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268th out of 296 books
—
443 voters
The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen (First Daughter #1)
by
Mitali Perkins (Goodreads Author)
As Indian culture continues to curry the movies, music, and literature of American culture, the time is perfect to re-introduce this Indian-themed novel about a young girl's heart-felt attempt to straddle her two worlds. Like any other eighth grader, smart and spunky Sunita Sen just wants to fit in. She feels she's doing pretty well, especially as her friendship with the s...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 6th 2005
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
(first published April 1st 1994)
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Nov 23, 2009
CLM
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to CLM by:
Deb Holland
Shelves:
ya,
21st-century
Sparrow was adopted from Pakistan at age 3 by an American couple in the Foreign Service. Now her father is running for president as a Republican and his staff is trying to figure out how his dark-complexioned and independent teenager fits into the campaign. At first Sparrow conforms to the campaign's expectations but as she gains confidence she decides it is important to her to share her voice with the country. In particular, she is proud of her blog and resents the moronic public blog created b...more
Perkins, N. (1993). The not-so-star-spangled life of Sunita Sen. New York, New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Sunita Sen is a thirteen-year-old girl who is Indian-American. She is used to living an “American” lifestyle: eating pizza, hanging out at the mall, having friends that are boys. But then her grandparents, Dadu and Didu (grandfather and grandmother, respectively) come from India and her life changes in a flash. Instead of pizza, there’s curry; instead of hanging out at the mall, there’s...more
Sunita Sen is a thirteen-year-old girl who is Indian-American. She is used to living an “American” lifestyle: eating pizza, hanging out at the mall, having friends that are boys. But then her grandparents, Dadu and Didu (grandfather and grandmother, respectively) come from India and her life changes in a flash. Instead of pizza, there’s curry; instead of hanging out at the mall, there’s...more
I stumbled across this book at a book sale yesterday and came home started reading it right away. I'm a fan of Mitali Perkins's work and I didn't know she'd written this book. Or that the book was previously published by another title. (Wonder why that was changed?)
Overall, I liked the book. I've read a lot of immigrant/first generation stories in my lifetime (desi and otherwise) and one of the things I liked best about this book was that the voice felt very real. Sunita is an 8th grader and she...more
Overall, I liked the book. I've read a lot of immigrant/first generation stories in my lifetime (desi and otherwise) and one of the things I liked best about this book was that the voice felt very real. Sunita is an 8th grader and she...more
Sunita Sen fits into her American school just fine with the exception of her dark Indian skin. She tries her best to go unnoticed, and her life is pretty "normal" until her grandparents from India visit and live with her family for one year.
During this one year visit, Sunita's life is turned upside down because her family member, especially her mom, go out of their way to insure that her grandparents see their customs practiced in America within their home. This includes no sleeping over at a f...more
During this one year visit, Sunita's life is turned upside down because her family member, especially her mom, go out of their way to insure that her grandparents see their customs practiced in America within their home. This includes no sleeping over at a f...more
Meh. Nothing to write home about, but if teens are looking for a fun read this is a good one. I'm not a fan of Perkins' writing style -- she tends to tell us instead of showing us, which, to me, takes away a lot of the fun of reading novels. Otherwise, I think Perkins handles the adoption issue pretty well. I didn't find myself cringing or groaning or wanting to pull my hair out while reading about the protagonists' adoption, so that's definitely a good sign. In other words, the author wasn't to...more
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: ****
In Sunita Sen, we find a strong female character with faults and strengths. The depth of Sunita's character drives this delightful story.
Summary:
When Sunita's grandparents visit her family from India, her life is dramatically changed. Sunita must come to terms with her own sense of identity in the midst of a cross-generational, cross-cultural conflict.
Main Characters:
Sunita: 14 years old, Indian-American, torn between being Indian and American.
Sunita's mother:...more
Rating: ****
In Sunita Sen, we find a strong female character with faults and strengths. The depth of Sunita's character drives this delightful story.
Summary:
When Sunita's grandparents visit her family from India, her life is dramatically changed. Sunita must come to terms with her own sense of identity in the midst of a cross-generational, cross-cultural conflict.
Main Characters:
Sunita: 14 years old, Indian-American, torn between being Indian and American.
