Off the Cuff - by Supriya Kelkar (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, an Indian American girl growing up in a small Midwestern town finds the confidence to stop disappearing into the melting pot--and to be her best stand-out self.

Woven with epistolary sidebars and lively doodles, a moving slice-of-life story about identity, authenticity, and navigating transitions is sure to charm fans of middle-grade graphic novels that tackle big themes with compassion and gentle humor. When Juhi moves away, leaving Priya to start middle school without a true friend at her side, Priya vows to reinvent herself. New school = new me, she thinks. Out with the old, in with the new. But when "new" classmates remind her that tradition falls into the category of "old," Priya tries to blend in by hiding her culture and changing what makes her unique: her hair, her clothes, her interests. With only Juhi's letters and their shared stories for comfort, Priya is becoming resigned to a future of conformity. Or can she find the strength to be herself--and prove that a potluck is better than a melting pot?

About the Author

Supriya Kelkar is an Indian American author and mixed-media illustrator who has been honored by the Michigan House of Representatives and Governor Whitmer for her outstanding contribution to children's literature. She is the creator of And Yet You Shine: the Kohinoor Diamond, Colonization, and Resistance, her author-illustrator debut, as well as the author of the 2002 middle-school Global Read Aloud Selection Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, American as Paneer Pie, That Thing About Bollywood, and The Cobra's Song. She lives in Michigan with her husband and kids.

Ani Bushry is a graduate of the University of West England with a background in graphic design and illustration. She has created illustrations, character designs for animations, and content for marketing campaigns and social awareness campaigns for clients including NPR, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, the Maldivian NGO Arc, and the Yes We Can Foundation. Her picture books include Bhangra Baby by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal and Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party by Saadia Faruqi. Ani Bushry lives in the Maldives with her husband and cats.