Reviewed by Edith Campbell
Review Source: Cotton Quilts
Book Author: Veera Hiranandani
Being “half a girl” doesn’t matter much until Sonia has to change schools. She was accepted by everyone in her small private school, but she has to find new friends in her new school and this requires her to fit in somewhere. Will she hang with the Blacks or Whites? Cheerleaders or nerds? Why can’t these people all hang together?! She has to explain her name and that she’s not half American Indian, but half Indian from India. Continue reading.
Also see this review from Book Dragon.
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Published by Random House Children's Books on February 12th 2013
Genres: Asian American, Family, Friendship, Jewish, OwnVoices, Religion, School
Pages: 211
Reading Level: Grades 6-8
ISBN: 9780375871672
Review Source: Cotton Quilts
SYNOPSIS: What greater praise than to be compared to Judy Blume!--"Each [Blume and Hiranandani] excels in charting the fluctuating discomfort zones of adolescent identity with affectionate humor."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred
After her father loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni, half Indian and half Jewish American, finds herself yanked out of private school and thrown into the unfamiliar world of public education. For the first time, Sonia's mixed heritage makes her classmates ask questions—questions Sonia doesn't always know how to answer—as she navigates between a group of popular girls who want her to try out for the cheerleading squad and other students who aren't part of the "in" crowd.
At the same time that Sonia is trying to make new friends, she's dealing with what it means to have an out-of-work parent—it's hard for her family to adjust to their changed circumstances. And then, one day, Sonia's father goes missing. Now Sonia wonders if she ever really knew him. As she begins to look for answers, she must decide what really matters and who her true friends are—and whether her two halves, no matter how different, can make her a whole.
From the Hardcover edition.
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