his first day, she sends him to the Resource Room to meet the special ed teacher and talk to her. Sheesh! I'm a teacher. Teachers do not send students to a special ed room just because they have an accent. There is a process for referring students to special ed. This part just totally annoyed me.

The story is told from the viewpoints of two protagonists---Ravi and Joe (who goes to Resource each day for a brief period because he has some challenges).

Both Ravi and Joe are mercilessly bullied by a kid named Dillon. This part really annoyed me as well. Teachers and school staff seem to be aware of Dillon's behaviors but don't seem to do much about it. It's been my experience that teachers and school staff take bullying very, very seriously, and Dillon's offenses are not minor---he does a lot of really crummy things to some kids---and apparently, he's been doing it for all of his elementary career.

I realize that in fiction, there needs to be a problem to be solved---there needs to be conflict to resolve----it's just the nature of fiction. But I don't think that the problem is really ever solved in this book. Joe and Ravi eventually become friends and allies. At the end of the book, they contrive a prank to play against Dillon to get back at him. But there is no mention of whether Dillon then changes or gets the help that he needs with his behavior problems or if he stops bullying Ravi and Joe.

On a positive note, Ravi's family was funny and delightful. He lives with both his parents and grandparents. They had a somewhat higher standard of living in India and had servants and a cook. It was interesting to read about how they were adjusting to life in America. They were a loving and close-knit family.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have spent some time this summer with our library's summer reading volunteers. At every turn they impress me - one led his school's Quiz Bowl team to the state semifinals, another proudly describes himself as his math teacher's "favorite," a third knows I kid you not something like FIVE languages. In a conversation about college, several of them said that they would be in the first generation of their family to attend college.

In the U.S. at least.

Because yep, who are these high-achieving infants? Immigrants and kids of immigrants. That's why Ravi, one of the two main characters in this book, rings so true to me. Kid goes up to the board on his first day of school with the times tables up to 100 memorized, and instead of merely writing down the answer to a multiplication problem, diagrams the solution using the Vedic method and markers in three colors. AKA: Kid knows it and is proud of it.

And this is why he is shocked - SHOCKED - when the teacher informs him - speaking slowly and enunciating clearly - that in fifth grade students no longer need to show their work. And then she sends him to the Special Resources lady, who recommends ESL materials to him - to Ravi, for whom English is his first language, before Tamil and Hindi and probably who knows how many family and regional dialects.

Contrast this with Joe, who has auditory processing issues and whose mom works in the school cafeteria. Joe is NOT high-achieving, but this does not mean he's dumb.

They are both targets for the shithead of the class, an ABCD (American-born confused Desi, aka son of South Asian immigrants) named Dillon whom Ravi initially assumes will be his first friend.

One of the neat things about Joe and Ravi's eventual alliance is that it comes about with virtually no verbal communication. Both boys can see different views of what's going on - and the impending disasters that Dillon attempts to orchestrate - and both take action with resourcefulness and guile to not only save each other's butts but also give Dillon a comeuppance. Short, satisfying, and authentic.
#bookaday

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe and Ravi could not be more different. In fact, the only things they seem to have in common is they are in the same class and they could each use a new friend. Ravi has just moved to the United States from India and is discovering how very different school in a new country is. Joe’s two best friends have moved away and now he is left at the mercy of the class bully who also has Ravi in his sights. Joe has to attend special classes to deal with the way that he gets overloaded by sights and sounds. Ravi’s teacher has trouble understanding his English with his Indian accent and may be sent to special classes as well. Ravi is eager to befriend the class bully, who is also from an Indian background. How can these two very different boys figure out that there is a friend right there who needs them just as badly.

The book is divided into the perspectives of Ravi and Joe, each boy written by one of the authors. Beautifully, the two voices meld together into a cohesive whole. The two boys have distinct personalities and points of view that go far beyond their different cultures. The book speaks directly to stereotypes, particularly first impressions of people before you get to know them as a person. It illustrates this without a lecturing tone, instead demonstrating it in the ways the two protagonists interact with one another throughout the novel.

This is a very approachable book, one that invites readers to explore and see what is happening. It has a light tone, yet reaches deeper meanings and explores real issues that children today face no matter what their background or culture. Adding to the depth of the book are glimpses of the boys at home, showing how they spend their free time and the way their parents and families interact. It’s a way to further show both their differences and their similarities and works particularly well.

A perfect lunchtime read, this one is worth saving a special spot for on your shelf. Appropriate for ages 8-11.