by Kashmira Sheth (2004)
Seema feels she is being pressured to stay with her kaka and kaki in India despite the fact that her parents are moving to Iowa City for her father's new job. But when she decides to move to America she realizes it is not the pressure from her cousin and grandparents that make her feel like she is far from home. Seema faces challenges as she tries to learn a new language, make new friends, and deal with a bully in school -- but on top of all of this she misses her homeland greatly. But with the help of a neighbor she discovers a flower that smells like India's jasmine, but is a stunning blue color that she has never seen before. It is a flower that represents the two different places that she loves, and the people from each place who keep her happy. Sheth's symbolism throughout the book is striking, and tone of the book is consistently positive. Although issues with bullies and their resolutions seem somewhat contrived, the realizations that Seema makes through an impoverished friend back in India make the text seem deft and convincing.
This book is much less dark than some other novels about immigration I have read -- and for this reason might be an excellent introduction for younger students in third or fourth grade that want to learn about the struggles an immigrant girl might face in the United States. This book, however, portrays dilemmas that children of all backgrounds face, so I believe that many students will relate to the main character despite their differences. Although resolved a little too perfectly, this book addresses bullying and allows readers to consider the issues from two perspectives, so this could be discussed in class. This book perfectly addresses being an outsider in a new place, as well as dealing with the differences faced for a four-year-old coming to the States and a 12-year-old doing the same. For these reasons I have chosen to include it in my text set about modern immigrant families.
Seema feels she is being pressured to stay with her kaka and kaki in India despite the fact that her parents are moving to Iowa City for her father's new job. But when she decides to move to America she realizes it is not the pressure from her cousin and grandparents that make her feel like she is far from home. Seema faces challenges as she tries to learn a new language, make new friends, and deal with a bully in school -- but on top of all of this she misses her homeland greatly. But with the help of a neighbor she discovers a flower that smells like India's jasmine, but is a stunning blue color that she has never seen before. It is a flower that represents the two different places that she loves, and the people from each place who keep her happy. Sheth's symbolism throughout the book is striking, and tone of the book is consistently positive. Although issues with bullies and their resolutions seem somewhat contrived, the realizations that Seema makes through an impoverished friend back in India make the text seem deft and convincing.
This book is much less dark than some other novels about immigration I have read -- and for this reason might be an excellent introduction for younger students in third or fourth grade that want to learn about the struggles an immigrant girl might face in the United States. This book, however, portrays dilemmas that children of all backgrounds face, so I believe that many students will relate to the main character despite their differences. Although resolved a little too perfectly, this book addresses bullying and allows readers to consider the issues from two perspectives, so this could be discussed in class. This book perfectly addresses being an outsider in a new place, as well as dealing with the differences faced for a four-year-old coming to the States and a 12-year-old doing the same. For these reasons I have chosen to include it in my text set about modern immigrant families.
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