Sunita's mother:...more
Protagonist Sameera Righton is a confident world citizen teenager, athelete, and blogger, arriving in California from the end of school term in Brussels. She is also the Pakistani-born, adopted daughter of a former U.S. Congressman-turned-diplomat who is campaigning for President of the United States. Her mother is Elizabeth Campbell, a human-rights activist who consults for organizations like the United Nations. On one hand, Sameera thinks she is ready for the spotlight - and all that the famil...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This charming book takes on the challenges of a second generation Indian immigrant in California told through her own eyes. When Sunita's grandparents come to stay with her family for a year, their lives are completely turned around as their roles and identities shift in relation to each other. The author does a wonderful job of portraying how each generation has their own expectations of what others want from them and they expect from themselves. Also woven throughout the story is the struggles...more
Sparrow (aka Sameera) was adopted at the age of three from Pakistan by politically active parents. Her father is now running for president, hoping to get his party's nomination. There is a lot of concern that Sparrow isn't "American" enough, or fashionable enough, to help sway votes. She is reinvented as "Sammy", made over to be more attractive, and given a custom blog aimed at tweens, even though she is 16. She is uncomfortable with these changes, but understands that even her mother has had to...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
In Mitali Perkins’s first book, she drew on her own experiences growing up as a Bengali-American teenager in California. The main character, Sunita Sen, is your typical teenage girl. All she wants to do is fit in and be “normal.” Up until now things were headed in that direction, that is, until her very traditional grandparents arrive from India to spend the year with her family.
Although the plot is a bit formulaic and the story is a bit predictable, this is still an enjoyable look at a 13-yea...more
Although the plot is a bit formulaic and the story is a bit predictable, this is still an enjoyable look at a 13-yea...more
The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins is a story about an Indian girl named Sunita Sen who is trying to live a normal life as an American growing up in California. Her life is turned upside down when her grandparents come to visit from India and Sunita’s mother turns their normal life into an Indian based one, only to impress her mother and act like the perfect Indian woman. Sunita is forced to deal with her annoyance of her didu’s old fashion ways and try to deal with ki...more
Sunita Sen is an 8th grade girl whose grandparents come to visit from India. Sunita has a hard time adjusting to their visit and to the impact that their visit has on her and her mother. She can only see the bad in their visit and resents the intrusion on her life. By the end of the book, her American friend, who idealizes all things Indian, helps her realize what a treat it is to learn about her culture through them.
She really comes across as an ungrateful brat. I really disliked her until the...more
She really comes across as an ungrateful brat. I really disliked her until the...more
Jun 27, 2011
Mr. Curtis
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
realistic-fiction,
relationships
Lexile: 780L
Sunita, aka Sunni, finds herself torn between cultures when her grandparents come to visit from India. As the novel progresses, Sunni begins to hate all things Indian as she struggles with peer perceptions and the desire to have a "normal" family. It is an enjoyable journey of self-exploration and discovery. If you've ever felt torn between two cultures, or had a friend from two cultures, this really sheds light on that internal conflict.
One aspect I appreciated was the fact that Sun...more
Sunita, aka Sunni, finds herself torn between cultures when her grandparents come to visit from India. As the novel progresses, Sunni begins to hate all things Indian as she struggles with peer perceptions and the desire to have a "normal" family. It is an enjoyable journey of self-exploration and discovery. If you've ever felt torn between two cultures, or had a friend from two cultures, this really sheds light on that internal conflict.
One aspect I appreciated was the fact that Sun...more
i really enjoyed this book a lot. It was mostly about a 8th grade teenage indian girl, named sunita sen who lived in california. usually lived a normal life with a friend,michael morrison.Turned out thats sen's grandparents were coming for a visit. Sen was okay with her sharing her room with her grandparents but her mother went too far with the whole changing their lives! Sen's mother started cooking indian food instead of ordering their usual meal...pizza! Later sunita is forbiden to see her b...more
This is the first book I have ever read from Mitali Perkins, but I have to admit this was a very great book. I give it 5 stars. "Sammy" get transformed from Sameera. She had to become "all American." She had someone who had an official blog for her at the same time was made-up by professional dressers and hair dressers. She never actually had a chance to speak her mind though.
What I like about this book and Sameera is that even though she did not speak her mind immediately, which disapointed...more
What I like about this book and Sameera is that even though she did not speak her mind immediately, which disapointed...more
I really wanted to like this book and I think I would've if I wasn't spoon fed the moral of this story. That it's important to be yourself. This was basically reiterated throughout the entire book and it got really stale after the first three pages. I wish Sparrow would've been more fleshed out. Had other conflicts in her life, but nope it's all about how her dad's evil publicist is trying to make her into Sammy instead ofSparrow. Even her blogging skills are lackluster and comes off as fake. Yo...more
Originally published in 1993 as The Sunita Experiment and reissued in 2005 as The Not-So-Star Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins is is about a typical Bay Area teen who doesn't feel all that typical. Her family is from India but she was born here in California. Her two cultures are coming to a head now that her grandparents have moved into her home.
