March 2021 - Page 4 of 15 - Anastasia Suen

The Secret Fawn
by Kallie George (Author) and Elly Mackay (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: A little girl is always missing out on the wonderful things her family gets to see and do, just because she is the youngest and smallest. She misses seeing shooting stars because she goes to bed too early; she can’t pick the first apple of autumn because she’s too short; and, this morning, everyone else got to see a deer . . . except her. She goes into her backyard in search of the deer, a sugar cube tucked in her pocket. She sees a flick of brown in the orchard — is that the deer? No, it’s just the neighbor’s friendly dog (Shhhhh, Nala!). Is that it by the pond? No, that’s just a bird, playing in the water. Just when she’s about to give up, she spots a fawn, beautiful, quiet and small . . . just like her.

Snippet:
A fawn. A baby deer.
Golden and soft like the sunlight.
Quiet as a whisper.
Little like me.

Amina’s Song
by Hena Khan (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: It’s the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of it. The food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family–all of it holds a special place in Amina’s heart. Now that the school year is starting again, she’s sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale.

Snippet: As I reach for a pair of silver earrings that my best friend, Soojin, might like, Zohra smacks my hand away.

“Don’t touch anything!” she hisses.

“How am I supposed to look, then?” I laugh as I rub my wrist.

“With your eyes, and then keep walking. Tell me what you like, and I’ll go back and get a good price.”

“What if I want see it up close? The market is overflowing with a dizzying array of goods–rows of glittery bangles in every color imaginable, bolts of silky fabric, and mounds of beaded slippers, hair accessories, and evening bags. It’s all screaming to be picked up, or at least photographed. I’ve already taken at least fifty photos and videos, and we’ve only been here for half an hour.