I am Kavi

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Title:

I am Kavi

Author:

Ponweera, Thushanthi, author.

ISBN:

9780823453658

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

219 pages ; 22 cm

Subject Term:

Honesty -- Fiction.

Schools -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Sri Lanka -- History -- Civil War, 1983-2009 -- Fiction.

Genre:

Novels in verse.

Summary:

"1998, Colombo. The Sri Lankan Civil War is raging, but everyday life must go on. At Kavi's school, her friends talk about the weekly Top 40, the Backstreet Boys, Shahrukh Khan, Leo & Kate... and who died--or didn't--in the latest bombing. But Kavi is afraid of something even scarier than war. She fears that if her friends discover her secret--that she is not who she is pretending to be--they'll stop talking to her. I want to be friends with these / happy, / fearless, / girls / who look like they / belong. So I could also be / happy, / fearless, / and maybe even / belong. Kavi's scholarship to her elite new school was supposed to be everything she ever wanted, but as she tries to find some semblance of normalcy in a country on fire, nothing is going according to plan. In an effort to fit in with her wealthy, glittering, and self-assured new classmates, Kavi begins telling lies, trading her old life--where she's a poor girl whose mother has chosen a new husband over her daughter--for a new one, where she's rich, loved, and wanted. But how long can you pretend to be someone else? This dazzling novel-in-verse comes from an astonishing new talent who lived through the civil war herself. Perfect for fans of Jamine Warga, Supriya Kelkar, and Rajani LaRocca, I Am Kavi centers a powerful South Asian voice, and stars an unforgettable heroine each and every one of us can relate to" --

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	J FICTION PON	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Oakdale Library	J FICTION PON	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	J FICTION PON	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	J FICTION PON	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)	J FICTION PON	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Caught between two worlds-a poverty-stricken village and a fancy big-city school-a young Sri Lankan girl must decide who she really is and where she really belongs.

1998, Colombo. The Sri Lankan Civil War is raging, but everyday life must go on. At Kavi's school, her friends talk about the weekly Top 40, the Backstreet Boys, Shahrukh Khan, Leo & Kate... and who died-or didn't-in the latest bombing. But Kavi is afraid of something even scarier than war. She fears that if her friends discover her secret-that she is not who she is pretending to be-they'll stop talking to her.

I want to be friends with these / happy, / fearless, / girls / who look like they / belong.
So I could also be / happy, / fearless, / and maybe even / belong.

Kavi's scholarship to her elite new school was supposed to be everything she ever wanted, but as she tries to find some semblance of normalcy in a country on fire, nothing is going according to plan. In an effort to fit in with her wealthy, glittering, and self-assured new classmates, Kavi begins telling lies, trading her old life-where she's a poor girl whose mother has chosen a new husband over her daughter-for a new one, where she's rich, loved, and wanted. But how long can you pretend to be someone else?

This dazzling novel-in-verse comes from an astonishing new talent who lived through the civil war herself. Perfect for fans of Jamine Warga, Supriya Kelkar, and Rajani LaRocca, I Am Kavi centers a powerful South Asian voice, and stars an unforgettable heroine each and every one of us can relate to.

"KAVI'S COURAGE AND VOICE ARE NOT TO BE MISSED." -Reem Faruqi, award-winning author of Call Me Adnan , Unsettled , and Golden Girl

"TRIUMPHANT." -Dan Gemeinhart, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Midnight Children

"I LOVED IT!" -Nizrana Farook, award-winning author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Indies Introduce Selection
An Indies Next Pick
A School Library Journal Middle Grade Magic Selection
A Children's Book Council Hot off the Presses Selection

