Every summer when I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was go to the library and take out a stack of books and sit in the backyard or on the stoop (what’s a stoop, you ask? If you grew up in NYC, you’d know. It’s the front steps to a house) and read, read, read. One chapter book after another. All of Louisa May Alcott’s stories. And Nancy Drew. And the Hardy Boys. And Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series. I was a lover of chapter books. And I know that if Sita Jit’s upcoming DIVYA FAR FROM HOME had been available, that would have been in my stack, too. That’s why, when Sita told me about her new book, I knew I’d want to share it with all of you.
GET READY! GET SET! COVER REVEAL!!!
Oh yes…I love this cover…and I can really identify with it…girl with notebook and pencil, wearing glasses…that was ME as a kid…and I’m sure lots of young readers will feel the same way.
Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Nine-year-old Divya’s life is turned upside down when her family moves from Delhi, India, to a new city halfway across the world. Divya goes from living as an only child with her own quiet bedroom to sharing a room with her cousin in a crowded home with extended family. Plus, everything is different at her new school too. Everyone keeps saying change is good–but not if you didn’t want to leave home in the first place!
WOW! And now I’m feeling even more connected to the main character in this book. When I turned 10, my family moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn. But that’s only a distance of a few miles and they are both boroughs of New York City, you might say. True. But WORLDS apart in flavor. Living in the projects and going to school on the Lower East Side was like Baskin Robbins ice cream…remember the 31 flavors tagline (now there are over 1400!). And living in the Midwood section of Brooklyn and attending school there was like…vanilla.
But there is nothing vanilla about Sita’s fabulous book…and here’s a bit about how the book came to be:
ME: Welcome, Sita! Congratulations on your upcoming book We are so excited. Thank you so much for stopping by to share a little about the story behind the story.
SITA: A few years ago, my eldest son became interested in chapter books. We spent a lot of time at the library and book stores looking for the next series for our bedtime read aloud. I found myself enjoying chapter books as much as he did and it was then that I began plotting out my first book and to my surprise, it came to me fairly quickly. I was really inspired to write a story about a family like mine. Similar to Divya, I lived in an Indian first-generation multi-family home that was always busy and full of love. My parents also made sure we were close to our extended family in India who we would visit every few years. Looking back, I really cherish these memories with my family, extended family and cousins who lived both near and far and thank them for inspiring this story.
ME: I love books that are based on the author’s own experiences!
And here’s a bit about Sita and the illustrator, Abhilasha Khatri , and their contact information so that you can connect with them and find out more about their books.
Sita Jit is a children’s book author and elementary school teacher. Just like Divya, she grew up close with her extended family in Canada and India. In her free time, Sita loves to read, listen to music, and play board games. She lives in Ontario with her husband and three children.
Abhilasha Khatri is a children’s book illustrator based in India. She transitioned into the whimsical world of children’s books after working as an architect for over a decade. She loves to work on multicultural, inclusive, and diverse children’s books. In her free time, Abhilasha loves gardening, traveling, DIY, cooking and baking, and playing with her daughter and her cats.
Social Media Links:
Sita:
Instagram: @sitajit
Website: www.storiesbysita.ca
X: @storiesbysita
Abhilasha:
Website: www.abhilashakhatri.com
Instagram: @abhilashakhatri0603
The book launches from Stone Arch Books on August 1, 2024
Pre-order links:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
And I love that Sita provides us with a handy pronunciation guide for her name:
Sita Jit (hear name)
Please help upcoming books like this one become a success. We can:
Preorder it – see links above
Review it – same links as for preorder
Put it on your Goodreads WANT TO READ SHELF
Tell friends about it (please share on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
Thank you so much, dear friends, for spending your precious time with us.
I hope you all have a wonderful week – and please come back for Perfect Picture Book Friday!
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 