Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

Classroom Connections: How to Wear a Sari by Darshana Khiani

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form / themes: contemporary picture book; growing up, South Asian culture
age range: 3-5 years
Darshana Khiani’s website
How to Wear a Sari book trailer

Simple, multi-patterned line art drawings in a lively color palette by Lew-Vriethoff pilot young readers through Khiani’s winning guide to sari-wearing…an enjoyable behind-the-scenes look at a South Asian staple.
—Publishers Weekly

A delightful picture book about dressing—and acting—like a grown-up before your time.
— Kirkus

An Amazon Editor’s Pick: Best Books for Ages 3-5

Please tell us about your book.

My debut picture book, HOW TO WEAR A SARI, comes out on June 22 from the Versify imprint at HMH Books. It’s illustrated by the talented Joanne Lew-Vriethoff.

In HOW TO WEAR A SARI, a spirited young Indian girl is tired of being seen as “little” by her family. She wants to show she can do things that older people can do. She decides the best way to do this is by teaching herself how to wear a sari. Naturally, there are some hiccups along the way, but what she discovers is that she’s not the only one in the family who has set out with something to prove, resulting in some funny moments.

What inspired you to write this story?

When I started writing picture books, I wanted to write books for third-generation South Asians like my two daughters. Books that centered their lives in this country. Books that had universal themes about growing up with a South Asian backdrop and a touch of humor. Books that aren’t focused on the differences between South Asian and non-South Asian culture, but rather have an unspoken acceptance – books of joy.

I love the elegance and sophistication of saris. However, I’m not the best at wearing them. It can take me upwards of 45 minutes to drape one on. And even then, I may still ask my mom or cousin to help fix my sari. I began wondering if it’s this hard for me, what would it be like for a young girl?

Could you share with readers how the book evolved?

The story went through eleven revisions over nearly a year. The story is told in 2nd POV with the narrator helping the young girl through the story. The first voice was a used car salesman which was too sleazy, then a grandmotherly voice which was too sweet. The voice I ended up using was an encouraging voice with a touch of mischievousness. The hardest aspect to nail down was the character motivation. Why did the girl want to wear a sari – to be noticed by her family, to prove that she could do older things, to look glamorous, to be like an older sibling? After eleven revisions, I finally got it which was to prove she wasn’t “too little” and could do anything she put her mind to. After my editor acquired the story, I made a small change where instead of the narrator saying to the girl “You’ll look like a star,” the story says “You’ll be a pro.” Because of that change, I feel it increased the character depth since the story is now emphasizing acquiring skills.

What are some special challenges associated with introducing a sari which your audience might be unfamiliar with?

A sari can be stylish, sophisticated, a symbol of womanhood in South Asian culture much like wearing high-heels or a long fancy gown is in Western culture. The challenge became how to express the glamour and difficulties of draping a sari in a succinct way that seamlessly fits into the story. I solved this by approaching it from the angle of the girl’s nervousness at wearing a sari. “Don’t be nervous. Sure, saris are long and unwieldy and worn by adults, but you can do it.”

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

Children have so much learning to do when they are young, whether it is acquiring a new skill like riding a bike or wanting to imitate an older person, such as dressing up fancy or helping around the house. This story shows that it’s okay to strive to do older things with a touch of reality that things may not always work out. I also wanted children to know that everyone has those moments of trying and failing as shown by the family photo album in the ending.

Thank you so much for having me. 😊

Thank you for sharing your book with us, Darshana!

Classroom Connections: Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

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age range: 8-12 years
genre / topics: contemporary fiction; soccer, family illness (ALS)
Amy Makechnie’s website

A heart-tugging and uplifting story about never giving up—on the soccer field, on loved ones, and on life.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Please tell us about your book.

GOLDEN “Macaroni” Maroni is determined to become master of his eighth grade universe by channeling his hero: international soccer superstar, Lionel Messi. But first he’s got to survive middle school, win the soccer championship, and prevent Lucy Littlehouse from moving away. If he can do that, then maybe he can prevent Dad from losing to the three worst letters in the alphabet: A-L-S. Golden’s going to make it happen – even if it takes Ten Thousand Tries!

What inspired you to write this story?

My son, who in 8th grade, wanted TO BE Lionel Messi more than anything in the world. Like Messi, he was small. He was also incredibly determined to be bigger, stronger, and faster – characteristics that unfortunately have a tremendous impact on a boy’s middle school experience. At the same time, another teammate of my son’s had a father (Eric) recently diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.) As the boys were trying to be “the man,” we were also watching a father become smaller, weaker, and slower. It really made me think about societal “ideals” and what the most important things in life really are (not our bench press stats).

