What? A funny chapter book featuring a South Asian boy? I thought they didn't exist. And they didn't, until Candace Fleming wrote her charming
LOWJI DISCOVERS AMERICA (Atheneum). Perfect for a 3rd or 4th grader, this short, quick read stars nine-year-old Lowji, a newcomer to Illinois from Mumbai, and a vivid cast of human and animal characters. My favorite thread was Lowji's relationship with Landlady Crisp, an aptly-named harassed and lonely woman who is transformed by Lowji's desire for animal companionship.
