Shivani fears her mom’s cooking will expose her—until the whole school lines up for it.
Themes: acceptance, cultural differences, community, cultural community, pride in one's origins
Shivani only left Mumbai a few months ago. But she isn't feeling like such an outsider anymore. She likes her new school and
she finally has a best friend. But when her mother volunteers for the school's annual fundraiser, Shivani is sure she will
completely embarrass her. Especially if she cooks one of the "stinky" dishes that Shivani loves but is too ashamed to eat in front of her friends.
On the day of the fair, the moment Shivani walks into the gym, she knows her worst fears have come true: the unmistakable
scent of Indian spices is in the air. But then she sees that dozens of people are lined up at her mom's stall. It's the most popular one!
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills,
want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Available in French as Vive le poulet!.
Age/Grade: 9-12 years/Grades 4-8
Reading Level: 3.8 (Lexile HL530L)
Formats: eBook/ Paperback
Page Count: 120 pages
ISBN: eBook: 9781459819740
Paperback: 9781459827431
Nominations and Awards:
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens | 2019 | Commended Highly Recommended – CM Magazine – Issue 21/Feb 8, 2019 Chocolate Lily Book Awards | 2021 | Short-listed Telling Tales Reading List | 2020 | Commended
Reviews:
"Narsimhan presents an honest look at the dilemmas faced by teens as they transition from one culture to another, while simultaneously
showing the strength of familial support and love. This quick read in the Orca Currents series is filled with angst tinged
with humor and explores topics relevant to the lives of teens." – Booklist
"This is an honest, heartwarming story that any student will understand because teens need to fit in, cultural differences or
not. Perhaps reading this well-written story will help teens support those who are different no matter what their differences
may be." – CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"A thoroughly enjoyable read. Although I wasn’t quite as self-conscious as Shivani when I was her age, I do remember feeling nervous
about how others at my school would react to my mother (whose English was not perfect). I remember being so surprised when I heard
that her visit with the younger grades went really well during an “introduction to other cultures” event – apparently she taught
them how to use chopsticks and had a challenge where they could keep all the jellybeans they could pick up with chopsticks in a
certain amount of time; the event was a huge success, and I recall feeling ashamed that I was so surprised….one reason the ending
in EMBRACE THE CHICKEN made me a wee bit teary-eyed." – Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Author, I’m Sad, I’m Worried, I’m Sorry, I’m Busy with NYT Bestselling author, Michael Ian Black
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