Lehka is an Indian-American girl growing up in a mostly white neighborhood and has always felt pulled between her at home persona enjoying her culture and her school persona of hiding it. When a new girl moves into town from India, Lehka is both drawn to her confidence against bullies and fear of being associated with someone "fresh off the boat." When a racist incident occurs, Lehka must make a choice to embrace her identity and culture to stand up against the anti-immigrant sentiment in her town, all while navigating tricky issues of identity and living in two cultures.

This novel does a great job describing Indian customs, meals, holidays, and experiences, immersing the reader in Lehka's home life and Indian culture. It is also a heartfelt story about friendship, family, and identity.

This book spoke to me as a first generation Indian American. With heart, humor, and hope Lekha learns how to balance her home self and her school self, along with learning how to speak out against racism in her community, and then balancing old (quiet) and new (speaks up) Lekha. Being a first generation child is difficult no matter what, as you are always seesawing between the 2 cultures, and seemingly never “enough” of either. I love how this story shed light on what it feels like, how it’s not always easy to speak up and how to be you anyways. Also loved the bindis, shiny things, Bollywood references, and foods mentioned (I really want bhel and paneer now)!

American as Paneer Pie has a great story to tell. It is the story of racism, unchecked prejudice, and self-shame. I know people will read the words spoken between children and think they are exaggerated but they are not. Children can say hateful and hurtful things. Unfortunately, Lekha believes every disgusting word her classmates have told her for years. She believes them so much she wears a specific hairstyle to cover her birthmark, doesn't bring her favorite foods to lunch, and constantly tells her parents to whisper so no one can hear their accents. This book also highlights the racism within a culture like using skin lightening creams to make your skin less brown. While the message is powerful the book itself was all setting descriptions while still not providing enough information for me to understand what they were describing. I spent most of the time looking up words. Of course, if I was Indian American that wouldn't have been a problem for me. So I guess a balance is what I am looking for.

Working in Nashville's schools, I've had the privilege of working in classrooms with students from dozens of countries. Because the populations are so diverse, I've been lucky enough to see children embracing each other's differences - but I also know that that's not the case everywhere. Supriya Kelkar's novel is readable, dripping with decadent details about food and cuisine, and totally relatable for ANY student who's ever felt insecure. The message is also so timely and important; in this climate, young people must use their voices and stand up for what is right against bigotry and hatred. Thank you, Ms. Kelkar!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this advance copy.

I loved this book so much! I enjoyed seeing her progression as a character and watching her learn to speak up for herself, her family, and her friends.

I am not a teenage girl, and I was not born in a country where my forefathers (and mothers) could not trace they ancestry back to, but there was something so relatable about this book that I read it in almost one stretch, wanting to see it all the way through. The one bias I might have had is that I spoke a different language at home than the city I lived in throughout my schooling(which was entirely in English). I was so shy that I refused to make mistakes enough to speak the local language and for someone outside of India it would be hard to imagine the impact that can have on one’s social life even in the simplest terms. By the time I school was ending, I found a larger crowd of people who accepted (however grudgingly) that I probably would not reply in any other language than English. All of this endeared Lekha to me because in some ways, in my own little world, I was her.

It is not easy to be comfortable in your own skin, and Lekha learns the hard way. This is an ideal book for those families who do not wholly conform to the western pattern. I loved the fact that the idea of her maintaining her families tradition of being vegetarian (because she believes in the logic of it) and although she cringes at having to explain it to her fellow Americans. The family dynamic was soothing and loving while having a strict enough backbone. It is not a big book, so I will only mention one more thing with regards to the storyline. Lekha is a first-generation American, born in the US but completely ‘Desi’ at home. She encounters, for the first time, a girl from the very same family background as her but is comfortable about it and her family has just moved to their corner of the US.

