Kashmira Sheth's Blog

I have posted the content from Blue Jasmine discussion guide below. The guide was prepared by Tracie Zimmer.

For Discussion:

 

Discuss Seema's friendship with Mukta. How does it change throughout the novel? How do they change each other's lives? Who changes more?

 

Raju and Seema's relationship is both close and conflicted. Discuss what issues divide them and what maintains their alliance. With whom did you usually side in their disagreements? Why?

 

Predict where Seema, Raju, Carrie, and Mukta will be in five years. Whose life will be the most changed? Why do you think so?

 

What events cause Seema and her family the most difficulty in living so far from family? What makes these events easier to bear? What would you miss most if you lived in a foreign country?

 

Seema describes her transition to America to the game of Chutes and Ladders. Discuss what events were "up" for Seema and what events "slid" her backward. Which ones would be the most difficult for you? Why?

 

Discuss Seema's presentation on Kasturba Gandhi. Do you think it was a turning point for Seema? Why? What did she gain from the experience? What did her classmates learn about Seema and her culture?

 

Raju says to Seema (p. 154) "You said you like that blue flower that blooms only once a year. What about the plumeria, parijat and jasmine that have bloomed for you for the past twelve years? How can you forget them?" Is Raju only talking about the flowers? How do other flowers mentioned in the book also represent more than what they are? (e.g. Raju's gift of the angel wing jasmine, the dandelions, neem tree)

 

Compare and contrast the traditions and festivals that the Trevedi's are missing in India to the new ones they are experiencing in America. How are the celebrations similar in the two countries? How are they different?

 

Discuss Seema's conflict with Carrie. What does Seema learn about herself and her view of her old friend Mutka? Do you think it is possible that Carrie and Seema could actually become friends? Can people really change?

 

Mrs. Trevedi and Seema both feel quite isolated after first moving to America. How do things begin to change for them? What do you think is the most important when trying to fit into a new community?

 

 

Projects:

 

Art:

Make at least ten prints or rubbings of a variety of flora and fauna in your neighborhood. Use plant guides or the internet to identify their species. Put your work in a folder with three punch holes and add to your collection as the seasons change.

 

Language:

Make a list of at least twenty slang words (all appropriate to school!) or idioms that a person learning English as a second language might have difficulty understanding like Seema did with "you left the barn door wide open on that one!"

 

History:

Research the satyagraha or passive resistance movement that the Gandhiji's promoted during their lifetime. Make a timeline of their lives and work and important milestones in their personal and public lives.

 

A couple of weeks ago I did a Reading Day at the Executive Mansion in Madison, Wisconsin. The Reading Day is a part of the Read On Wisconsin, is a statewide book club for students and book-lovers across the state. Every month, the first lady, Jessica Doyle, recommends books for different age groups. She travels across the state to promote readings and literacy. She also invites school to come to the residence. Boys Without Names was chosen for middle school readers for October and I was fortunate to meet students from three different schools: Maple Dale Indian Hill School District (Milwaukee), Robinson Elementary School (Beloit) and Richmond School (Sussex). It is such and honor to have all my books chosen as Read On Wisconsin book and great privilege to work with the Jessica Doyle and the program coordinator Ashley Huibregtse.

 
 

Fall is here, and that means long walks before settling down for the winter. I love to take my daughter's and son-in-law's two dogs, Molly and Snickers, along with me. Snickers is a good walker until she sees other dogs. Then she starts barking. It doesn't occur to her that the dog is four times as big as she is.
Molly, on the other hand, is a poky little walker. She sniffs and saunters along. When she sees a big dog, she keeps her head down and minds her own business. When she sees kids and people, she wants to play, while Snickers barks. They both leap when they see a squirrel or a rabbit. Here is a picture of Molly (the black one) and Snickers (the brown one).

was an October pick for Read On Wisconsin. Read on Wisconsin is a statewide book club for students and book-lovers across the state. What is truly amazing is that this year's top picks are recommended by students and educators across Wisconsin. I'm thrilled to have my book on the list along with Boo to You by Lois Elhert and Stiches by David Small. For the complete listing of this month please go to http://readon.wi.gov/

September picks were One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia and The Wednesday Wars by Gary. D. Schmidt. Please check out more on Wisconsin's First Lady Jessica Doyle's Read On Wisconsin website mentioned above.

Also, Aline Pereira, Managing Editor of PaperTigers, recently interviewed me. Please go to http://www.papertigers.org for the interview. I hope you enjoy browsing the website. It has a wealth of information for teachers, educators, and students.

Since BOYS WITHOUT NAMES came out I have been working on other
projects. Usually, when the book is out I promote it but I don't
continue my research on that subject. This book is different and the
child labor is so widespread and the issue of poverty, homelessness,
abuse, and starvation are so huge that I keep coming across articles
and stories about them. They take me back to BOYS WITHOUT NAMES. I
can't leave Gopal and all the children that are like him.

I read this article last week in...

Aline Pereira, Managing Editor of PaperTigers has posted a group interview with five authors in this link:
Group interview with authors Matt Ottley, Rukhsana Khan, Jennifer Cervantes, Charles R. Smith Jr. and Kashmira Sheth

My picture book Monsoon Afternoon is highlighted in the Peek-a-Book section - click here to access the writeup.

Last, here are some pictures from the recently held Children's Book Author and Illustrator Discussion Panel (see previous post):

 

 

...will be held on Saturday, May 15. Two sessions will be held:

Madison Public Library, Sequoya Branch (4340 Tokay Blvd), 9:30-11:30 AM
Barnes and Noble West (7433 Mineral Point Rd), 3:00-5:00 PM

Click here to download the flyer and read more about the event.

Last Saturday, the Wisconsin Chapter of the Society of Children's Writers
and Illustrators (SCBWI) held it's annual Spring Luncheon. The location
was the beautiful Oconomowoc Lake Club. The day was a pure spring day in
Wisconsin—beautiful blue sky, warm sun, daffodils in bloom, budding
trees, and weeping willow branches arching over the water.

And then the day got even better. The speaker was Molly O'Neill,
assistant editor at Katherine Tagen Books (HarperCollins). She talked
about what...

Wisconsin
Children's Author Event
Saturday,
April 17 – 3:00 p.m.
Books &
Company
1039 Summit
Avenue, Oconomowoc
(262) 567-0106
Read more about the event here.

BOYS WITHOUT NAMES will be out tomorrow. Here are some pre-pub reviews from various journals and book blogs:

Publishers Weekly: "Sheth's lush prose creates a vivid portrait of slave labor without losing the thread of hope that Gopal clings to."
Booklist: "As Gopal dreams of escape, he builds tenuous friendships with his fellow workers. Those wary bonds form a dramatic counterpoint to the children's daily misery, described in moving, palpable detail, and skillfully steer the story away from...