Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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Classroom Connections: Karthik Delivers by Sheela Chari

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age range: 10 – 14 years
genre / topics: historical fiction; immigrant families, Great Recession
Sheela Chari’s website

★ Karthik is a compassionate and deeply funny narrator, and his journey of self-discovery while balancing familial obligation and chasing his dreams endears and inspires.
―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ A memorable, contemporary story about growing up and learning about yourself. Karthik grapples with timeless teen issues–fitting in, bullying, parental pressures–as well as more modern problems that might parallel issues kids are dealing with today.
―Shelf-Awareness, Starred Review

Chari delivers an authentic examination of the complexities of immigrant family life during the Great Recession, taking a realistic but compassionate look at parents vicariously chasing the American dream through their children. . .This is an encouraging endorsement of reciprocal support that celebrates the possibility (and necessity) of allowing our goals to change.
―The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The author successfully avoids tired tropes about unsupportive immigrant parents by telling a multigenerational story that, most notably, examines how Karthik’s parents grapple with their own dreaming. A refreshingly nuanced novel about what it means to chase your dreams.
―Kirkus Reviews

Chari’s prose has a very conversational tone, which adds to the book’s authenticity and ease of reading. . .A wonderful realistic fiction title about a young Indian boy following his heart.
―School Library Journal

This is a really fun interview to share. Sheela and I met years ago as part of a debut author group. Now I get to host her on my blog — what a treat! Sheela, please tell us about Karthik Delivers.

Karthik Delivers is an upper middle grade novel about about fourteen-year old Karthik Raghavan, who is stuck one summer delivering groceries for his father’s ailing store, when he gets the unexpected chance to star as the lead in a play about a famous musician. The story is set in a suburb of Boston in 2009, during the height of the Financial Crisis.

What inspired you to write this story?

I wanted to write about the joy and uncertainty of being young, creative, or both. Karthik isn’t sure if he wants to be an actor, but by the end of the novel, he opens up his life to this possibility. This is not unlike the same journey I made towards becoming a writer. I also grew up playing classical violin and songs from the musical, West Side Story, so I internalized much of that music written by Leonard Bernstein. I love the story of how Bernstein became a musician, when his Aunt Clara sent his family her piano when he was a young boy and that jump-started his career in music. I like to think that when we get these gifts in life, it’s a message from the universe telling us that it’s okay to dream.

Could you share with readers what you learned while researching for your book?

For this book, I learned about Bernstein’s early life in the Boston area, including the story of the piano that was received from his Aunt Clara. That would become the subject of the play that Karthik stars in, about young Lenny and his first piano. Like Karthik does in the book, I watched videos of Bernstein playing at the piano with his characteristic flourish, and his hand traveling up in the air after hitting an exuberant note. 

I also learned about acting and discovered An Actor’s Tricks, a book by Yoshi Oida, a Japanese actor and stage director. Oida’s book not only gave me insight into the relationship between the actor and the audience, but the idea of using props to show what a character is thinking or feeling. This reminded me of my own writing, and using objects the same way to show relationships between people. For example, the mangos that Karthik delivers to Mrs. Rodrigues, ones of the customers, is not just about the fruit, but the quality of time and attention he pays as he gets to know her.

What are some special challenges associated with paralleling your book with an unfamiliar time or setting?

When I first started writing this story, the year was 2009, the same year the book is set. However, it took me about 12 years to write and sell the work, so the book turned into historical fiction by default! I could have chosen to update the year, however, I decided against it because 2009 turned out to be an important moment in our history. The Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 was a time of great economic uncertainty as families lost jobs, homes, and financial security. As we now experience a different kind of uncertainty during Covid, I thought the Financial Crisis could be another way of understanding what it’s like to figure out what you love to do under crisis. This could be a career in music, acting, or any of the creative arts. But it could also mean becoming a doctor one day or owning a grocery store.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

I think that middle school is a special, transformative time in young peoples’ lives, right before high school, when they are just starting to think about their future and own agency. In immigrant households like the ones Karthik and I grew up in, we have expectations on us to work hard and excel, but we need to balance that with our own aspirations and learning to think for ourselves. This starts with trying new things — acting in a play, joining the robotics club, or learning to knit. It’s so important to engage with the world. (I think that can be true for adults, too!)