It was simply written, with enough explanations to those who are not familiar with some of the words used, there is a lot of foody descriptions that had my stomach rumbling. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes reading books aimed at a middle-grade audience or books about being different.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. The review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I really enjoyed this story of a young girl struggling to find her place and accept herself as she is. Lekha has two very supportive parents and a loyal best friend who lives next door. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with bullies at school who make fun of her because of her Indian hertitage. She's also a swimmer, and as part of the team has to cope with pressures from her teammates to be part of some activities she's not really comfortable with. In the midst of all this, a new girl moves in across the street who is not afraid of the bullies and has a totally different take on sharing their culture, even at school. But when Lekha and some of her extended family face racist attacks, she's not sure if standing up is the right thing to do, or dangerous. So there is a lot going on, but it flows well. There is also a lot of Hindi spoken throughout the book, along with references to Indian food (be prepared to feel hungry) and holiday celebrations. So it's a great friendship and coming-of-age story, as well as a potential introduction to some Indian foods and traditions that your young readers may not be familiar with.

Lekha is struggling with her identity in some ways. She loves many aspects of her culture, but she feels like she needs to be one person at school and another at home. She tries to keep her worlds from colliding because she doesn't want to give anyone more reasons to see her as other. With Avantika standing up to bullies, Lekha starts to take a hard look at how she is moving through life.

This is a very relatable middle grade novel. Bullies can be anywhere and will look for any difference or weakness so readers will likely have experienced something similar even if they are not part of an immigrant family. For those who are an immigrant or whose family has immigrated in this generation or the previous one, I'm sure they will see themselves or other family members here in the pages.

Beyond Lekha's personal identity questions, there are also some fairly serious questions in the community. A politician is running a campaign with the major point being that immigrants are stealing jobs and need to go back to where they came from. This hateful rhetoric is making Lekha and others unsafe in their own community.

Beyond that, it's a book about friendship, family, and oh my goodness - the food. There are so many descriptions and mentions of food. I was so hungry while reading. I was hoping for a recipe and was not disappointed. A recipe for the Paneer Pie mentioned in the title is included at the end. Books with recipes are a particular favorite of mine.

Recommendation: This is a lovely middle grade book that I highly recommend. It deals with some particularly difficult topics, but not in an overwhelming way. The friendship and love are comforting while they still face tough situations that are unfortunately very timely.

A very well-written Middle Grade with a female protagonist who learns to find her voice. I enjoyed the elements of every day life and how the families were incorporated. It is a needed story to tell for any race, but it was very beautiful to see from an Indian perspective.

I enjoyed this own voices story. Lehka deals with normal middle school issues of bullying and friendship, but with an added layer of constant microaggressions and racism. She was not perfect, but that makes her more relatable to tweens. She realizes that she has to speak up for herself and her family. I felt this book had a realistic ending, too. Not everyone came around and changed their racist views, but some people did, and that made Lehka realize that she can make a difference, even if it is a small one.

I loved this book, and I cannot wait to share it with readers once it is released! I loved seeing Lekah grow from the beginning of the book to the end, finding herself and her voice. I appreciate how Kelkar wrote about the way Lekah's mother expressed her fear and anxieties after a racist incident. It made it seem very real, and something that I myself relate to (anxiety) while still keeping it appropriate for a book for children. I also enjoyed learning more about "Desi' culture and traditions, especially the food!

I think this is strong as it brings up the issue of how racism is running rampant in a political climate that allows it to fester. It also shows the backhanded comments that fall under the guise of “just kidding” or blatant mistreatment of people with darker skin. It also shows the struggles of just trying to grow up and fit in. Reminds me of The Best at It.

Lekha is stuck between wanting to fit in with her swim team and being a good new friend to Avantika, Although Avantika is the "new kid around", she has a much better time standing up for what's right and making her voice heard, in comparison to Lekha's struggle to take action. Over the course of the story, Lekha will realize her need to be authentic to herself and her Indian-American identity.

As a MLL educator, I often look for books that recognize the experiences of different cultures and also the immigrant (first, second, third generation...) experience in America. This is a book that respectfully educates others on Desi customs. I know many students who will love to see themselves represented by Lekha's empowered character, and I am excited to add this title to my classroom bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for allowing me to read a digital ARC of American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Powerful story which, sadly, reflects what is happening in reality. Lekha is the only Indian student in her school. She has coped by withdrawing and not being seen even when racist words are used. A new young woman, Avantika, moves in and has an entirely different approach. She confronts and calls out bullying and racist actions and words. Lekha finds her courage to speak up and be who she really is by the end of the book.
Kelkar has captured the climate we see in so many areas in the home, school and political environments. Threats and violence happen in many communities and the author captures the gamut of responses these events trigger.
A much needed piece of literature for middle grade readers.

