I'm from Here Too [Hardcover]

Kashmira Sheth's eloquent verse novel follows an Indian American Sikh boy through a year of change, challenges, and growth

Anoop is many things: a brother, a son, a grandson, a friend, a middle school student, and a budding writer. He is also Indian American and Sikh.

When he joins a new class, separated from longtime friends, aspects of his identity—especially his long hair, covered with a patka—draw attention in new and uncomfortable ways. At the same time, his beloved grandfather in India is nearing death, leading Anoop to think about faith and identity and his place in the world, especially as attacks on American Sikhs accelerate and he is reminded of his grandfather’s experiences during Partition.

Can the tenets of his faith—equality, justice, service, honesty—help Anoop navigate life? Can he even maintain them?

A Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalist
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book A strong introduction to Sikh culture and faith. —Booklist

[A] moving verse novel . . . Sheth evocatively explains Sikhism in this compassionate story in which characters combat hate with reason. —Publishers Weekly
 
Readers who want a window or mirror into Sikh culture, and fans of novels-in-verse like Rajani LaRocca's Red, White, and Whole, will appreciate I'm From Here Too. —Shelf Awareness

A worthy coming-of-age story with heart and hope. —School Library Journal
&lló4