From the award-winning author of Finding Mighty, a moving middle-grade novel about finding your place by following your heart.
Karthik Raghavan is good at remembering things. Like his bike routes. Or all the reasons he likes Juhi Shah—even if she doesn’t even know he exists. It doesn’t help that she seems to have a crush on his arch nemesis, Jacob Donnell, whose only job is to humiliate Karthik (and get his name wrong). Then Karthik’s luck changes when he secretly agrees to be in a play about the famous musician, Leonard Bernstein. But he can’t tell his parents. The family store is in jeopardy, and they need him delivering groceries on his bike to help save it. His mom is also worried about the Financial Crisis, and she’s convinced that studying hard and staying focused is the only way to succeed. But Karthik is having fun being Lenny. Besides, what if acting is Karthik’s special talent? And what if acting is the one way to catch Juhi Shah’s attention? With all the pressure from his family to succeed, will Karthik be able to really imagine and hope when he’s not sure what will happen next?
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Gr 5 Up-It's 2009 during the economic downturn, and Karthik is an Indian boy growing up in Boston. He is working this summer at his Dad's Indian grocery store, and is not thrilled about giving up his summer to deliver groceries on his cousin's bike in the heat. Karthik has a fantastic memory and makes lists in order to remember everything. One day, he happens to deliver items to a woman in grad school working on a play about Leonard Bernstein. She begs him to be Lenny in her play and he agrees, as long as it doesn't get him in trouble with his parents. This is the start of a wonderful journey for Karthik, where he learns about music, love, and how to decide your own future. Clocking in at over 200 pages, this longer middle grade book moves surprisingly fast and will hold readers' attention; it could easily be added to hi-lo collections. The text is occasionally broken up with lists and play dialogue. Chari's prose has a very conversational tone, which adds to the book's authenticity and ease of reading. VERDICT A wonderful realistic fiction title about a young Indian boy following his heart; a solid addition to young readers' collections.-Kristin J. Anderson