First published 2024
At the community center in Maple Grove, New Jersey, local kids find their second home among the diverse South Asian American families who gather there. Chaya dominates chess tournaments while her friend Andrew mistakenly thinks sugary soda will boost his game. Jeevan discovers he can actually cook traditional sabji, even though he still can't bring himself to eat it. The teenagers deal with new crushes, confront ignorance in their community, and sometimes find themselves in situations where they must step up to save someone's life. Through moments of fear and triumph, spectacular celebrations and quiet victories, these young people learn what it means to belong somewhere. The community center becomes the heart of their world, a place where heritage and American life blend together. Each story reveals how this gathering place shapes the kids who call it home, offering them space to grow into who they're meant to become.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Maple Grove, New Jersey
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown Books for Young Readers