Author Notes

Thushanthi Ponweera is an author and poet from Sri Lanka. Before daring to follow her dream of being published, she was a marketing specialist and entreprenuer. Her writing reflects the frustration she feels at the inequality and injustice she sees around her, and also the deep love she feels for her island home. She currently lives in Colombo with her husband and two children.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Exploring friendship, family, and grief against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war, Ponweera's debut, a stirring novel in verse, traces a 10-year-old's desire to fit in. In May 1997, Kavi lives in a village in Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura District with her mother, Amma, who works in the paddy fields, and her step-father, Siripala, whom she worries will replace her late father's role in their family. Kavi tries to be a "good Buddhist girl" and a "good Sinhalese girl," and dreams of achieving academic success so she and Amma can leave for the city. But when Kavi scores highest in her district, now-pregnant Amma cannot accompany her to Colombo for further schooling. Living with her aunt, who works as a housemaid, Kavi dreams of being like her "happy, fearless, popular" peers, and begins telling elaborate lies to fit in. The lies help her find acceptance from her peers, but they come at a cost--to Kavi's grades, her values, and her sense of self. Amid a historical setting informed by classism, colorism, and colonization, short reflective phrases and vivid cultural details bring out the nuanced story's emotional depth and show the devastating impact of war on Kavi and her loved ones. Back matter offers historical context. Ages 8--12. Agent: Jacqui Lipton, Raven Quill Literary. (Sept.)

Horn Book Review

At ten years old, Kavi has already experienced her share of trauma and heartbreak. Her father spent a decade at the front lines in the Sri Lankan civil war and returned to their rural home an amputee, only to die of a sudden heart attack. Kavi's mother remarries and becomes pregnant, leaving a still-grieving Kavi certain her mother no longer loves her. When she earns a scholarship to a prestigious school in the capital city, Colombo, Kavi jumps at the opportunity but soon feels ashamed of her poor, rural roots in a school full of wealthy city kids. The novel, set in the late 1990s, is a superb study of the Sri Lankan class system and the lengths to which someone might go to fit in. Convinced she will have to change to make friends with the rich "cool" girls who have fancy new clothes, cars, and servants, Kavi pretends to be wealthy and creates a web of lies she soon gets caught in, ultimately revealing what really matters. A moving coming-of-age story written in verse about understanding and embracing who you truly are. The war acts as a highly charged political backdrop to Kavi's struggles to accept her family. Back matter provides context on the Sri Lankan civil war; in an author's note, Ponweera reflects on her own experiences growing up during the war. Julie Hakim AzzamSeptember/October 2023 p.79 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

One Sinhalese girl's story set during the late 1990s amid the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war. Ten-year-old Kavi isn't happy, and she hasn't been happy for some time. Her father came home from years of fighting but only because he lost his leg. Then, shortly after Thaththa died, her mother remarried. Kavi's left with no father and a distracted mother who can't understand that no one can replace Thaththa. Her one solace is school; in fact, Kavi does so well academically that she wins a scholarship to attend school in the big city of Colombo. She isn't sure she wants to go live with her maternal aunt who works as a maid in a rich family's house, but it might be better than staying at home. The city is completely different from Kavi's village, and even as she struggles to fit in, she finds unexpected friendships and explores new experiences. But ultimately, Kavi's future will depend on the consequences of one mistake and whether she can remain true to herself. Told in accessible, economical verse, this novel explores Kavi's day-to-day struggles against a backdrop of civil war and social inequality. Though her problems at times seem insurmountable, this is ultimately a reassuring story of friendship, family, and finding solutions. A serious and relatable tale of everyday life intersecting with and diverging from the realities of war. (historical notes, glossary) (Verse historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Kavi is 10 years old but has lived a lifetime. Her father died shortly after coming home from war, her mother remarried quickly, and Kavi is left alone to manage her grief and confusion. The story is set in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during the civil war, which serves as a backdrop to this riveting novel in verse. Kavi's only source of stability is her education, and when she wins a scholarship to an elite school in the city, she has the chance to reinvent herself in her new environment--only, she chooses a problematic way of doing so. Ponweera employs spare but descriptive verse that perfectly captures the inner turmoil of a young girl wading her way through the complexities of family, friendship, identity, and emotions. Rich details of life in a middle school in Colombo add texture and nuance. Readers will find her story engaging and the resolution quite satisfying.

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Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Horn Book Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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