New Crayons: What's New On Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a book is a good week.

Special thanks to Colleen from Chasing Ray and Shalonda for sending us some fantastic new editions for our library. Here's what's new on our shelves:


Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki. Saw this at Happy Nappy Bookseller. We featured it for our quiz. Got a great copy from Paperbackswap. Looking forward to reading this.
Rashid Karim and his parents think they found the perfect bride in Henna. On their wedding night Rashid who goes Ricky when at the University, discovers that his new wife is not 17 and well educated but 13 and illiterate. Henna agreed to help her baba deceive the Karim's in hopes of avoiding school and moving to Calcutta to become a movie star. This is a family saga that begins with a lie. Read Doret's review.

Breathing Room by Patricia Elam. Honestly can't remember how I got this but Publisher's review has me interested.
The evolving relationship between two African-American women forms the centerpiece of this spirited, fluidly written debut novel set in contemporary Washington, D.C. Norma Simmons-Greer and Moxie Dillard have been friends since student days at Howard University. When the stress of being a good mother is exacerbated by the emotional withdrawal of her husband, Lawrence, Norma seeks comfort in her photography studio, where she meets and begins an affair with a white professor. Divorced Moxie, meanwhile, is raising her teenage daughter, Zadi, with the same zeal she puts into her work as a probation officer for adolescents. She is firm on discipline, and vocally supports black issues at the predominantly white private school where Zadi's father sends the girl. When Moxie learns of Norma's interracial affair, she is deeply offended and the women become estranged.

Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines. Way out my normal reading. Interested to see if our girls will check this out.
Sypnopsis
Lyn is a modern gladiator's daughter, and the rules of the sport are second nature to her family. However, the rules turn against the family after a gifted young fighter kills Lyn's father and captures Lyn's dowry bracelet--which means Lyn must marry him. To win her freedom, she must face her father's killer in mortal combat.

How To Salsa In A Sari by Dona Sarkar
Sarkar breathes a new and vivacious life into this classic plot. Issa is a smart and dynamite character, and the diverse cast will appeal greatly to what is becoming an equally diverse teenage audience. It is their intense humanity and their conflicts that stand out in this novel. Throw in a carefully measured dose of materialism and those miserable, honest mess-ups that are part of the package of growing up, all wrapped up with the perfect imperfect ending, and you’ll find that How to Salsa in a Sari is a stellar, vibrant, and beguiling read that you won’t want to let go of. Read the Compulsive Reader's review.

Taneesha: Never Disparaging by LaVora Perry. Received this for review. Ms. Perry is a new writer.
M. Lavora Perry's newest has much to recommend it for elementary library collections. Taneesha, whose family is Buddhist, is a 5th grader who is conflicted about her friends, her faith, and her role in her society. Her best friend nominates her for class president, and she is not sure that she wants to run. At the same time, a girl starts bullying the two friends after school. Read Ms. Yingling's review.


What did you get in the mail, at the bookstore or from your library? Drop us a link.