Chitra Soundar

Will Gauri's anger prevent her from enjoying the Holi festivities with her family?

Holi Hai!

This work brings together four stories about young Prince Veera, who, along with his friend Suku, helps his father, the king, solve some of the problems he is having with his subjects. It presents traditional Indian folk tales with plenty of humour and colour.

Stories from India

A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom

Four wry new trickster tales from the creators of Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship draw on Hindu mythology and the rich tradition of Indian folktales. Clever Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, are back in a vibrant new collection of stories riddled with surprises. When the prince's great uncle, Raja Apoorva, invites the boys to the summer festival in Peetalpur, Prince Veera and Suku are excited to compete in the games. It's no easy feat to make the peahen sing (when peahens can't sing) or defeat the country's champion wrestler, but Raja Apoorva's riddles prove the ultimate test of the boys' wit and wisdom. Who owns the tree that provides the palace figs? What intruder dared pull the Raja's beard? And what are the secrets of the holy man and the astronomer? Packed with glorious trickster tradition, wise-cracking dialogue, and gemlike illustrations, these festive tales of two fast-thinking friends will captivate readers of all ages.

A Sliver of Moon and a Shard of Truth: Stories from India

Uma Krishnaswamy

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship

When the moon rises high and the stars twinkle, it is bedtime for the baby animals of the Indian forest. But tonight, when the skies turn dark and the night grows stormy, the little ones can't sleep. SWISH-SWISH! CRACK-TRACK! FLASH-SNAP! goes the storm. Only Mama Elephant with her words of wisdom can reassure them, "You're safe with me."

You're Safe With Me

Being a big sister to a new baby brings big responsibilities. Sona Sharma's house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come unannounced, the phone rings frequently and friends drop in all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn't sure - she has always enjoyed being an only child - and straight away she has a word with her best friend, Elephant. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming ceremony, she is determined to find the perfect name for her new brother or sister. Because although she realizes that her life is about to change, and while she's having some difficulty in coming to terms with having to share everything with the new baby - including Amma and Appa, her grandparents and her home - Sona Sharma wants to be the very best big sister she can be.

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

“Soundar’s energetic prose and wisecracking dialogue sparkle. . . . The adventures of Prince Veera and Suku will surely captivate.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review) Being a wise and just ruler is no easy task. That’s what Prince Veera discovers when he and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. How should they handle the case of the greedy merchant who wishes to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? Can they prove that an innocent man cannot possibly spread bad luck? Will Prince Veera and Suku be able to settle the dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well—but not the water in it? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy, these eight stories from Chitra Soundar, inspired by Indian folktales, task Veera and Suku with outwitting the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects. Are the two clever boys up to the challenge?

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India

Yasmine Naghdi

Pirouette your way into the Shimmer & Shine dance studio, where the ballet besties are ready to put on a show! Indu loves learning ballet at Shimmer & Shine, her local community dance school. Unlike her friends, she doesn't want to be a principal dancer when she grows up, and she's a bit scared of being on stage, but it's still one of her favourite hobbies. Until Miss Diamond announces that this term they'll be putting on a performance of Cinderella! Suddenly everyone's talking about what lead role they want and how fun it will be to dance for an audience, and Indu is feeling nervous and left out. What role will she audition for? Will her friends understand her worries? And will she ever be able to conquer her stage fright? A fun, inclusive and accessible series that will bring the joy of dance to young readers aged 6+!

Ballet Besties: Indu's Time to Shine

Sona decides to run for class leader! But her friend Joy is running, too. Does Sona really want to lead, or just to win? Chitra Soundar shines a light on democracy in the latest book in this charming series. Sona’s class is excited when Miss Rao announces that there will be an election for class leader. But when Pradeep, who is always boasting, says he would be the best choice, Sona knows she doesn’t want him to win. So Sona stands up and volunteers to be a candidate, too! Strangely, her best friends, Joy and Renu, don’t seem happy about it—in fact, they stop talking to Sona altogether. When it turns out that Joy also wants to run for class leader, Sona doesn’t know what to do. It’s true that Joy has some great ideas for the class, and Sona hasn’t thought much beyond stopping Pradeep from winning, but Sona entered the race first and doesn’t want to drop out. With advice and support from her family, Sona realizes that no one can become a leader on their own. Readers can explore election terms and ideas along with Sona, as well as a glossary of Indian words (like bonda, a delicious South Indian doughnut) at the back.

Sona Sharma, a Friend Indeed

Sona is determined to get her whole suburban Indian neighborhood to help fight climate change in this second heartwarming story. When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school, she worries nobody is doing enough to combat it. So she takes up the challenge herself! But her family isn’t amused when Sona suddenly gets rid of her sister’s diapers and turns off Thatha and Paatti’s cooling fan during their nap. Sona finds a better way to implement change, at a family meeting where everyone helps make a list of ways to conserve. Energized, Sona sets her sights on the rest of the neighborhood. When she learns many of the kolams—traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the festival season—are not eco-friendly, she makes plans for some even bigger changes. Can Sona convince everyone to get involved—even her own strong-willed grandmother? Charming illustrations bring to life this heartening story and its delightfully eager main character, who is sure to inspire young environmentalists. Back matter includes a vocabulary list and a lesson on how to draw your own kolam.