The book also deals with the idea of accepting who you are and embracing the many communities that form you. The other part of this story is Karthik’s crush on Juhi. Juhi is Indian-American like him, and he’s liked her ever since kindergarten. Does Juhi like him back? It’s hard to say. She’s conflicted about her feelings, plus she has her sights set on another boy named Jacob, who has been bullying Karthik and making fun of his name. Every time he does, Karthik remains silent. Why doesn’t Karthik stand up to this bully? It could be that a lot of prejudices that Karthik deals with are coming from inside his own community, along the lines of thinking Indian boys are uncool and nerdy. It’s these same stereotypes that Juhi harbors, too.

Through conversations between Karthik and his sister, and with Juhi, I hope to dismantle these stereotypes by naming them and reframing the way my characters think. These conversations are sometimes painful, but also funny, because I think humor is a great way to bridge painful truths. For me, it was important for Karthik to use empathy and jokes to eventually stand up for himself. It was also important to show Juhi learning to appreciate Karthik for who he is.

I hope classrooms can discuss how expectations from both families and peers can be barriers to success, unless we reframe the way we see ourselves as a part of several, intersecting communities.

***

Planning on preordering Jasper (releasing in paperback 6/28) or Miraculous (releasing  in hardback 7/26)? Or maybe you’ve already preordered? If so, you’re eligible for some fun giveaways. Click through to learn more.

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Filed Under: authors, books and reading, classroom connections, historical fiction, teaching, the writing life

Classroom Connections: My Ciudad Sings by Cynthia Harmony

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age range: 3-7 years
format: picture book
themes / topics: resiliency, hope, and community; earthquakes
Cynthia Harmony’s website

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Please tell us about your book.

Mi Ciudad Sings is the story about a girl and her dog, Pancho, on her daily walks to her mom’s flower shop. They skip to the beat of familiar sounds of the city until they hear something unexpected. . .  the rumble of an earthquake. The sounds of the city change as they witness their neighbors coming together. Inspired by their strong and brave community, the little girl and Pancho find a way to help too and discover a new kind of hope that binds everyone together. 

What inspired you to write this story?

When I was very young I experienced one of the biggest earthquakes that devastated my hometown, Mexico City. I still remember the confusion and sadness that came after. In a very strange coincidence, the same day three decades later in September 2017, another very strong earthquake struck. This time, I was living in Arizona and experienced the aftermath through my family and friends. 

Because Mexico City is used to earthquakes and our generation had been through a very hard rebuilding experience, there was an overwhelming outpouring of generosity. It was so moving, I knew it deserved recognition and celebration. Marginalized communities are often portrayed through stereotypes. I wanted to go beyond the hardship of experiencing a natural disaster and focus on the moment where our humanity shined bright, inspiring people from all around the world. 

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?

I kept a folder of digital articles, references, videos, and pictures of the event. My main personal references were my mom and my sister who lived through this experience in the most affected areas of the city. My sister’s organization was in charge of distributing relief efforts to different communities in the city and other states that were also affected. I witnessed my psychologist college friends offering free crisis-intervention sessions and was able to put other friends in touch with each other to volunteer or donate resources. 

I was also lucky to chat with a friend I met while working in museums who currently works for the Geophysics Institute researching earthquakes. This information was helpful to write the Author’s Note at the end of the book. 

And because an earlier version of this story included the rescuing and rehoming of pets that were lost during the earthquake, I contacted people that organized these social media posts to find the pet owners. This tool was so useful, it actually became an ongoing effort where people could post lost and found pets in the city. 

What are some special challenges associated with fictionalizing a true story?

Writing a fiction story based on a real event can be challenging, particularly if it includes a difficult subject like a natural disaster. I knew I needed to create a safe space for my main character and keep a sense of hope throughout the story. The secondary character Pancho, based on my own dog, was key in crafting this journey for very young readers. 

Another challenge was choosing and sticking to my theme from all the information available. My early drafts had too many threads that needed to be narrowed down to make the main story cohesive and work for this format and age group. The feedback I received from attending conferences, my critique partners, and eventually my agent and editor was essential in defining the main aspects of the heart of this story: the bonds between mother and daughter, child and pet, and their neighbors coming together.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

Mi Ciudad Sings focuses on a little girl and her dog as their community comes together to face a challenge that affects the whole city. The theme is timely, as we are still facing a pandemic and searching for ways to support each other to return to normalcy. This story can help educators discuss how every person at any age can contribute something to make things better. And how taking action is one of the most helpful ways to find purpose during difficult times and overcome fear and sadness. Kids particularly are truly amazing at finding and sharing hope. 

