AHIMSA by Supriya Keljar and HER RIGHT FOOT by Dave Eggers

We felt that Ahimsa by Supriya Keljar, the story of 10-year-old Anjali and her family in 1942 as India was fighting for it's independence from British rule was important, but that this particular book left a lot to be desired. We all agreed that it was quite preachy and didactic, not so beautifully written, and plot-driven rather than character-driven. In fact, many readers said they felt absolutely nothing for the main character or her parents and friends, even though their life was a series of trials and tribulations, and a couple of readers couldn't even finish it. We all agreed that it provided a good glimpse into the culture of that specific Indian village, as well as details of some of the unrest, discrimination and other political situations that occurred there. Although the Author's Note at the end provided some additional information about the struggle, we felt that some more specific back matter -- a Timeline, for example -- would have been helpful to young readers who had no awareness of this segment of history. An important story, but sadly -- not well told.

All but one of us loved our picture book, Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, although a couple of readers felt that it was far too long (104 pages) for a picture book, and could have used some tightening up in the editing process. We mostly loved the humor in the telling and the illustrations showing the diversity of Americans and the history of the Statue of Liberty and the details of her right foot that show her literally 'walking out toward the sea' to welome the newcomers with her torch. We felt that this was an important message for these times, and that the book provided a good starting point for talking about the meaning of immigration and of America's promise to the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." We liked the photos at the end that showed the actual monument and the plaque containing Emma Lazarus' famous poem.