Sona Sharma, Looking After Planet Earth

Can Sona be the best big sister ever when she’s not sure she even wants a baby sister or brother? Brimming with warmth and charm, this story set in India will resonate with new older siblings everywhere. Sona Sharma's house is full of three generations of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come over unannounced, the phone rings frequently, and friends drop by all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona that she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn’t so sure. She doesn’t want to share her room or her things with a new baby, not to mention the attention of Amma, Appa, Thatha, and Paatti. And despite Amma's assurance that the sky always has room for new stars, Sona doesn’t feel stretchy or bighearted like the sky. But when she learns there will be a baby-naming ceremony, she’s determined to find the best name for her new brother or sister—one as nice as her own, a Hindi word for “gold.” Perfectly pitched to young readers, this tale of warming up to change is followed by a glossary of words from India to explore in the story.

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister?

An exciting detective story from Chitra Soundar, author of over 50 children's books in the UK, India and the US.Sindhu and Jeet are the best detectives in town: they solve all their cases with a dollop of observation, a dash of imagination and a whole load of legwork. And when they travel from India to England for a holiday, the detective work doesn't stop! This page-turning story is accompanied by black-and-white illustrations by Amberin Huq.The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With black-and-white illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com.Book Band: Grey, ideal for ages 8+

Grey Book Band

Sindhu and Jeet's Detective Agency: a Bloomsbury Reader

Book Band: White (Ideal for ages 6+) An energetic animal story, ideal for children practising their reading at home or in school. All Sloth Bear wants to do is play with Porcupine but it's nap time in the jungle and all the other animals are sleeping. So she throws a guava at Porcupine's tree to wake him up and SPLAT! THUD! BUMP! Little Tiger gets woken up too! And Little Tiger is rather hungry... This funny story set in the Indian jungle from storyteller Chitra Soundar is perfect for children who are learning to read by themselves and for Key Stage 1. It features illustrations from Hannah Marks and appealing characters young readers will find hard to resist. _______________ Bloomsbury Young Readers are the perfect way to get children reading, with book-banded stories by brilliant authors like Julia Donaldson. The series is ideal for both home and school, with gorgeous colour illustrations, tips for parents, and fun activity ideas. Online guided reading and teaching notes, written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), are available at bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Every child needs a Bloomsbury Young Reader. Fun, stretching, just the right length, full of adventurous vocabulary and punctuation.' - Julie-Ann McCulloch, Teacher

White Book Band

Tiger Troubles: A Bloomsbury Young Reader

Farmer Falgu has had enough of his noisy farm! He goes out looking for silence, does he find it?!

Farmer Falgu Goes on a Trip

Tara and her best friend, Farida, are experts at the traditional Indian game of Pallanguzhi. But when Tara's family relocates to the UK, Tara has to say goodbye to her best friend. Who shall she beat at Pallanguzhi now? As Appa and Amma get the new home ready, Tara and her brother check in to a weekend retreat, Camp Wilderness. Wow. Do Tara's parents even know who she is? She's more what you'd call an indoorsy person, with her love of coding and maths. To distract herself from all the trees and animals and general wildlife - shudder - she sets out to find a new friend. No one can ever replace Farida, but Tara's determined to find someone almost as awesome. This is the perfect opportunity to test her Friendship Theorem! Maths has never let Tara down before - surely it can help now? But as Tara applies her theorem at Camp Wilderness, could she miss a friendship that is blossoming right under her nose?

Tara and the Friendship Theorem

Sylvia Whitman

Moni Ritchie Hadley

Celebrate AANHPI heritage with a collection of stories inspired by Diwali, Holi, Ramadan, and Tanabata. Encourage kids to learn more about themselves and people around the world with this collection of four stories featuring Asian characters and customs. This collection includes Holi Hai!, Shubh Diwali!, The Star Festival, and Under the Ramadan Moon.

AANHPI Celebrations and Heritage Collection Grades 1-2

Book Band: Lime, ideal for ages 6+ A funny, uplifting tale about family and the healing power of pets from internationally published author, Chitra Soundar. Keva loves helping out at Grandpa's pet adoption centre. When he has to go to hospital, she knows that his best friend, Atlas the tortoise, is just the thing to cheer him up. It's too bad that the rude hospital manager, Mr Sallow, has banned all pets from the ward! But when Keva notices a picture on his desk, she hatches a plan that she hopes will change his mind... This story features lively black-and-white illustrations by Fay Austin. The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with book-banded stories to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2 by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence. With engaging illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for home and school. For more information visit www.bloomsburyreaders.com. 'Any list that brings together such a quality line up of authors is going to be welcomed ... Bloomsbury Readers are aimed squarely at children in Key Stage 2 and designed to support them as they start reading independently and while they continue to gain confidence and understanding.' Books for Keeps

No Pets Allowed! A Bloomsbury Reader

Anu has to deal with Hannah's insults every day at school. When Hannah insults her grandad in his shop, will Anu let it go? Or will she stand up to her bully for a change? Hannah seems to enjoy taunting Anu. But when Hannah slips and falls right outside the shop, she is faced wit unexpected kindness. Will that change her mind about Anu?

Chitra Soundar

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