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Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
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Book | Searching... Gallaher Village Public Library | HIR | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
VEERA HIRANANDANI has an MFA in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She has written fiction for both children and adults. The Whole Story of Half a Girl is her debut novel.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Just before fifth grade ends, life is sweet for Sonia. She loves the alternative private school that she attends with her best friend Sam, where her half-Jewish, half-Indian background is simply accepted. But when her father loses his job and Sonia must attend public school in the fall, life gets complicated. Sonia's new school is more racially divided than her old one, and when her racial identity is questioned, she realizes she has never considered what the answers might be. She's taken in by a group of girls who try out for the cheerleading team, something Sonia comes to love but that doesn't fit with her self-image. Hardest of all is the depression her father falls into, despite finding a new job. In Hiranandani's debut novel, Sonia's struggles are painfully realistic, as she wrestles with how to identify herself, how to cope with her family's problems, and how to fit in without losing herself. True to life, her problems do not wrap up neatly, but Sonia's growth is deeply rewarding in this thoughtful and beautifully wrought novel. Agent: Sara Crowe. Ages 9-12. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
When her dad loses his job, sixth-grader Sonia Nadhamuni leaves a sheltered private school for public school and must suddenly field questions about her unusual name, dark complexion, and Jewish/Indian heritage; meanwhile, her family changes as her father grapples with depression. Though Hiranandani's tackling of weighty topics falters, Sonia's uncertainty of where she belongs--or where she wants to belong--resonates. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
After Dad loses his job, Sonia Nadhamuni has to move from private to public middle school, and it is not easy for her to fit in, especially because Dad is Hindi and Mom is Jewish American. Sonia sometimes feels too dark to be white, too light to be black. Why is Kate, the star of the cool white crowd, so nice to Sonia, even taking her shopping and getting her on the cheerleading team? Should Sonia sit with Alisha and the black crowd in the lunchroom? There is also conflict at home: Mom hates cheerleading, shopping, reality TV, and junk food; Sonia hates Mom's tofu-heavy cooking. To her shame, Sonia denies her Jewish roots. Then Dad gets depressed and things become much worse. Told in Sonia's wry present-tense voice, the mixed-race-family identity conflicts, as well as the universal contemporary drama of trying to act cool--and decent will easily pull readers through this debut novel.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Sonia Nadhamuni's world is turned upside down the summer before sixth grade, when her father loses his job and falls into clinical depression. Due to financial strain, Sonia is taken out of her progressive private school and enrolled in the larger, less intimate Maplewood Middle School. There, her Jewish American and East Indian heritage raises questions among her classmates, and she feels like an outsider. For the first time in her life, she feels unsure of how to articulate her racial and cultural identity. Additionally, she deals with angst over friendships, trying to decide if she should join the in crowd by becoming a cheerleader with popular Kate or remain on the social fringe with budding novelist Alisha. At home, Sonia feels alienated from her parents: her father's depression casts a pall over the entire family, and her mother's increased workload and stress adversely affect her relationship with her daughter. Things come to a head when Mr. Nadhamuni disappears; while her mother looks for him, Sonia reevaluates her friendships and accepts the fact that her dual heritage makes her a unique and whole girl. Hiranandani's thoughtful debut eloquently balances humor with sophisticated issues related to cultural identity, economic hardship, and mental health. An excellent addition with timeless appeal.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Fiction. 9-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.