Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Ravi and Joe are as different as night and day. Ravi is starting school recently immigrating from Bangalore, India. He lived a very privileged life in India, going to a private school, was an outstanding student, great athlete, and very popular. Joe on the other hand, a New Jersey native, is a is a large lanky kid with a huge heart,  learning disabilities, and few friends. It is unlikely that these two would ever be friends, except for a common enemy, class bully Dylan Samreen.

Told in Ravi's and Joe's alternating voices, by the two authors, we feel the frustration and pain of being an immigrant starting a new school in a new country as well as the intolerance and insensitivity (as well as frustration and pain) of a student with learning disabilities. Both boys come from loving families who try to support what they are experiencing, but ultimately get in the way. A touching, but light, sometimes funny, story. Excellent for discussion of the immigrant experience, the experience of learning disabilities, and tolerance.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 3.5

Reading Level: 4.8 • Interest Level: 3-6 • AR Points: 5 • Lexile Level: 780 • Publisher: Scholastic • Pages: 216 • Copyright: 2018 • ISBN: 978-0-545-84661-5 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding

CYRM 2020/21 Nominee, Intermediate