Save Me a Seat

by Sarah Weeks, Gita Varadarajan Narrated by Josh Hurley, Vikas Adam

Overview

From award-winning author of Pie Sarah Weeks and debut author Gita Varadarajan comes a story that shows us the beautiful ways our lives end up being much more similar than we ever imagine.

Two boys -- one white, one Indian American -- gain strength from each other from afar as they struggle to navigate middle school, family, and friendships.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/22/2016
An immigrant boy and a long-bullied American kid learn that things aren’t always as they seem in this engrossing and poignant tale from Weeks (Honey) and newcomer Varadarajan. Fifth grader Ravi was a star student back in India, but in New Jersey, his classmates can’t understand his accented English, and his freshly-pressed clothes and homemade curry lunches mark him as different. For Joe, who has Auditory Processing Disorder (“My brain and noise don’t get along”), school has become an ordeal, mostly because the most popular boy in class bullies him at every opportunity. Ravi and Joe’s stories span a single week, with alternating narratives revealing their different perspectives of the same events. Joe’s suffering is acutely felt, especially when his mother displays embarrassing gestures of affection for all to see. As Ravi’s confidence slowly erodes, he begins to question who he is and where he belongs. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will appreciate and draw strength from Ravi and Joe as they strive to find the courage to improve their lives. Ages 8–12. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)

From the Publisher

* "A novel treatment of a familiar situation delivered with fizz and aplomb." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

School Library Journal - Audio

12/01/2016
Gr 3–6—Ravi was a top student and cricket player with lots of friends back home in India, so he is perplexed when he doesn't immediately fit in at his new school in America. His teacher says she has difficulty understanding him because of his accent, and his classmates laugh at his formal manners, clothes, and unusual lunch box. Joe has never fit in at Albert Einstein Elementary, so he observes Ravi with interest as he tries to adjust to his new surroundings. Joe has auditory processing disorder and goes to the resource center for special help. When Ravi is sent there, too, he is furious that his intelligence is being questioned and doesn't want to be associated with students like Joe. Joe and Ravi alternate as narrators, each giving a unique perspective on the first week of fifth grade. Vikas Adam perfectly captures Ravi's enthusiasm and confidence, which contrasts nicely with the voice of Josh Hurley's introspective and thoughtful Joe. VERDICT A wonderful story of friendship and self-acceptance; for most middle grade collections. ["A window for some readers and a mirror for others, this noteworthy book is highly recommended for middle grade collections": SLJ 3/16 review of the Scholastic book.]—Theresa Horn, St. Joseph County Public Library, South Bend, IN

School Library Journal

03/01/2016
Gr 3–6—The phrase "save me a seat" is a life preserver. Four words that can make a kid feel safe in a sea of strangers. The story is told from two different points of view: Ravi, who just moved from India, is adjusting to his new American life, and Joe, who has long been a student at Albert Einstein Elementary and is acclimating to a new grade without his best friends. Popular and cunning Dillon Samreen does not miss their vulnerabilities. As the only Indian students in the class, Ravi assumes that he and Dillon will be best friends, but Joe knows better. Like Joe, readers watch the slow, drawn-out torture in silence. That feeling of helplessness will be a powerful one for students to discuss. Through their struggles, Ravi and Joe will capture the hearts of readers and inspire fans to cheer for them just as loudly as they did for Auggie from R.J. Palacio's Wonder (Knopf, 2010) and Ally from Linda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree (Penguin, 2015). Exceptional extras include glossaries and recipes from both characters. A window for some readers and a mirror for others, this noteworthy book is highly recommended for middle grade collections. VERDICT Well-developed characters and original voices in this lunchroom drama will have readers devouring the book and begging for seconds.—Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH

JUNE 2016 - AudioFile

Using two narrators is the perfect way to deliver this story, told as the alternating first-person recollections of two fifth-grade boys. Vikas Adam is the voice of Ravi, a recent immigrant from India, and Josh Hurley is the voice of Joe, a boy with auditory processing disorder (APD). Hurley creates a kind character in Joe, speaking softly in a measured voice, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when the listener discovers that Joe is the target of bullies. Fluent in Hindi, Adam provides a perfect accent for Ravi, the smart and confident boy who also becomes the butt of jokes because of his accent and Indian lifestyle. Coming from lands oceans apart, the boys find common ground in the resource room of Einstein Elementary. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2016-02-02
A refreshing spin on a story about fitting in and overcoming obstacles features two viewpoints written by two authors. Just arrived from Bangalore, Ravi Suryanarayanan is eager to make friends at his new American school. When he spots Dillon Samreen, a popular, cool classmate with swoopy bangs and a big smile, Ravi believes the two could become great friends. Even if Dillon is an ABCD—American-Born Confused Desi—another name for U.S.-born children of Indian immigrants, Ravi believes catching Dillon's attention will take him from the lame table in the cafeteria to where the popular kids eat. Meanwhile, all white Joe Sylvester wants is not to catch the attention of Dillon Samreen. Joe is large and awkward and completely aware of how Dillon can smile at you one minute then torture you forever and ever. When Ravi, Joe, and Dillon wind up in Mrs. Beam's class, the trio are on a collision course that will end with the unlikeliest of friendships. Veteran Weeks pairs with newcomer Varadarajan for this tale told in Ravi's and Joe's alternating first-person narrations. Varadarajan's voice offers an authenticity and liveliness that perfectly pairs with Weeks' realistic, quietly poignant style. Using the daily school-lunch schedule as a structural device, the authors bring alive a humdrum, ordinary routine, making it crackle with emotion and humor. Glossaries of Hindi and American terms and two recipes round out the book. A novel treatment of a familiar situation delivered with fizz and aplomb. (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171263027
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/31/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,026,236
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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