Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

The year is 1857 and a 13-year-old girl in India escapes from death on her husband's funeral pyre. Meera runs from her village and all she has ever known, and finds herself a servant in the home of a wealthy British family that is part of the East India Company. Meera's eyes are opened to the oppression and injustice that her country suffers under British colonization and she learns that there are young people resisting the violent rule of the colonizers. I love a book that puts me in another place and time and teaches me about history while I read a compelling story. I can't wait to recommend this book to middle schoolers. 

Born Behind Bars by Padma Ventrankama

 

As the title suggests, Kabir is a child who was born in jail. His mother, who committed no crime, has raised him entirely within the tiny prison in Chennai, India. At the age of 9 he is released into the city, where he has no relatives or connections. Kabir fights off some unsavory characters, but ultimately pairs up with a street-smart girl, Rani, who helps him find his paternal grandparents who don't even know he exists. The issues of caste and religion and poverty are addressed and readers will learn a lot from Kabir's experiences. It's an engaging story that will inspire empathy and a bigger world view. Recommended for readers 3rd-7th grade. 

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

In the 1960s, a family from India moves to New York City to make a better life for their children. The two daughters, Sonia and Tara, are very different and they make their own choices about pursuing their dreams and falling in love. They each have a daughter, and the book picks up with the stories of the two cousins, one who lives in the United States and the other who lives in India. In the end we have learned about three generations of Indian-American women and how they have dealt with love, marriage, cultural differences, and caring for their daughters. If you like to read about families and cultures and how things connect together, or if you are interested in India, you will want to read this book.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Nisha is the daughter of a Hindu father and a Muslim father. This was never a problem for her until 1947, when India obtained independence from Great Britain and was partitioned into two countries based on religion. Suddenly Muslim and Hindu people who were once friends become enemies, and her formerly peaceful city is torn apart. Nisha has a twin brother, Amil, and their mother died giving birth to them. Nisha has trouble expressing herself out loud, but receives a diary for her twelfth birthday where she writes to her mother about the hardships that occur when her family flees to safety. It's a compelling story of survival and family as well as a window into a piece of history that many Americans know nothing about.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

This story about two sisters who flee an abusive home and live on the streets in a city in India will be eye-opening and hopeful for young readers. Viji and Rukku are the sisters, and although Rukku is a year older, Viji has always watched over her due to her developmental disability. The girls find a home on a bridge with two boys and the four children become a family. They pick through garbage dumps, adopt a dog, run from threatening people, and face illness and despair. The book is written in second person--as a letter from Viji to Rukku. Highly recommended for readers from 4th-7th grades and for anyone teaching about human rights and global perspectives.

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

Veda is a classical dancer who loses a leg in a car accident. This is her story of starting over, pursuing her dream of dancing again, and finding people who share her passion. It is told in verse, so it is not a difficult read, and it will resonate with anyone who dances. Readers with an interest in Indian culture and religion will enjoy this book, as well as people who enjoy a coming of age story set in a culture outside of the United States.