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Middle-Grade Novel
Twelve-year-old Indian-American Pandita Paul doesn't like change. She's not ready to start middle school and leave the comforts of childhood behind. Most of all, Pandita doesn't want to feel like she's leaving her mother, who died a few years ago, behind. After a falling out with her best friend, Pandita is planning to spend most of her summer break reading and writing in her favorite secret space: the abandoned but majestic mansion across the street. But then the unthinkable happens. The town announces that the old home will be bulldozed in favor of new—maybe affordable—housing. With her family on opposing sides of the issue, Pandita must find her voice—and the strength to move on—in order to give her community hope.
REVIEWS
⭐ “Many books advocate for listening carefully to people of opposing views while following one’s own beliefs, but few do it better than Mitali Perkins’ exceptional Hope in the Valley. ” — Book Page, starred review
⭐ "Perkins explores matters of grief, growing up, and multigenerational relationships in a moving novel that will resonate and linger with readers long after the last beautiful page." — School Library Journal, starred review
⭐ "Grief, memories, and the difficulty of letting go permeate this powerful story about family, friendship, and finding your voice . . . deeply compelling . . . A riveting, courage-filled story." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
⭐ “Though the novel is set in the 1980s, issues surrounding housing inequity and financial precarity deeply resonate with present-day challenges. Employing Pandu’s lilting voice and quiet bravery, Perkins crafts an introspective novel about moving on from loss and finding the courage to fight for what one believes in.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
⭐ “The story is set in the summer of 1980 in Silicon Valley, California, before the tech boom. It is a place on the cusp, much like the story’s protagonist, who finds herself compelled by memories of her past; the complex and fascinating history she uncovers; and possibilities for the future of her town, her family, and herself. ” — The Horn Book, starred review
⭐ "Hope in the Valley feels like a timeless tale, akin to one of the old books that Pandita loves to re-read. Stories chase between the pages: the stories of the past, the stories of the present. Creativity and the angst of a young creator, mixed with delight in art, come and go." — Redeemed Reader, starred review
“'I only got one hour of sleep,' Asher confessed the next morning. 'I finished the book.' No endorsement could possibly equal that of a kid who stayed up all night reading. Such is the magic of a story well-told. And, indeed, Perkins’ novel . . . brought me back to my own childhood whiling away summer days with my own nose in a book. However, unlike my son, I read Hope in the Valley slowly, savoring Perkins’ deft writing and skillfully layered plot . . . A must-read for kids and adults." ~ Portland Press Herald
"A beautifully-written middle grade." ~ Book Riot