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

Eric was a really good friend of mine. Before he had full-time and more qualified nursing care, friends would take turns “watching” and caring for Eric. We made smoothies, held the straw to his lips, took walks (he controlled the wheelchair with his thumb), talked about life, played board games. I watched Eric go from being a really athletic, strong man, to sitting in a wheelchair and not being able to move anything except his eyelids. It was both devastating and one of the most holy experiences of my life. I remember saying, “Someday, I’d like to write about this.” Eric was able to haltingly say, “thank – you.”

What were some special challenges associated with writing Ten Thousand Tries?

I definitely wanted to “get it right” on many fronts. For one thing, I was writing from a middle school boy’s perspective! My son helped me a lot (“no mom, you can’t say that.”) In the book, one of Golden’s best friends is Asian, and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t just there as the token sidekick with nothing else to offer. His name is Benny and I LOVE Benny. The experience of living with ALS needed to be accurate. I teach Anatomy and Physiology, so that helped with the science, but I also had Eric’s wife, Heide, read the final manuscript. And of course, I didn’t want this to be too sad! So while I couldn’t treat the subject of an incurable disease lightly, I also had to find a way to bring in the humor and silver linings – and there are so many. Middle school humor is the best, so crossing my fingers I’ve done right by my middle school peeps.

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

Educators can use this book to talk about what it means to be a good teammate, both on the field and off — in our families and friendships. Ten Thousand Tries is being released in July 2021 to coincide with the Olympics (MESSI!) and the start of fall sports. This could lead to great conversations about athletics, who our heroes are, and why. Teachers could use this book (and Guinevere 🙂 to introduce medicine into their classroom, particularly from a brain perspective. Who knows, maybe it will inspire a student to be the one to finally find the cure to ALS, a disease that 5,000 people will be diagnosed with this year in the U.S.

Thanks for reading!

Thank you, Amy. I’m looking forward to it.

Classroom Connections: Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos

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age range: 4-7 years
theme / form: a celebration of mothers and daughters; picture book
NoNieqa Ramos’s website

Please tell us about your book.

As a PB and YA author, the process of being reviewed can be an emotional roller coaster! When a review comes in that speaks to the heart of your project, you have to savor it and celebrate. I am so proud of my starred review from School Library Journal, and I will share what they had to say about my picture book debut, YOUR MAMA (April 6, 2021), here:

“In a glowing tribute to mothers, here is one hip parent who spends quality time with her child. Illustrated banners throughout the tale begin with the words “Your Mama” and continue with a description which is pictured on the pages, such as, “Your Mama So Sweet,” “Your Mama So Strong,” and “Your Mama So Funny.” The rhythmic text is lively while vibrant, detailed illustrations reveal the many activities mother and daughter share, such as baking, road trips, birthday parties, and singing along with the car radio. “She got friends at work, at church, around the ‘hood. Life is good.” English text with a smattering of Spanish words fit with the illustrations of a brown-skinned Latinx mother and young daughter. This mama brings verve to everything she does, whether sewing costumes for her child, attending Parents’ Night at school dressed in a flowing orange dress, or taking her girl to the library. With long, wavy black hair; large gold hoop earrings; and heeled knee-high boots decorated with red roses; this mama has as much energy as her child.

An essential purchase, this contemporary, high-spirited salute to motherhood is a warm and welcoming valentine to family and love.”

What inspired you to write this story?

I wanted to celebrate the relationship of mamas and their daughters, and in particular, shine a loving light on Latinx mamas and women who are severely underrepresented in literature and media. This picture book is a love letter from a Puerto Rican daughter to her mama, shouting out her mother’s sweetness, kindness, humor, resilience, and strength.

How can a teacher use your book in the classroom?

Brilliant illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara, our publisher Versify, and I collaborated to create an educator’s guide, which will be available on my website www.nonieqaramos.com in the coming weeks. This guide has a poetry lesson on writing rhythmic verse and a coloring page. Educators can center books like YOUR MAMA around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and during Women’s History Month to discuss the powerful force mothers, and specifically Latinx women, have been in history, the arts, and music. Children can write their own  love letters and odes to their mamas, tias, abuelitas, madrinas, and any special woman in their lives. 

I’m an educator with over fifteen years of teaching experience, so I Iove getting back into the classroom! Teachers can invite me to their schools virtually to do book talks and writing workshops for all ages!

Who are some powerful women in the Latinx community you’d like to shout out?

I’d like to celebrate Aida Salazar, award-winning author of THE MOON WITHIN and LAND OF THE CRANES. She is one of the original creators of Las Musas, the first collective of women and nonbinary Latinx MG and YA authors to come together to support and amplify each other’s debut or sophomore novels in US children’s literature. Her arts activism includes her #PeriodAwareness and #PeriodJustice initiative for #WomansHerstoryMonth. Please follow @aida_writes and @latinxluna on Twitter and Instagram to decolonize and celebrate our wombs and our menstruations with stories and community. Check out Las Musas for a plethora of powerful Latinx leaders and creators https://www.lasmusasbooks.com/!