I Am Kavi
I Am Kavi by Thushanthi Ponweera, published by Holiday House on January 14, 2025, is a poignant exploration of identity and belonging set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War. This 272-page novel-in-verse follows a young girl named Kavi as she navigates the challenges of attending an elite school while grappling with her roots in a poverty-stricken village. Caught between two worlds, Kavi’s journey reveals her struggle to fit in with her affluent classmates while concealing her true self.
Readers will find a rich narrative that delves into Kavi’s internal conflict as she attempts to reconcile her past with her present. The story highlights themes of friendship, fear, and the desire for acceptance, all while reflecting the complexities of life during a tumultuous period in Sri Lanka. With its focus on historical fiction and poetry, I Am Kavi presents a unique perspective through the eyes of a relatable heroine, making it a significant addition to children’s literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
Caught between two worlds—a poverty-stricken village and a fancy big-city school—a young Sri Lankan girl must decide who she really is and where she really belongs.
1998, Colombo. The Sri Lankan Civil War is raging, but everyday life must go on. At Kavi’s school, her friends talk about the weekly Top 40, the Backstreet Boys, Shahrukh Khan, Leo & Kate… and who died—or didn’t—in the latest bombing. But Kavi is afraid of something even scarier than war. She fears that if her friends discover her secret—that she is not who she is pretending to be—they’ll stop talking to her.
I want to be friends with these / happy, / fearless, / girls / who look like they / belong.
So I could also be / happy, / fearless, / and maybe even / belong.
Kavi’s scholarship to her elite new school was supposed to be everything she ever wanted, but as she tries to find some semblance of normalcy in a country on fire, nothing is going according to plan. In an effort to fit in with her wealthy, glittering, and self-assured new classmates, Kavi begins telling lies, trading her old life—where she’s a poor girl whose mother has chosen a new husband over her daughter—for a new one, where she’s rich, loved, and wanted. But how long can you pretend to be someone else?
This dazzling novel-in-verse comes from an astonishing new talent who lived through the civil war herself. Perfect for fans of Jamine Warga, Supriya Kelkar, and Rajani LaRocca, I Am Kavi centers a powerful South Asian voice, and stars an unforgettable heroine each and every one of us can relate to.
“KAVI’S COURAGE AND VOICE ARE NOT TO BE MISSED.”—Reem Faruqi, award-winning author of Call Me Adnan, Unsettled, and Golden Girl
“I LOVED IT!”—Nizrana Farook, award-winning author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
“POWERFULLY WRITTEN.”—Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner Torch
“LUSH AND EVOCATIVE… A STUNNING DEBUT.”—Kate Albus, award-winning author of A Place to Hang the Moon
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Indies Introduce Selection
An Indies Next Pick
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Middle Grade Magic Selection
A Children’s Book Council Hot off the Presses Selection
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