author results for Krishnaswami, Uma

Book Uncle and Me

Krishnaswami, Uma — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Every day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library next to her apartment building. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something. But what can she do? The local elections are coming up but she's just a kid. She can't even vote! Still, Yasmin has friends -- her best friend, Reeni, and Anil, who even has a black belt in karate. And she has grownup family and neighbors who, no matter how preoccupied they are, care about what goes on in their community. Then Yasmin remembers a story that Book Uncle selected for her. It's an old folktale about a flock of doves trapped in a hunter's net. The birds realize that if they all flap their wings at the same time, they can lift the net and fly to safety, where they seek the help of a friendly mole who chews a hole in the net and sets them free. And so the children get to work, launching a campaign to make sure the voices of the community are heard.

Book Uncle and Me

Krishnaswami, Uma — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Winner of the International Literacy Association Social Justice Literature Award
An award-winning middle-grade novel about the power of grassroots activism and how kids can make a difference.

Every day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library on the street corner. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something.

What can she do? The local elections are coming up, but she's just a kid. She can't even vote!

Still, Yasmin has friends — her best friend, Reeni, and Anil, who even has a blue belt in karate. And she has family and neighbors. What's more, she has an idea that came right out of the last book she borrowed from Book Uncle.

So Yasmin and her friends get to work. Ideas grow like cracks in the sidewalk, and soon the whole effort is breezing along nicely... Or is it spinning right out of control?

An energetic, funny and quirky story about community activism, friendship, and the love of books.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

The Sunshine Project

Krishnaswami, Uma — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

"In the final book in the Book Uncle trilogy, Anil faces a dilemma when the city decides to build a solar panel factory on the site of a mangrove forest. Anil loves karate, his friends and the solar power project he has been championing in his community. He doesn't love having to speak up -- as his karate sensei says, best fight, no fight. Still, Anil wishes his classmate Mohan would stop picking on him. Then Anil learns where the city is planning to build a new solar panel factory. More sustainable energy is good news -- but this factory will threaten plant and animal species and force the village people who live on the land to move. Maybe staying quiet isn't an option anymore. A class assignment nudges Anil into action. Now he's a Young Reporter, so why not ask questions about the factory? With help from his friends Yasmin and Reeni, support from his classmates and neighbors, and the right book picks from Book Uncle, can Anil help the city find a solution that works for everyone? And just how loudly will he have to speak up? A triumphant finale to the Book Uncle trilogy about the power of asking the right questions and listening when change comes to your community"-- Provided by publisher.

Birds on the Brain

Krishnaswami, Uma — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"The sequel to the award-winning Book Uncle and Me features bird lover Reeni and her quest to save her city's bird count event when the mayor tries to shut it down. Reeni is wild about birds! So when she and her best friend, Yasmin, have to pick a survey topic for a school project, asking their neighbors what they know about birds is an obvious choice. They are shocked to learn that no one -- not one single person! -- has heard about Bird Count India and the major event it is about to launch all over the country. Thousands of birdwatchers will be out counting birds as part of a global movement. Global means world, and isn't this city part of the world? How come people don't seem to care about the threats to city birds? And why is the mayor intentionally thwarting their city's bird count event? Reeni and Yasmin enlist help from Book Uncle, Reeni's family and even their school bus driver. They must get people interested in the bird count, get them to ask the city government to support the event. After all, what's good for the birds is good for all of us ... right? A funny, triumphant story about learning to advocate for both the human and non-human inhabitants of your community."-- Provided by publisher.

Threads of Peace

Krishnaswami, Uma — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"A look at the lives of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. and how they were led to seek revolution through peace"-- Provided by publisher.

Two at the Top

Krishnaswami, Uma — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary each tell their story, culminating in their thrilling ascent of Mount Everest. Tenzing Norgay grew up in Nepal, herding yaks in the shadow of Chomolungma, the mountain also known as Everest. He has always dreamed of climbing to the top. He becomes a guide, leading treks through the Himalayas, and finally attempts the highest mountain himself, but doesn't make it. Across the ocean, in New Zealand, Edmund Hillary grew up tending his father's bees. He climbed his first mountain at sixteen and has climbed all over the world ever since. He tries Everest, with no success. In 1953, the two men set out on the same expedition to climb Everest. Their party numbers four hundred, counting all the guides and porters. But the climb is grueling, and eventually Norgay and Hillary are the only two determined to continue. They tramp over windswept glaciers, crawl across rope bridges, hack footholds in the ice ... until finally they reach the top of the world! This remarkable true adventure story, told in a dual narrative, includes illustrated backmatter rich in geography, history and science."-- Provided by publisher.

