Book Giveaway: My Basmati Bat Mitzvah

My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
by Paula J. Freedman
Amulet
2013
256 pages

Read more about the book


From the publisher's website:

Praise for My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
"In my opinion, My Basmati Bat Mitzvah shows that everyone is different in their own way and some get the advantage of being culturally diverse. I rate the book 5 stars!"
—Shivani Desai, age 13

STARRED REVIEW
"The latest spunky heroine of South Asian–Jewish heritage to grace middle-grade fiction, Tara Feinstein, 12, charms readers from the get-go in this strong, funny debut."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Tara’s inquisitiveness, openness, and determination to chart her own path stand out in this warm story of family, faith and the ways people are unique yet intertwined."
—Publishers Weekly

"With a conversational and authentic tween voice, Tara invites readers into her world as she explores the larger issues of faith, compassion, and tradition while confronting the awkwardness that is puberty—her questions regarding God are poignant and relatable while her opinions on training bras are simply spot-on..."
—The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books

"Authors often mention but then shrink from exploring in depth their characters’ mixed religious heritage; it’s a sensitive subject that demands close scrutiny. Freedman bucks that trend, avoiding didacticism by portraying broader issues through Tara’s personality and unique circumstances. As Tara learns in this skillful exploration, an important source of her special strengths—questioning spirit, empathy and strong ethical compass—is her mixed heritage."
—The Jewish Daily Forward

I have TEN free ARCs of this title up for grabs! Yes, that's right; TEN winners this time. Simply post a comment to the blog. Please include your first name, city, state, and email contact. Deadline for posts is Tuesday, November 5 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified the afternoon of November 5. Please check your emails on that date and time. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Amulet and Laura.

Good luck, and start posting! Pamela

Early Reader Pick: The Favorite Daughter

The Favorite Daughter
by Allen Say
Arthur A. Levine Books
2013
32 pages

Beautiful watercolor art bring this sweet story to life. Yuriko is embarrassed when her art teacher calls her "Eureka," and the kids begin teasing her. To make matters worse, she took in a picture of herself wearing a kimona. The students tease her for being a blonde and for wearing the kimona. "They said Japanese dolls have black hair," she laments to her father.

Yoriko wants to change her name to something more American. She tells her dad she wishes she were named Jennifer and she swears she hates art. Her father takes her to their favorite restaurant to talk things over.

After a visit to Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Gardens, Yoriko knows what she wants to create for her art project.

The father/daughter relationship is poignant and powerful. Say uses two photographs of Yoriko--one as a child and one from a trip they took to Japan--incorporating the real life photos of Yoriko with the watercolor art is genius.

This picture book is a beautiful example of family values, generational values, the importance of one family's culture, the idea of "fitting in" in society and how each person values his/her own identity.

Highly, highly recommended grade pre-K-3. The Favorite Daughter is sure to be another award winner for Allen Say and is a must have for any collection.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)