About the book:

Nine-year-old Leya has a secret list of things to do before her 10th birthday. Items on the list include writing amazing letters as part of a school assignment, baking a cake by herself, overcoming her fear of blood, and walking to school alone. To complete the list, she must take help from her best friends Aman and Diya. She knows that her family is different from theirs. Living with her Amma in Kerala and her Appa working in Kuwait, she is overjoyed when he returns home unexpectedly. But is Appa hiding something from her? With the new challenges at home, can she complete her secret list?

Age Group: 7 to 10 year olds

About the author:

Varsha holds a master’s degree in development studies and has previously run a volunteer-led reading project working with children from under-resourced communities in Delhi. She has authored two picture books, interned with a children’s publishing house and runs a virtual gender reading circle.  As an adult, she spends a lot of time thinking about how so many books she read as a child had characters that neither looked like her nor had similar life experiences. Her belief that all children deserve to see themselves in the books they read informs her writing.

How to purchase the book?

• You can purchase the book on Amazon, with free shipping on your first order of the book. Here is the link.
• If you wish to purchase a signed copy, you can email the author at varsha.varghese@graduateinstitute.ch or message her on Instagram @varshaxvarghese
• If you wish to donate copies of this book to children from under-resourced communities, do reach out to her either over email or on Instagram to directly place a bulk order on your behalf from the publisher at heavy discount.