India

Materials from India

Divali Rose

Ricki is looking forward to Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. He’s also waiting for two special rosebuds to bloom. The buds are on the bush that his grandfather had planted in the front yard. His grandfather promises that the roses will be the color of Divali. One morning, on his way to school, Ricki bends one of the rosebuds to get a closer look and accidentally snaps it off. When his grandfather believes the new neighbors have stolen his rosebud, Ricki must summon the courage to confess what he has done.

Mama’s Saris

When a young girl eyes her mother’s suitcase full of silk, cotton and embroidered saris, she decides that she, too, should wear one, even though she is too young for such clothing. When the mother finally realizes how important it is for her little girl to feel like a big girl on her seventh birthday, she dresses up her daughter in the folds of a blue sari. The daughter is thrilled to look just like her mother, even if only for a day.

The Rich Man and the Parrot

In this retelling of a tale by Rumi, a parrot tricks a wealthy merchant into setting him free.

Elephants Never Forget!

When a terrible storm scatters a group of elephants, a little elephant finds himself all alone in the jungle. Where can he turn? The water buffalo look nice enough, but he couldn’t become a part of their herd. He decides to stay with them, but when they meet up with some elephants, he must make an important decision.

The Mirror Of Fire And Dreaming: The Brotherhood of the Conch

In a pristine valley hidden in the Himalayas, Anand has a disturbing vision. His mentor and spiritual guide, the Master Healer Abhaydatta, is apparently in grave danger. What should he do? If he conveys this information to his elders, he’ll waste precious time. But is it wise to take matters into his own hands? Anand makes his choice and embarks on a spectacular adventure that takes him not only across contemporary India but also several hundred years into the past to the time of the Moghul rulers. There he encounters powerful sorcerers, a haughty and arrogant prince, and a jinn capable of unspeakable magic.  A sequel to Brotherhood of the Conch

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet

Jeetas family is caught up in the whirlwind of arranging marriages for her two older sisters, but the drama and excitement leave Jeeta cold. She knows that tradition demands the parade of suitors, the marriage negotiations, the elaborate displays, the expensive wedding parties but where is the love and romance that the movies promise? She dreads her turn on the matrimonial circuit, especially since Mummy is always complaining about how difficult it will be to find Jeeta a good husband, with her dark skin and sharp tongue.As Jeeta spends more time with her new friend from school, Sarina, and Sarina’s educated, liberal parents, she begins to question her tradition-bound parents’ expectations. And when she falls in love with Sarina’s cousin, Neel, Jeeta realizes that she must strike a balance between independence and duty and follow her own path.

Kali And The Rat Snake

Kali’s father is a snake catcher – the best in the village. Kali knows that is really something to be proud of, but at school he sometimes gets embarrassed. The other children seem to think there is something very strange about having a snake catcher for a father and eating things like fried termites for a snack. Plus, Kali is the teacher’s pet. How will he ever make friends?

Bindi Babes

Amber, Jazz, and Geena Dhillon, a.k.a. the Bindi Babes, are three fabulous sisters with a reputation for being the coolest, best-dressed girls at their school. But their classmates don’t know that the sisters miss their mom, who died a year ago. An interfering auntie from India invites herself into their household to cramp their style and soon the sisters’ pushover dad is saying no to designer clothes and expensive sneakers. There’s only one way to be rid of Auntie: marry her off to some unsuspecting guy. Will Amber, Jazz, and Geena find a man who can put up with Auntie before she completely ruins their lives? Or are Auntie’s new rules doomed to make the fabulous Dhillon sisters just average?