This premise was promising, and I liked the nuance of the family's prejudice because of religion in spite of being a minority themselves, and how that intersected with racism issues. Ariel's point of view as an observer of her sister and her strong beliefs/actions was interesting and effective.

However, the second-person point of view was just too jarring for me to really be engaged in the story.

Ohmygosh, I loved this book SO MUCH! It was beautifully written and made me cry several times. The voice of Ariel was amazing, and I really liked how the author used a second person narrative. I have red so few books like that, and it brings the reader right into the story: "Leah hardly ever cries. You're the crier. It's the only way anyone pays attention to you. You cry when you're sad, or mad, or when you watch Lassie. Sometimes you even cry when you're extra happy. You get it from Daddy. He's a crier too." At first, it took me a bit to get used to, but then I didn't even notice it. I just knew that I was thinking, "yes, this IS me!"
I loved all the character arcs, especially Ariel's parents. Oh, my, they were tough cookies. (They own a bakery! Get it?!) And Ariel, in typical pre-teen fashion, comes up with an outlandish scheme along with her BFF, one that adult readers can plainly see will not work, but then it does! (mostly)
I keep thinking of things to add... I loved Ariel's poetry and her teacher, oh gosh. She was amazing. And fallible. But mostly amazing.
If I had to pick one thing to wish for, it would be a better title. I just don't think it gives us any idea of the beauty within these pages.
A delightful book, definitely one of my new favorites.

How to Find What You're Not Looking for by Veera Hiranandani; Kokila, 384 pages ($17.99) Ages 10 to 14.

.Veera Hiranandani, author of Newbery Honor book "The Night Diary" about the partition of India, again plumbs her family history for inspiration in this compelling coming-of-age novel of a Jewish girl in a small town in Connecticut dealing with her parents' rejection of her older sister after her marriage at 18 to an Indian American college student. (The author's mother is Jewish-American, her father is from a Hindu family in India.)

The novel takes place in 1967-'68, against the turbulent backdrop of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Supreme Court decision upholding interracial couple's right to marry. The Beatles, the Doors, the Rolling Stones provide the soundtrack.

12-year-old Ariel Goldberg adores her older sister Leah, a ballet student and academic standout who introduces her to rock music and helps her with her homework and her hair. When Leah falls in love with Raj, her parents reject him because he is of a different race and isn't Jewish. After Leah elopes, Ariel is left alone to work at her parents' bakery and deal on her own with a classmate's bullying and her academic problems at school. Her parents refuse to show her Leah's letters or give her Leah's address in Manhattan, and Ariel believes Leah has given up on her.

Hiranandani offers a poignant exploration of a girl struggling to make sense of the world, both of the injustices and terrible events in the wider world and the mistakes she sees adults making all around her. She finds her voice in poetry, thanks to a sympathetic teacher who encourages her to find ways to overcome her dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes handwriting very difficult.

Lately, it seems the only constant in Ariel Goldberg's life is change--her sister has eloped with her Indian-American boyfriend, her parent's bakery business has serious financial problems, and Ariel has to grapple with the realization that prejudice can happen both ways. It's a heavy load for an eleven-year-old girl!

"How To Find What You're Not Looking For" views and reflects the rapid social changes sparked by the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. As Ariel witnesses the changes and how they affect her life, and the stubborn resistance both in and outside her own family, she finds her voice in her poetry. Readers who feel the world is changing too fast will find a sympathetic voice in Ariel.

By the author of The Night Diary comes another sensitive historical fiction novel for young readers. Ari is a Jewish girl growing up in Connecticut in the tumultuous 1960’s. Her parents work hard in their bakery and Ari works hard at making friends and doing her schoolwork, which doesn’t come easily. Suddenly, Ari’s world starts to change in ways she never imagined and she’s not sure she’s ready. Beautifully written from a second person point of view, Ari’s story becomes our story. As she navigates racism, learning differences, and injustice, her courage and bravery grow and shine bright. A triumphant and satisfying read.

This book takes us back to the turmoil of the 1960's. When Ariel's older sister runs off to marry an Indian immigrant it tears her family and her world apart. Her parents refuse to speak to her sister---they always imagined their daughter would marry a Jewish boy and carry on their family's rich and hard-earned history. The story takes places just after the Loving vs. Virginia decision and during the Civil Rights movement and the conflict over the Vietnam War. Ariel is just starting to understand the injustices of the world and form her own opinions as she sees the conflicting views of people around her. Ariel is also dealing with dysgraphia and the repercussions of that and she experiences anti-Semitism as well. It's a lot for one girl to deal with! But as her life is spiraling out of control, she is determined to at least set things right with her sister, a task that may be out of her own control. The story is told in second person, a POV you don't read very often, but I thought it worked well for this story. I loved that the title and chapter titles give the feel of a self-help instructional manual as Ariel navigates her new reality.