This book can be a conversation starter for Civics and Social Studies units on topics such as kindness, generosity, empathy, emotional intelligence (courage, fear, resilience), natural disasters, local and global challenges, emergency aid, real life heroes and helping (including rescue dogs), problem solving, community, culture, and Latin America.  

And this book releases with a simultaneous Spanish edition, which will be a great addition to Spanish Immersion or bilingual programs in schools, libraries or homeschooling. 

Thanks, Caroline, for letting me share more on this book that’s so close to my heart!  

Thank you for sharing your book with my readers! I can’t wait to read it.

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Filed Under: authors, books and reading, classroom connections, teaching, the writing life

Classroom Connections: Consider the Octopus by Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner

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age range: 8-12
genre / topics: contemporary fiction; scientific research, environment, pollution
Nora Raleigh Baskin’s website
Gae Polisner’s website

“Superlative writing and character development uplift this timely story . . . An inspiring tale of friendship and conservation.”
―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“With nonstop action . . . and empathetic characters, this is a fast, fun read. A sure winner for readers interested in the environment and adventure, or even just in adventure.”
―School Library Journal

“A breath of fresh air. Clever plotting sprinkled with humor and accessible STEM references made this a joyful, bingeable adventure you won’t want to put down.”
―Christine Taylor-Butler, author of The Lost Tribes series

Dear readers, 

Jeremy JB “I’ll Handle This” Barnes and Sidney (not the doctor yet) Miller have requested to respond to this interview on their own rather than their creators. We hope that’s okay!

Please tell us about your book.

JB: It’s hard and rectangular and has like 250 pages. Hahaha. Okay fine. We had the wackiest thing happen. You won’t believe it. We wouldn’t either if it hadn’t happened to us. So we wanted to tell the story. It’s a fun ride, right, Sid?

Sidney: Well, as Carl Jung would say, it was synchronicity, meaning a random incident that doesn’t feel random at all because it is so meaningful. Jeremy and I met because of a case of mistaken identity. We found ourselves in the middle of the Pacific Ocean– we learned a lot of science –we became great friends– and together in our small but miraculous way did our part to clean up the world’s ocean. 

What inspired you to write this story?

JB: Well, our creators had both listened to the same interview about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on NPR (blah, blah, blah) and wanted to send us to live there. But you can’t live on the patch – duh! – even if it’s twice the size of Texas and they do call it an island.

Sidney: I know right? Funny, that those two first thought that the Great Pacific Garbage Pile was actually a solid island. But they are grown-ups, so what can you expect? 

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?

JB: Okay, well, there are Dry Labs and Wet Labs on the ship, and every day the SEAMester kids are aboard, crew members Randi, Sabira, Henry, and some of the others conduct lessons, so we learn about things like ghost nets (where all the big pieces of garbage floating get caught along with fish who die there) and how microplastics almost too small to see are destroying our oceans. But don’t worry, we’re going to help fix this. You’ll see.

Sidney: And, first hand we got to see the really wacky scientists, who don’t wear lab coats and thick glasses, but earbuds and beanies, and sometimes do yoga or chin-ups while they are waiting for water to drip through a filter. 

What were some special challenges associated with writing Consider the Octopus?

JB: Honestly, I don’t know what any of that means. But, the comedy here just wrote itself. I mean, can you even believe how all of this started? But I’m way smarter today than I was when I managed to create that major fiasco!!! See? I even know the word fiasco now. And synchronicity. 😛 

Sidney: The challenge was mostly getting Jeremy to realize he really is smart, and really does have something to offer the world. I think when you read the story of us, you’ll totally see what I mean. He can be goofy but it’s just a front. 

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

JB: Everything. I mean, environmental stuff I never knew about before and care about now, for starters. And if I care, who won’t? And, I mean, I do really care.

Sidney: Dr. Ruth once said: A lesson taught with humor is a lesson well learned. That was sure true for Jeremy and me. We still laugh when we get together (once a year) or  text about what happened. We tweet about it too. . . if you want to follow us on Twitter! 

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