Review by Booklist Review
Ravi and Joe would seem at first glance to be opposites. One is from India and new at school, small and smart; the other is a native New Jersey boy, tall and suffering from auditory processing disorder too much stimulation and noise unduly distracts him. But what Ravi and Joe have in common are caring families, moms who cook them special food, and an appreciation for the book Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, which they are reading for class. They also share a bully, though Ravi doesn't know it yet. He thinks Dillon, an Indian American boy in his class, will automatically like him and be his friend. Joe, Ravi thinks, is slow and clumsy, and he resents it when their teacher thinks he needs remedial help like Joe. A humiliating experience brings the two together, and their mutual empathy as outsiders seems to bode well for a future friendship. The popular Weeks teams with new author Varadarajan for a book that features tandem chapters narrated alternately by Ravi and Joe. Readers will readily recognize the familiar world of school cliques and social problems, and be pleased with the story's outcome.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An immigrant boy and a long-bullied American kid learn that things aren't always as they seem in this engrossing and poignant tale from Weeks (Honey) and newcomer Varadarajan. Fifth grader Ravi was a star student back in India, but in New Jersey, his classmates can't understand his accented English, and his freshly-pressed clothes and homemade curry lunches mark him as different. For Joe, who has Auditory Processing Disorder ("My brain and noise don't get along"), school has become an ordeal, mostly because the most popular boy in class bullies him at every opportunity. Ravi and Joe's stories span a single week, with alternating narratives revealing their different perspectives of the same events. Joe's suffering is acutely felt, especially when his mother displays embarrassing gestures of affection for all to see. As Ravi's confidence slowly erodes, he begins to question who he is and where he belongs. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will appreciate and draw strength from Ravi and Joe as they strive to find the courage to improve their lives. Ages 8-12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-The phrase "save me a seat" is a life preserver. Four words that can make a kid feel safe in a sea of strangers. The story is told from two different points of view: Ravi, who just moved from India, is adjusting to his new American life, and Joe, who has long been a student at Albert Einstein Elementary and is acclimating to a new grade without his best friends. Popular and cunning Dillon Samreen does not miss their vulnerabilities. As the only Indian students in the class, Ravi assumes that he and Dillon will be best friends, but Joe knows better. Like Joe, readers watch the slow, drawn-out torture in silence. That feeling of helplessness will be a powerful one for students to discuss. Through their struggles, Ravi and Joe will capture the hearts of readers and inspire fans to cheer for them just as loudly as they did for Auggie from R.J. Palacio's Wonder (Knopf, 2010) and Ally from Linda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree (Penguin, 2015). Exceptional extras include glossaries and recipes from both characters. A window for some readers and a mirror for others, this noteworthy book is highly recommended for middle grade collections. VERDICT Well-developed characters and original voices in this lunchroom drama will have readers devouring the book and begging for seconds.-Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
On the first day of fifth grade at Albert Einstein Elementary, Ravi (pronounced rah-VEE, not RAH-vee) Suryanarayanan and Joe Sylvester (saddled with the nickname Puddy Tat) seem to have nothing in common. New-kid Ravi is fresh off the boat thanks to his fathers transfer to New Jersey from Bangalore. Joe, whose auditory processing disorder makes school a challenge, has been sitting right behind bully Dillon Samreen since kindergarten. Ravi is used to being the top student at home, and hes furious when the teacher, who has trouble understanding his accent, sends him off with Joe to the resource room. Determined to show everyone his innate superiority, Ravi vows to befriend Dillon (also of Indian descent, but whom Ravi derisively calls an ABCDAmerican-Born Confused Desi), while Joes goal is to make it through the day without humiliation, especially at the hands of Dillon. Told in short, pithy chapters that alternate between Joes and Ravis perspectives, the story covers the first week of school, with each day defined by the school lunch menu. The voices are distinctive and engaging, and Weeks and Varadarajan celebrate the small victories that make elementary school bearable. Though Dillon is an unambiguous villain, the book does an excellent job of depicting the many inadvertent antagonists who complicate the boys lives. Two glossaries, one for Ravis Tamil words and one for Joes Americanisms, appear at the end, along with a pair of recipes. sarah rettger (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
