Hope in the valley
(Book)

"Twelve-year-old Indian-American Pandita Paul deals with change, grief, friendship, and growing up in a community facing a housing crisis.

It's never too late to find your voice." ...Publisher.

"In the mixed-up life of Pandita Paul, past, present, and future feel more like a tangled knot than a tidy braid. Probably because she doesn't like change. But change is inevitable when you start middle school. The thought of becoming a teenager is overwhelming, but most of all, Pandita doesn't want to feel like she's leaving her mother, who died a few years go, behind. After a falling-out with her best friend, Pandita is planing to spend most of her summer break reading and writing in her favorite secret space: the street that she used to visit with her mom. But the mansion is falling down while the town's housing needs are piling up. Pandita learns that the old home will be bulldozed in favor of new---and maybe affordable---housing. With her family on opposing sides of the development line. Pandita must find her voice---and the strength to change---in order to give hope back to her community.",Publisher.

Ages 8-12,Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.

Grades 4-6,Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.