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything

Krishnaswami, Uma — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Eleven-year-old Dini loves movies, and so when she learns that her family is moving to India for two years, her devastation over leaving her best friend in Maryland is tempered by the possibility of meeting her favorite actress, Dolly Singh.

The Broken Tusk

Krishnaswami, Uma — Wed, 31 Jan 1996 00:00:00 GMT

A collection of stories about the pantheon of Hindu gods, centering on the sometimes greedy, sometimes impulsive, but always generous, elephant-headed Ganesha.

Look! Look!

Krishnaswami, Uma — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

"A girl in India discovers an ancient step well in this companion book to the creators' much-loved Out of the Way! Out of the Way! When a girl discovers a slab of stone on a weedy patch of land, she calls to her friends, "Look! Look!" The children clear away the weeds and garbage and find more stones. They call their families to come and see and begin to dig around the stones. Word travels to villages nearby, and more and more people join in, until the digging reveals steps that lead down to an ancient well. At the bottom, there's even a little water! When the rains come, they cause an underground spring to flow once again, filling the ancient well with fresh, clean water and greening the surrounding fields. Lyrical writing and lively, richly colored art come together once again in this compelling story that embraces community, nature and the passage of time. Includes an author's note about ancient step wells and their potential to help handle floods and provide water."-- Provided by publisher.

Step up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Krishnaswami, Uma — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

"Nine-year-old Maria Singh learns to play softball just like her heroes in the All-American Girls' League, while her parents and neighbors are struggling through World War II, working for India's independence, and trying to stay on their farmland"-- Provided by publisher.

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Krishnaswami, Uma — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Nine-year-old Maria Singh longs to play softball in the first-ever girls' team forming in Yuba City, California. It's the spring of 1945, and World War II is dragging on. Miss Newman, Maria's teacher, is inspired by Babe Ruth and the All-American Girls' League to start a girls' softball team at their school.
Meanwhile, Maria's parents—Papi from India and Mama from Mexico—can no longer protect their children from prejudice and from the discriminatory laws of the land. When the family is on the brink of losing their farm, Maria must decide if she has what it takes to step up and find her voice in an unfair world.
In this fascinating middle grade novel, award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history set in a community whose families made multicultural choices before the word had been invented.

Two at the Top

Krishnaswami, Uma — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary each tell their story, culminating in their thrilling ascent of Mount Everest.

Tenzing Norgay grew up in Nepal, herding yaks in the shadow of Chomolungma, the mountain also known as Everest. He has always dreamed of climbing to the top. He becomes a guide, leading treks through the Himalayas, and finally attempts the highest mountain himself, but doesn't make it.

Across the ocean, in New Zealand, Edmund Hillary grew up tending his father's bees. He climbed his first mountain at sixteen and has climbed all over the world ever since. He tries Everest, with no success.

In 1953, the two men set out on the same expedition to climb Everest. Their party numbers four hundred, counting all the guides and porters. But the climb is grueling, and eventually Norgay and Hillary are the only two determined to continue. They tramp over windswept glaciers, crawl across rope bridges, hack footholds in the ice ... until finally they reach the top of the world!

This remarkable true adventure story, told in a dual narrative, includes illustrated backmatter rich in geography, history and science.

Key Text Features

author's note

bibliography

facts

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Krishnaswami, Uma — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)

Nine-year-old Maria Singh learns to play softball just like her heroes in the All-American Girls' League, while her parents and neighbors are struggling through World War II, working for India's independence, and trying to stay on their farmland.

Meanwhile, Maria's parents-Papi from India and Mamá from Mexico-can no longer protect their children from prejudice and from the discriminatory laws of the land. When the family is on the brink of losing their farm, Maria must decide if she has what it takes to step up and find her voice in an unfair world.

In this fascinating middle grade novel, award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history set in a community whose families made multicultural choices before the word had been invented.