This book succeeds in creating both a uniquely first generation Indian-American story and a universally relatable school age tale of wanting to fit in. Children of immigrants and all other kids will see themselves in Lekha's struggles , feeling confident and comfortable at home to wanting to be invisible at school. Lekha is a flawed character that is sometimes a bad friend, but has tremendous character growth at the end of the book. This book tackles topics such as microaggressions, hate crimes, xenophobia, discrimination, color-ism, and bullying in a way that is appropriate for a 5th grade audience. Fans of Front Desk and Out of My Mind will enjoy having another heroine they can root for.

This terrific story is about Lehka who's family comes from India. In her middle school, she's the only Indian and the kids tease her about her birthmark, about how she smells, about how overprotective her parents are. Lehka tries hard to have no one notice her, but when a newly elected official (who's platform is strongly anti-immigrant) and two different racist acts take place, Lehka finds her voice. This is a wonderful story and it's going to make an excellent read aloud in the middle grades. There are SO MANY places to have great conversations here and to help kids make connections to their own experiences with racism.

A powerful middle grade story about a young Indian American girl who struggles with her staying true to her cultural identity, fitting in at school and staying true to herself and beliefs. Lekha faces bullying at school and in a larger way when her home is vandalized. A wonderful story about speaking your truth.

This was a very culturally rich, very loveable read, which was full of puns! It was great to see the main character's growth in learning to speak up and stand up for herself.

I've read a fair few middlegrades that deal with racism, but I'm not sure I've ever read any that really delve into it, and the layers of it, like this book did. The main character is Indian-American, and the book shows her day-to-day reality in a lot of different ways. She deals with microaggressions and bullying at school, and she feels like she can't be openly proud of her heritage and stand up for herself without facing even more racist bullying. The book also deals with colorism and internalized prejudices, and the way the main character views her new friend who only just moved to the US from India. It did all this in a very accessible way, and with a lot of heart. It's impossible not to love Lekha and her family - I'm honestly always here for great family relationships in books.

CWs: hate crimes, racism, colorism, bullying.

This beautiful, brilliant book! I am so thankful to have received a galley from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster.

Lekha lives in the suburbs of Detroit and is the only Indian kid in the 6th grade. There is a lot she loves about being Indian, but mostly only at home. At school, she hates to stand out - especially when other students point out their differences. A new girl moves in across the street - Avantika, who has just moved from India. Avantika is not shy about standing up for herself and acknowledging differences, which is uncomfortable for Lekha. As tensions start to rise in their community and at school, Lekha starts to realize she needs to use her voice to stand up for herself, her family, and her culture.

A solid story that will evoke meaningful conversations about race, culture, xenophobia, and acceptance of yourself and others. Highly recommend and will definitely be adding to our middle grade collection! Thank you Supriya Kelkar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for allowing me to read a digital ARC of American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar.

Lekha is the only Indian kid in her Michigan suburb until a new neighbour arrives--Avantika. But unlike Lekha, her new friend is a fob. (Fresh of the Boat) and they are not as similar as she thought they would be. Avantika defends herself when the other kids make fun of her and is not embarrassed about who she is and where she is from. Lekha's way of dealing with bullying has been to keep silent and separate the two side of herself. Her Indian side stays at home and her American side goes to school. Bullying has quieted Lekha's voice, but after a racist incident occurs in the community, she realizes that she can either remain silent in the face of racism and bullying or find her voice and stand up for herself, her family, her friends, and her culture.

Kelkar has written a heart-felt story that does an excellent job delving into serious topics from the point of view of a middle grader. This book is the perfect addition to school libraries and Grades 5-7 classrooms as it sets the stage for discussions about racism, xenophobia, colorism and acceptance.