Here’s the set-up: It’s 1967 and Ariel Goldberg’s world is topsy-turvy. Ari struggles with writing legibly, her parents’ bakery is not bringing in enough money, and her older sister elopes with her Indian boyfriend. Even though the Supreme Court has ruled that states can’t ban interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia, Ari’s parents don’t approve of the marriage. Ari begins writing poems as a way to deal with the upheaval in her life. This is a story of family and friendship and of a young girl who finds her own voice.

What I loved:
--Second person POV
--Jewish main character
--Explores racism and antisemitism in the 1960s
--Bakery setting

How to Find What You’re Not Looking For would pair nicely with Linked by Gordon Korman, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Clean Getaway by Nic Stone. Highly recommended for grades 4 and up.

4.5 Stars

There’s a lot to unpack in How to Find What You’re Not Looking For — religious and racial discrimination, money problems and learning disability — and yet, it all comes together in a cohesive read that is both compelling and thought-provoking.

Everything in Ariel’s life is up in the air. Though her parents are well-meaning, Ariel can’t help but think they’re wrong on a number of issues. Ariel likes her new brother-in-law, and hates that her parents have cut all contact with her sister. The family bakery is Ariel’s second home, but they don’t seem to care. Ariel’s teacher has finally come up with a system that’s helping her excel, but her mother insists Ariel is fine as she is.

Ariel’s situation — the lack of control and desire to change things — is one a lot of readers will see mimicked in their own lives. The circumstances may differ, but the feeling of helplessness is universal. Ariel is a strong character who learns she doesn’t have to go things alone to accomplish them.

Author Veera Hiranandani does a great job introducing historical aspects in smooth and natural ways. She makes tough topics accessible without feeling like they’re “dumbed down.”

How to Find What You’re Not Looking For is a well-paced read that’s equal parts intriguing and heartfelt.

Written in the second person, this story puts you squarely in the center of a historical fiction book about a Jewish girl named Ariel whose older sister falls in love with a Hindu boy after the Loving Vs. Virginia verdict. It's a beautiful story of love, family, forgiveness, and growing up -- I loved it.

I loved this new book by the award-winning author of THE NIGHT DIARY. Set in 1967, this is the story of Ariel, a 12-year-old Jewish girl whose older sister falls in love with a man of Indian heritage and is rejected by her family. Interesting themes about prejudice, family and cultural loyalty, and the journey of self-discovery. Thinking about these big themes through the experiences of an almost teenager who is questioning her role in her family, her own interests/talents, and who her real friends are makes the story even more powerful. I recommend this to readers who like dramatic, feel-good/empathy-inducing realistic stories by authors like Rebecca Stead, Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Wendy Mass.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC of this novel. I thought this did a great job highlighting some of the difficulties couples face with interracial relationships. Though this was set in the 60's, I think it's just as applicable now, though many of the pop culture references might be over the heads of middle grade readers.

Ariel “Ari” Goldberg, the 11 year old Jewish-American protagonist in Veera Hiranandani’s terrific novel, How to Find What You're Not Looking For, discovers that her 18 year old sister, Leah, talented dancer and model student, and the focus of their parents’ aspirations, has fallen in love with Raj, a graduate student from India. When the elder Goldbergs oppose the match, because they desire their daughters to marry within their religion, Leah and Raj decide to elope without so much as a word. Ari, bereft and abandoned, resolves to find her beloved sister. Indeed, the bitter estrangement and familial rift caused by Leah’s elopement represents one of many challenges faced by Ari: she struggles in school, due to undiagnosed dysgraphia, faces anti-Semitism and bullying at school, their family bakery, Gertie’s, is struggling to stay afloat, her parents continue to disapprove of Leah’s and Raj’s relationship and refuse to talk about them, and her mother is experiencing health issues. Set in 1967-1968, in the wake of the Loving vs. Virginia ruling, Ari’s experiences provide a great springboard for conversation about larger issues: interracial marriage, racism, and the importance of finding one’s voice and standing up for one’s beliefs. Suitable for middle school readers and up.

This book is historical fiction, set in the 1960s, and deals primarily with discrimination and interracial relationships in a kid-friendly way. I think readers will really relate to Ari, and her perspective helps move the storyline along. Students will not need a lot of historical contexts to understand what is happening in the story. It is well laid out and the story is meaningful and engaging even if you aren't interested in history.

