New & Classic
Author: Sheela Chari
Signed!
From the award-winning author of Finding Mighty, a moving middle-grade novel about finding your place by following your heart.
Karthik Raghavan is good at remembering things. Like the bike routes he takes as an errand boy for his parents' store. Or all the reasons he still likes Juhi Shah even though she probably doesn’t know he exists.
Remembering things isn't much of an upside though when you're stuck spending your last summer before high school biking groceries all over Boston. And it doesn't help that Juhi Shah seems to only have eyes for Karthik's arch nemesis, Jacob Donnell — who delights in humiliating Karthik (and getting his name wrong) every chance he has.
But then, Karthik's luck changes when he secretly agrees to star in a play about the famous composer, Leonard Bernstein. Suddenly, he can see a future in theater— maybe even professionally some day. But Karthik can't tell his parents. The family store is in jeopardy, and they need him delivering groceries on his bike to help save it. His mom spends every night worrying about the Financial Crisis, and she's convinced that studying hard and staying focused is the only way to succeed.
Except... Karthik is having fun being Lenny. And besides, what if acting is Karthik’s one special talent? What if acting is his way to catch Juhi Shah’s attention? Can he balance his love for his family with his new passion for the stage?
"A refreshingly nuanced novel about what it means to chase your dreams."
- Kirkus Reviews