In 1993, Sunita wouldn't have been as typical a Bay Area teen as she would be now. In the 1990s, Asians accounted for about 15% of the tot...more
In 1993, Sunita wouldn't have been as typical a Bay Area teen as she would be now. In the 1990s, Asians accounted for about 15% of the tot...more
Jan 03, 2010
Kaitlyn M.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
grade-8-ir-books-betts
this book is about a girl names Samriah but is called Sparrow by family and frineds. her parents addopted her from Pakistain. when her father runs for presdent she is taken with him for a while on the campain. she went throught of ton of tings during this time. when she first spent time with her dad she was giving a tottal make over. she even got a new name. Sparrow has to be called Sammy. she nned to seem like a typical americna teenager as the plotical people want her to be. this book expalins...more
Sep 03, 2008
Lucy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who want to read teen political fiction
Shelves:
teen
Sameera Righton is used to being the daughter of political parents, and she has spent the last few years tucked away in a boarding school in Europe, living as normal a life as possible. But now everything is going to change. Sameera's father is running in the Republican primary, and as school ends, Sameera joins the campaign.
First up is a radical makeover. Next, is a name change--after all, Sammy sounds much more All-American than Sameera. The PR experts on her father's campaign even make a fak...more
First up is a radical makeover. Next, is a name change--after all, Sammy sounds much more All-American than Sameera. The PR experts on her father's campaign even make a fak...more
Aug 02, 2008
Nancy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
august-2008
This very enjoyable novel is about Sameera Righton, the adopted (from Pakistan) daughter of the Republican presidential nominee. The novel follows Sameera as she learns to trust her instinct that the American people are ready to accept her as she really is instead of relying on the manufactured image of the shallow, mindless teen that her father's handlers have prepared for her.
While this book carries a great message for teen and preteen girls, its most significant characteristic that it is just...more
While this book carries a great message for teen and preteen girls, its most significant characteristic that it is just...more
Perhaps it is merely because I loved the last book I read, Elijah of Buxton so much, but The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen did not arouse the type of churning emotions and thoughts I’ve come to associate with good novels. I did like it, but I did not feel that it was a must-read.
Although not of South Asian heritage, I, as a Southeast Asian American, feel that my upbringing shares much with Sunita’s, including family/community-centered values, crazy grandparent visits, the permanent sme...more
Although not of South Asian heritage, I, as a Southeast Asian American, feel that my upbringing shares much with Sunita’s, including family/community-centered values, crazy grandparent visits, the permanent sme...more
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1705647...
Nice little novel about a Californian teenager whose grandparents from India come to stay for a year, adding a sudden awareness of cultural difference to the usual bundle of teenage angst. There's a particularly good bit when Sunita realises that Casablanca and The Secret Garden are told entirely from the white folks' point of view. Otherwise, I'm out of the target market for this but I would certainly buy it for kids who are in that market.
Nice little novel about a Californian teenager whose grandparents from India come to stay for a year, adding a sudden awareness of cultural difference to the usual bundle of teenage angst. There's a particularly good bit when Sunita realises that Casablanca and The Secret Garden are told entirely from the white folks' point of view. Otherwise, I'm out of the target market for this but I would certainly buy it for kids who are in that market.
I thought that this book "the not so star spangeled life of sunita sen" seemed kind of boring. It had exciting times, but mostly fell dull with non-important information. Mitali Perkins tried to make a point but just went on about things that didnt seem to matter. This made it hard for me to say focused on the main topics. It wasn't a book that really grabbed my attention. I wouldn't really recomend it to people ages 10 to 14 because you would quickly lose interest.
Sameera (aka Sparrow) is the only daughter of Presidential candidate James Righton and his wife, Elizabeth. She just so happens to be adopted and it's her international appeal that creates a stir with the papparazzi who continue to bombard her with ignorant questions about her education, her travels and her upbringing.
So far (I'm 10 chapters in), Sameera is a sophisticated, intelligent and unique young woman who I wish I could've been at her age. She's presented with the challenge of somehow sur...more
So far (I'm 10 chapters in), Sameera is a sophisticated, intelligent and unique young woman who I wish I could've been at her age. She's presented with the challenge of somehow sur...more
Sunita must share in common what many Americans today experience in having the personal culture of a 'typical' teenager in America combined with a family culture which reflects a different country of origin. I enjoyed watching her deal with the struggles of competing values and lifestyles and how in the end they blended to make a beautiful wholeness in her life. Nice read for the Jr High audience.
I thought this book was pretty good. It shows how even though you may think that your family is weird with al the religious customs and stuff, but really, everyone thinks of their family that way. But Sunita Sen doesn't think so. She was really embarressed about her indian grandparents coming to stay for the year, so she tried to not invite people over. In result of that, she lost a dear friend but they were friends again in the end.
i really liked this book. the entire story is fairly easy-going, which made it a simple yet interesting read. in all honesty, i do believe that if Sunita had been any other nationality, the book wouldnt have interested me at all. but my strange obsession and immediate respect for all indian people made this story really enjoyable. Dadu (Grandfather) was absolutely my favorite character! achchha kama :)
Mar 11, 2009
Catriona
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
teenage girls who need a role model
Shelves:
apple-pie
Okay, this is a really great book. Sameera Righton, Pakistani-American, very patriotic, is becoming all-American. Her dad is running for president, so she becomes a celebrity. (Personally, I would NOT like to be a celebrity - no privacy @ all!) