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Lowji Discovers America
Dear Jamshed,
American is not so different from what we thought. I told you I wouldn't see a single cowboy riding across the plain, and I haven't.
I have not even seen a plain.
Still there are some silver linings. They
1. Trapper and King, the cat and dog who live in the apartment building. They are cuddly and waggy. I am not allowed to play with them, though, because they are supposed to catch mice and keep burglars away.
2. Ironman. He owns a pig and talks to me a lot. But he is a grown-up.
3. Kids. I can hear them playing outside. Too bad they do not want to play with me.
I wish you were here.
Do you wish I was in India?
Write back soon.
Your friend,
Lowji
American is not so different from what we thought. I told you I wouldn't see a single cowboy riding across the plain, and I haven't.
I have not even seen a plain.
Still there are some silver linings. They
1. Trapper and King, the cat and dog who live in the apartment building. They are cuddly and waggy. I am not allowed to play with them, though, because they are supposed to catch mice and keep burglars away.
2. Ironman. He owns a pig and talks to me a lot. But he is a grown-up.
3. Kids. I can hear them playing outside. Too bad they do not want to play with me.
I wish you were here.
Do you wish I was in India?
Write back soon.
Your friend,
Lowji
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
18 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Candace Fleming
66 books631 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 8, 2014
my students loved it
November 21, 2017
(Booklist) “BUMMER!”– is 9-year-old Lowji’s reaction to his parent’s announcement that they will be moving from Bombay, India to an apartment in tiny Hamlet, Illinois. It's summer, in Hamlet, the local kids are hard to meet, and Lowji longs for a pet to keep him company. Then he cleverly persuades crotchety, overworked landlady Crisp that animals could help with the chores. Soon the building is home to a cat that keeps mice under control, a dog that substitutes for a burglar alarm, and goats that keep the grass short. Delighted, Lowji helps care for the menagerie of pets and, in the process, begins to form new neighborhood friendships. Details about Indian culture (an appended glossary defines terms) and Lowji's Zoroastrian religion are purposefully inserted, as are a few moments when Lowji finds common ground with his new neighbors. But, through Lowji's mostly age-appropriate voice, Fleming tells a gentle, effective story about the loneliness and bewilderment that come with moving, and her brisk, lively sentences make this a good choice for readers gaining confidence with chapter books.
Comments –
This book was published in 2005 and was ahead of its time. In the past several years there has definitely been an influx of immigrants coming to US cities as well as smaller towns like the imaginary “Hamlet,” IL. Here in Schaumburg, IL the population of Asian students in public schools is about 54%. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the Indian culture and religion. I had never head of Zoroastrian before, and Lowji’s Indian American dictionary at the end of the book is delightful. Lowji’s learning of “Americanisms” like “on the Fritz” and mix of Indian and American expressions such as King the dog smelling “like the Ganges River on a hot summer day” add humor. I liked the fact that Lowji is a gentle, respectful boy who learns to deal with disappointment while still looking for silver linings. That made his “more silver” ending even more satisfying.
This book is aimed at younger readers and would be best for 3rd grade and up. It would most likely appeal to boys rather than girls. There is no inappropriate language or behavior in this book.
Comments –
This book was published in 2005 and was ahead of its time. In the past several years there has definitely been an influx of immigrants coming to US cities as well as smaller towns like the imaginary “Hamlet,” IL. Here in Schaumburg, IL the population of Asian students in public schools is about 54%. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the Indian culture and religion. I had never head of Zoroastrian before, and Lowji’s Indian American dictionary at the end of the book is delightful. Lowji’s learning of “Americanisms” like “on the Fritz” and mix of Indian and American expressions such as King the dog smelling “like the Ganges River on a hot summer day” add humor. I liked the fact that Lowji is a gentle, respectful boy who learns to deal with disappointment while still looking for silver linings. That made his “more silver” ending even more satisfying.
This book is aimed at younger readers and would be best for 3rd grade and up. It would most likely appeal to boys rather than girls. There is no inappropriate language or behavior in this book.
February 19, 2023
A romp of a story of a boy moving to the United States who desperately wants a pet, but also really wants to meet some friends since it's summer time. America is just so different from his native India and his religion is also different from many others.
Then how does he end up with a ragtag group of animals around him including twin goats and a pig? Lowji's interactions with the community make it so. It's entertaining, without needing a lot of thought to read. A good time book.
Then how does he end up with a ragtag group of animals around him including twin goats and a pig? Lowji's interactions with the community make it so. It's entertaining, without needing a lot of thought to read. A good time book.
May 16, 2017
I liked this book because I like animals. I also liked this book because I like lemony-sweet smells and when Lowji first went into his new apartment house, he expressed ''lemony sweet"and later when the house lady was tired and didn't clean up the apartment house, Lowji said''this is not lemony sweet anymore."
February 10, 2018
Lowji and his family move from India to Hamlet Illinois. Provides insight into what it is like to move to a new country and try to fit in. I really liked the relationship between Lowji and the landlady and I liked that Lowji's family moved to America for his mom's job. Worried that it is a bit stereotypical portrayal of a Indian immigrants
March 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book with my third grader. My son’s review : “It is a funny book and the story is full of surprises. Lowji is a sweet Indian boy who discovers America and shares his first few months in Hamlet, IL. He describes how he makes new friends and adjust to his new lifestyle.
I wish there was a book #2”
I wish there was a book #2”
March 7, 2022
Funny immigrant story that really could have been told about any kid. It reminded be of a modern Homer Price. The fact that Lowji is a new immigrant from India doesn’t really affect the new-kid-in-town plot. He could have just as easily moved to Illinois from Oregon or New Hampshire. Perhaps that’s part of the point—that we are all similar despite our countries of origin.
December 4, 2022
3.5 rounded up. Read this for the book club group I’m working with in our immigration unit. Good middle grade book but it really could have been any kid plopped in this story - does give a lot of peeks into life before moving to America from India.
October 27, 2017
Moving to America, animals, new places, neighbors, things in common between cultures, funny
February 8, 2018
I think a few of my kids would enjoy this - especially Ironman and Blossom
June 13, 2018
cute, engaging. i'm so excited to read 3-5th leveled books that are actually enjoyable to me as an adult reader. predictable but sort of lovely anyway.
March 23, 2020
Cute kids book
June 24, 2022
My 4th grade students enjoy this book! We read it together at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year we look for silver...just like Lowji.
Read
January 1, 2025picked this book up from my elementary school library because of the brown kid on the front. probably one of my first encounters with south asian representations in western media other than 9/11 bs
August 4, 2007
Candace Fleming is one of the nicest, sweetest, most genuine people I've ever met, but I have to admit I had my doubts when I picked up this book at the Chautauqua bookstore and discovered she had written in the first person of an Indian kid who had just moved to America.
I should have given her more credit. She really did her homework to write this book and it shows in the narrative, which is really touching. I thought Lowji was a completely believable kid, and now that I have finished the book I am dismayed because I have to go back to thinking that he doesn't actually exist somewhere out in Hamlet, Illinois, U.S.A.
The supporting characters in this book are like bars of gold. Ironman and his pet pig Blossom, Landlady Crisp and the various animals she accumulates, and even Mr. Wigg Store Manager are just fantastic. Kudos to Candace for writing a really knockout middle-grade book.
I should have given her more credit. She really did her homework to write this book and it shows in the narrative, which is really touching. I thought Lowji was a completely believable kid, and now that I have finished the book I am dismayed because I have to go back to thinking that he doesn't actually exist somewhere out in Hamlet, Illinois, U.S.A.
The supporting characters in this book are like bars of gold. Ironman and his pet pig Blossom, Landlady Crisp and the various animals she accumulates, and even Mr. Wigg Store Manager are just fantastic. Kudos to Candace for writing a really knockout middle-grade book.
February 16, 2009
At 9 years old, Lowji relocates from India to a small American town in Illinois. It is summertime and therefore difficult to make new friends. What Lowji really wants more than anything is a pet. But, the landlady of his apartment building does not allow them. Lowji, however, is able to cleverly convince Mrs. Crisp that animals can help ease her workload, until everything starts going wrong.
Through first person narrative, Lowji discovers the ‘silver cloud linings’ of his move to America. Young readers will identify with the age appropriate voice of Lowji as he learns new American phrases such as bummer, lemony fresh and on the fritz. Lowji’s transition is a great avenue for introducing Indian culture to those who may not be familiar. Authentic Indian culture and language are inserted throughout the text, including a glossary of terms. Presenting a global perspective on American life, readers will see through the eyes of an adventurous, young boy, not unlike themselves.
Through first person narrative, Lowji discovers the ‘silver cloud linings’ of his move to America. Young readers will identify with the age appropriate voice of Lowji as he learns new American phrases such as bummer, lemony fresh and on the fritz. Lowji’s transition is a great avenue for introducing Indian culture to those who may not be familiar. Authentic Indian culture and language are inserted throughout the text, including a glossary of terms. Presenting a global perspective on American life, readers will see through the eyes of an adventurous, young boy, not unlike themselves.
September 19, 2015
Candace Fleming's Lowji Discovers America is a story of adjusting to change and self discovery. Lowji, a young boy from India, moves with his family to a suburban Illinois town. Lowji is forced to leave his old life and friends behind in Bombay as his parents find new jobs in the United States. Lowji's new surroundings are incredibly foreign to him. He discovers the intricacies of the American dialect of English, experiences the overwhelmingly huge All-Mart department store, and helps revive a fainted pig. Lowji searches for friends, both human and animal, as he makes his way in a new country
This novel is suitable for students in grades 3-5. The themes of self-discovery, family, and friendship ring true for all children who have experienced life changes. This novel is especially suitable for newcomers to the country as they can relate to Lowji's experiences during his first year in the United States.
This novel is suitable for students in grades 3-5. The themes of self-discovery, family, and friendship ring true for all children who have experienced life changes. This novel is especially suitable for newcomers to the country as they can relate to Lowji's experiences during his first year in the United States.
September 27, 2009
Lowji discovers America is an enjoyable read about a young boy and his family who move from India to America in hopes of living the 'American Dream.' After leaving all of his friends behind, Lowji Sanjana hopes that his parents will allow him to get a pet since he has always longed to own one and was unable to have one in Bombay. While his parents continue to say no, he convinces the cranky Landlord to have pets around the apartment complex in order to solve problems. Soon they have a dog that ends up filling in as a great burglar alarm, a cat that keeps away mice, and more in this tail of a child needing to make new friends in a new environment. Life has its' up and downs, but continues to pick up for Lowji throughout this story.
June 6, 2011
In the book, Lowji Discovers America, a young boy named Lowji Sanjana learns that he and his family are moving from a small city in India named Bombay to Hamlet, Illinois which is located in America. As he adjusts to his new home, Lowji must learn to make new friends, find the silver lining of his new circumstances, and accept the fact that even in America some apartment buildings do not allow pets. His cleaver ideas and silly antics for obtaining a pet will have readers intrigued and laughing the whole way through the novel. This lighthearted tale touches on the themes of friendship, immigration, the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, and the creative ways that a person can be resourceful. It is appropriate for children in grades 3-5 and has a 2.7 reading level.
November 10, 2010
This was a cute little book about a boy from India who finds out his mom has gotten a job for a computer company in middle-of-nowhere, Illinois. He's not super excited to move to America, but his best friend encourages him to look for the silver lining: "Hey! You could get a pet!" But when he gets to IL, he finds out that there are no pets allowed in their apartment, it's summertime, so he doesn't really have a way of making new friends, and his family has a crotchety old landlady... This book is the story of how Lowji solves all those issues: pets, friends, and landlady... :) It was cute.
July 24, 2012
Lowji Sanjana lives in Bombay. Just after his ninth birthday he learns that his family is moving to America. Lowji is not happy, but tries to find the silver lining. Could it be that he will finally own a pet, or not go to school for a whole summer? After helping his landlady acquire a cat, dog, and goats, Lowji soon finds several silver linings in his new home, new friends, and new life. Fleming creates a well developed character who teaches the reader that although children may be from different cultures they have the same hopes and worries. The addition of Indian words and references to Lowji’s Zoroastrian religion add authentic elements to the story.
April 6, 2013
Read this after it was recommended on a listserv as a contemporary immigration story. It's true; very few of these exist. It's somewhat simplistic, but I think that would make it pretty accessible for 3rd and 4th graders. Students could also try to come up with a list of other things that might confuse immigrants, and put themselves into Lowji's shoes of moving to a foreign country, and doing research to do so.
I think it's interesting that the family moved due to the mother's job, and that his first real friend was a girl. I was a bit surprised that the parents didn't do more to see that he had some friends and things to occupy his time.
I think it's interesting that the family moved due to the mother's job, and that his first real friend was a girl. I was a bit surprised that the parents didn't do more to see that he had some friends and things to occupy his time.
September 30, 2013
Lowji is an old fashioned kid: a great kid with a sunny disposition, who's looking to make the best of his parents' decision to move the family from India to the U.S.A. Fleming's writing here is cheerful and fun. Lowji meets an interesting assortment of American children and adults, and shares his observations through letters to his best friend Jamshed back home. The glossary of words from a whole host of languages (Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi) spoken in India adds to the fun. I think younger kids (third and fourth grade) who are not too jaded yet will enjoy meeting Lowji.
July 27, 2016
Grades 2-4. RL510. Lowji's family moves from the large city of Mumbai (Bombay) India to a small town in Illinois. It is hard enough to move to a new city. Moving to a new country is both terrifying and exciting. He misses his family and friends, but it determined to find the "silver lining" in his new life. Cute situations showing how cultural differences can cause misunderstandings. I love Lowji's optimism and open heart.
September 11, 2013
I would recommend the book Lowji Discovers America to be read by students in grades 3-5, or English Language Learners. It is a great book to teach about diversity, cultural differences, acceptance, and silver linings. I think this book would be really good if used as a tool to teach students about each other, it also would be a good introduction to a research project about other countries or about immigration.
June 21, 2015
This book was ok. It was a cute story but it didn't relate too much to the title. In the beginning the book tries to tie back to the title of a young Indian boy learning about and discovering his new home but in the end it could have been any kid and the fact that he is new to the United States was just an after thought. I guess it just had too much going on and couldn't be in depth about this new experiences. It isn't a bad read but it also doesn't live up to the title.
December 6, 2008
Love Lowji! Plucked from his Bombay apartment and plopped in an Illinois apartment with a stressed, grumpy, overworked landlady Lowji spends his first summer in America adjusting to a new world. Told as a first person narrative and in letters to a best friend in India we witness Lowji charm his neighbors one by one as he finds his way in a confusing new land.
April 28, 2009
Moment of comedy are sprinkled throughout this sweet story about Lowji moving from India to Indiana (or is it Illinois?). He's an animal lover who really wants a pet--so some funny animal humor. Good for 3rd and 4th graders who like realistic fiction and may have moving in their recent past or near future.
December 5, 2009
When Lowji's mom gets a job in America, he moves with his parents from India. He hopes in his new home, he'll find new friends, get some pets of his own, and figure out the strange American sayings he keeps hearing. He does all those things, and he also rescues a fainting pig! A fun story just right for kids in grades 2-4.
July 15, 2013
This book was nominated as a Mosaic title (2007). It is a great story of a boy from India who comes to live in Hamlet, Illinois. The story tells us about the Indian culture and the things he has to adjust to in America. It is a great book for 1st through 3rd graders and would appeal to boys as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews