(1) YA The former orchard across from Pandita Paul's home, dilapidated though it may be, holds a special place in the thirteen-year-old's heart. It's where she and her late mother used to spend time: "Ashar Jaiga, as Ma and I called it. Ma's name, Asha, which means 'hope,' Ma's place, Ashar Jaiga. Place of Hope." Now the property is up for sale. Pandita, encouraged by the historical society's call to preserve it, becomes the group's youngest member. Meanwhile, one of her twin older sisters, an activist, helps spearhead the fight for demolition of the orchard and subsequent construction of affordable rental units. The story is set in the summer of 1980 in Silicon Valley, California, before the tech boom. It is a place on the cusp, much like the story's protagonist, who finds herself compelled by memories of her past; the complex and fascinating history she uncovers; and possibilities for the future of her town, her family, and herself. Pandita, a budding poet, reluctantly attends summer drama camp, meets a talented new boy, reconciles with her former best friend, and struggles with family changes. An engaging subplot involves a new love interest for her father; the woman (a.k.a. "the Intruder") is brash and outspoken, and her unsolicited opinion on the development issue is enlightening for the characters, and for readers, about both sides having a point and no one being demonized.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Khoa Le. Resistant to change, Little Star is uncertain how she can help Maker on Holy Night. She follows the shepherds to a stable in Bethlehem and sees a newborn baby there whose eyes are familiar: “This Child...was Maker!” Her gentle gleam calms the Baby, so she stays, shimmering softly overhead for Maker until the travelers from afar arrive to worship the King. Perkins’s child-friendly fantasy about the role played by the Star of Bethlehem offers a thought-provoking, cross-cultural retelling of the Nativity story. Perkins re-teams with Le (Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week), who beautifully depicts the human and otherworldly aspects of the story with (culturally accurate) diverse skin tones for the people and effervescent ­illustrations of the celestial host.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. Shanti says goodbye to the village that is her home, a place of "warm monsoon rains" and "green palm trees" and extended family; she arrives in a town of "cold rain and orange and yellow leaves." There is a new language, new currency, new manners, new holidays. It's a challenge, but the young girl begins to learn a new way of life while still actively preserving the one she knew by continuing traditions at home with her parents. On some spreads, Shanti runs back and forth "remembering the village. Learning the town. Again and again. In Between." Eventually, she gets tired of the constant push and pull ("Where was she from? Village? Town?") and decides to make her home right there, in between cultures ("She was good at making anywhere feel like home"). Shanti's enthusiasm for both her home village and her new town offers a refreshing view of multiculturalism as a source of a rich life. Perkins's prose is rhythmic and controlled, with just enough detail to immerse readers in Shanti's experience and follow her satisfying journey. Naidu's cartoonlike illustrations, in a warm color palette, are energetic and full of emotional expression, adding layers to the story and making Shanti an endearing and memorable character.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sara Palacios. With her family, María visits San Diego's U.S.–Mexico border to celebrate La Posada Sin Fronteras--Jesus' birth.--with her abuela on the other side of the border fence. Nothing is allowed "through the fence"; María's clever if credulity-stretching solution to gift-giving allows for a heartwarming, culturally specific, and hopeful family holiday story. Perkins's lyrical text, incorporating some Spanish words, is accompanied by warm-hearted, sand-and-sea-toned illustrations. An author's note adds context.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) YA Boston boy Robin (born in Kolkata and adopted by wealthy white parents) joins a service trip to India to help survivors of human trafficking; biracial Kat, temporarily living in Boston following a sexual assault, goes too. Alternating chapters explore Robin's journey to learn more about his birth parents and Kat's healing through helping other victims. Well-rounded secondary characters deliver moments of levity and emotional support for the protagonists.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(1) YA The novel follows the Indian Das family from their 1970s immigration to the U.S. through the next few decades, showing conflicts involving cultural sensibilities, identity, interracial relationships, and geographic distance. If ever the intricate complexities of immigrant families living between homelands were in doubt, Perkins has laid those doubts to rest in an ambitious narrative illuminating past and present, departure and reunion, women and family.

Reviewer: Anastasia M. Collins | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jamie Hogan. On India's Sunderbans islands, Neel, a boy with promise, might earn a scholarship to a boarding school in Kolkata. Neel's father joins the hunt for a valuable escaped tiger cub in order to pay for a tutor. Fast-paced action, references to the local flora and fauna, and clearly laid-out moral dilemmas come together in a satisfying way in this environmental adventure. Glos.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(2) YA Bookish Chiko is press-ganged into the Burmese army. His faith and humanity serve him well after he's captured by Karenni rebels and taken to a refugee camp in Thailand. Halfway through, the novel switches to the viewpoint of Tu Reh, a Karenni boy involved in Chiko's capture. Writing in a present tense that adds urgency, Perkins draws a persuasive picture of contemporary Burma.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(3) YA In 1970s India, sixteen-year-old Asha longs for a different way of life, sans stifling customs. She promises to care for her family while her father looks for work, but her sister's inevitable arranged marriage and her mother's depression pose unexpected obstacles. Well-developed characters and a narrative rich in culture bolster the story. An author's note and a Bengali folktale are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) 4-6 Sameera's life as first (adoptive) daughter is pretty sweet, with black-tie balls, two-hour school days, and plenty of blogging, political and personal, at sparrowblog.com. If only her boyfriend's parents didn't object to her ethnicity. This romanticized view of White House life is candy-coated, but fans of the previous book will enjoy the sugar high.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(4) 4-6 The adopted Pakistani daughter of the Republican presidential candidate, Sameera "Sparrow" Righton is told she must look and act more "American." Sparrow ignores the rules and expresses herself through her blog. The book is light, chatty, and full of pop culture references. It also presents tough issues of prejudice, free speech, and self-image, but ties everything up too neatly.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jamie Hogan. Ten-year-old Naima paints alpanas, decorative patterns adorning Bangladeshi homes. But disguising herself as a boy seems the only way to contribute earnings to her household. Ultimately, Naima figures out how to earn money with her talents--no disguise necessary. Perkins depicts a rural Bangladesh on the verge of change. Black-and-white drawings provide glimpses into Naima's dynamic world. An author's note is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(3) 4-6 Young romance hits a rocky stretch when Sunita Sen, soon to be fourteen, can no longer bring Michael home after her grandparents arrive from India. Sunita's embarrassment at her family's foreignness will evoke reader empathy. The characters and predicament are competently assembled in this novel originally published as The Sunita Experiment.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) YA Half-white, half-Indian, Jazz sees herself (unfavorably) as "Amazon woman," the complete opposite of her petite, do-gooder mom, but on a trip to India, Jazz starts helping others, and her distorted self-image gets an overhaul. The funny and honest first-person narrative also treats readers to a satisfying (if predictable) romance when newly confident Jazz confesses her feelings to Steve, the unrequited love of her life.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004