Home is in Between by Lavanya Naidu

Home is in Between Reviews

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  Jamila

  This book is amazing. It is a great way to explore code switching, culture, and identity with children. It is helpful for dismantling the concept of America as a "melting pot," which some still try to promote to children as a positive approach for the 21st century.
  
  The book describes how code switching is exhausting and yet, that children become experts at it. It does not address that we shouldn't have to code switch. But, there's room in the illustrations and text for children, teachers, and parents to explore that idea -- the idea of disrupting the need to code switch, the idea of disrupting monolithic Whiteness as an American ideal.
• 
  Ms. B

  Shanti, an immigrant child celebrates the challenges and beauty of having two cultures.
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  Abby Johnson

  This beautiful, bright book depicts a modern family immigrating from a village in India to a town in America and how it feels to be a child living in between cultures. This is a great book for immigrant children to see that they're not alone and for American-born children to start to understand code-switching and how much work it can be!
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  Siska

  Beauty in diversity. So heartwarming
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  Harshita Jerath

  This book is beautiful in words and pictures. And, it hit me right in my heart. Just like Shanti, the main character in the book, my kids toggle between the code at home and the code at school. Needless to say, I found the story very relatable, and I feel it would make a perfect gift for multi-cultural and immigrant families, providing a simple yet profound answer to the question- where are you from?
• 
  Hailey

  This was a great book that relates to the #OwnVoices because the author's life story greatly relates to the character's story. The author was born in Bengal and came to the United States when she was a little girl. The book's character, Shanti, experiences the same thing; moving to a new town, learning American mannerisms, and going to a new school were all a part of what the author and the little girl go through. I like that Perkins was able to tell her story through this book. It can help other children and families who are going through the same situation to realize that "home" does not have to be in one place or another, but that it can be somewhere in between.
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  Celebrilomiel

  2.5 stars, rounded up for the cultural representation. The ending felt a bit pat — rushed, facile — and the use of fragments rather than full sentences throughout made it difficult to get immersed in the story.
• 
  Marissa Elera

  A bright new star. Beautifully done.
• 
  Pam

  Shanti has immigrated to the US from India and she misses her Baba. As she learns a new language, new food, makes new friends and goes to a new school she thinks about her India home. Gradually she understands that she is between two homes or is IN two homes
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  J. April

  Heartfelt and beautiful depiction of the unique experience of children navigating the space between two cultures---the one at home, and the one at school and elsewhere. The author compassionately and simply illustrates how this balancing act can be exhausting, but also a source of resilience and pride.
• 
  IvyInThePages

  Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
  Characters: 5/5
  Cover: 5/5
  Story: 5/5
  Writing: 5/5
  Genre: Children/Picture Book
  Type: Book
  Worth?: Yes!
  
  What a cute and delightful book! I will never understand the in between but this book gives a good glimpse at what a child goes through when moved from one country to another.
  
  The coloring was beautiful and the story line was amazing.
• 
  Helen Ishmurzin

  Such a wonderful, heart-warming story about a girl who feels like she's caught between two worlds. Beautiful, expressive illustrations and informative back matter. A must-read for everyone who wants to understand what it's like for a child to integrate into a different country and culture.
• 
  Tina Hoggatt

  Another touching, lively, culturally rich picture book from Mitali Perkins. This will be a balm and a boon to the immigrant child, making their way in a new world while anchored in the world of their home culture.
• 
  Emma James

  This book is about a little girl who moves from her village of Bengal to America where she has to learn a whole new language and culture. It is a great book to teach students that there are different cultures and each one should be celebrated!
• 
  Great Books

  This heart-warming story uses bright and adorable illustrations to introduce children to the experience of immigrants as a young, Indian girl finds her balance between cultures.
  
  Reviewer #9
• 
  Viviane Elbee

  Enjoyable book about a little girl who moves from Bengal to the USA and learns to live in between two cultures. The illustrations are adorable.
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  Neha Thakkar

  Perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be in between.
• 
  Jenny Mock

  This is the first picture book I’ve read that directly mentions code switching. I’m interested to see what discussions arise from it.
• 
  ReadingWench

  AR 2.0
  This is a great book for, especially an Indian, immigrant to the US. It would teach kids in their class about differences and how things may be different, but thats ok.
• 
  Michelle Gray

  I think this would be great in storytime, especially talking about moving or making new friends.
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  Inky Talons

  This was so wonderful… Shanti is ME!
• 
  Maggi Rohde

  An energetic, joyous illustration of how exhausting it is to have to exist in two cultures simultaneously.
• 
  Michelle

  Cute art and a great story about living two cultures.
• 
  FM Family

  This is a great one. Does a great job visually and through the narrative of showing the challenge Shanti has straddling two different cultures and that she finally just decides to embrace the inbetween place and bring others along into that space to enjoy it for what it is. I could see this really resonating with a lot of newcomers and children of immigrants, and it's great to see a resolution that doesn't compromise anything for Shanti. Also liked seeing the Bengali language and detail throughout, but done well with an index at the end (although I think there were some words in the index that didn't actually appear in the book, which is better than the opposite I guess!)
  
  My 4 year old really enjoyed this one and asked lots of questions like why the parents looked surprised at halloween and why Shanti was doing different dance moves than the other kids in ballet class, which to me shows that the book does a great job of initiating conversations. Definitely recommend and would like to see more from Mitali Perkins.
• 
  Diane

  “Back and forth she ran. Remembering the village. Remembering the town. Again and again. In between.”
  
  Shanti comes from Bengal with her parents to the United States. When she is at home, she is in “her village,” experiencing the culture of Bengal. But when she is at school, she is trying to learn “the code” of her new culture. It can be very tiring to always be going back and forth between cultures. So she takes a rest in the middle. It is then that she discovers that she is “good at making anywhere feel like home. Especially here. In the space between cultures.”
  
  The story is based on the author’s experience growing up. A nice read aloud to help children understand how it feels to be new to a country.