This book checked all the boxes for me. Relatable characters? Check. Real-life events to connect to? Check. Beautiful themes of friendship, family and growing forward? Check, check, check. And while this book gave me a window into another family’s way of living, of being and of loving, it also gave me a mirror into my own family-is-complicated heart, a pretty impressive feat for a single book to accomplish. Hiranandani introduces readers to Ari, her family and the swirl of events they are enveloped in: the difficulties of being one religion while surrounded by another, the challenges of running a family-owned business, the heartache of a family divided, the frustration of the school system and how it supports (or doesn’t) students who might learn differently, the complications of friendship and more. I entangled myself with the characters immediately and am not quite ready to let them go, even after I turned the last page.

Ariel lives with her parents and sister Leah in Connecticut in 1967, having moved there from Brooklyn when her parents wanted to distance themselves from relatives and relocate their bakery. The family is Jewish, but not as observant as some of the family, which has lead to tensions. Unfortunately, their new town does not have very many Jewish people, and Ariel has experienced some racial tensions, but her parents don't want "to make a fuss". When Leah shares with Ariel that she has met a man she really likes, Raj, she asks Ariel to keep it a secret, because Raj's family is from India, and they are Hindu. He's studying at New York University, and worries that his family won't be any more accepting than Leah's. There are other things going on in Ari's life as well. She has a lot of trouble with her handwriting, and struggles with school assignments, but her mother, even after countless meetings with teachers, just thinks that Ari needs to work harder and everything will be fine. Ari's teacher, Miss Field, is impressed with Ari's poetry, and also encourages to do a report on the recent case of Loving vs. Virginia. After her sister makes a sudden but unsurprising decision regarding Raj, Ari is even more interested in this historic civil rights case. When the bakery falls on hard times and the tension in her family increases, will Ari ever be able to make her parents understand how important it is that they continue to communicate with Leah?
Strengths: I love that this is based on the author's own background of having a Jewish American mother and father from Mumbai. We need more stories about families who have been in the US for quite a while; it might help people understand how unnecessary and hurtful the question "Where are you from?" can be. Working in the current event of Loving vs. Virginia gives this a wider historical perspective. The long time family bakery was interesting, and the hard work involved in such an enterprise, and the economic difficulty of running one, was poignant. Leah's struggles with her relationship with Raj, and the parents' objections, were completely realistic for the time, and a good example of how things have changed, if only incrementally. Ari's learning disability (dysgraphia) is one that I haven't seen portrayed in middle grade literature, and the depiction of how she deals with it, how her parents feel about it, and the efforts of the new, young teacher are all interesting. This story combines several different elements in a compelling way that I think will make it a popular choice with many readers.
Weaknesses: This was written in the present tense, and for some reason, that seemed odd. Ah. It's because it is also written in the second person, which I didn't realize until just now. So, apparently not a big issue, but reading it felt a little bit like I had an uncomfortable tag poking the back of my neck. Perhaps that was the point? Also, the inclusion of student poetry in books always makes me cringe, since I wrote a lot of poetry until I was in my mid-twenties and should never have shown it to anyone!
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. I love the range of Hirandani's work, and look forward to what she writes next. A great addition to historical fiction about the immigrant experience, such as Dumas' It Ain't So Awful, Falafel, Yang's Front Desk, Perkins' You Bring the Distant Near, and Behar's Lucky Broken Girl.

Interesting read about the the Jewish experience during the Civil Rights era. Characters were well developed and most of the plot was realistic and believable. The author explored a number of complex ideas and themes through the voice of the eleven-year-old protagonist, making them understandable to middle-greed readers. Sometimes it seemed the girl was unrealistically wise for her age, but that seems typical of many realistic fiction books for this age group.

One thing I found odd was the use of “you”to refer to the protagonist. Was that done to make the book seem more relatable to the audience? It seemed odd to me and lessened my connection to the story. Maybe child readers would connect to that literary device.

A story that embraces our universal commonalities versus our difference. Ariel is everyone who has felt alone and isolated. How she finds her voice is a great example for readers of all ages.

What a powerful story! At first glance it seems to start off as a black-and-white issue. But besides for being set in 1968, there’s a lot to unpack... Ari’s parents wanted Leah to marry a Jewish boy. Raj’s parents thought for sure he’d marry a Hindu girl. The unlikely couple faces a lot of hard feelings... This story is told from Leah’s sister Ari’s perspective, as she learns more about the landmark court case about interracial marriage. Multiple plot points weave in and out of this ce real theme. The author does an incredible job building Ari’s understanding, and ultimately finding a way to mend hearts and rebuild bridges. I love that it’s based on the author’s parents’ story. Sensitively approached, carefully and solidly developed. This story will stay with me for a long time.

Quick read, deals with a family struggling to accept their daughter's life after she elopes with an Indian American, not a Jewish American. Narration is told through the 12 year old sister, that just wants her family to be whole again, while also struggling with her own learning abilities.
Characters are well developed and themes are apparent throughout the novel. Enjoyable read.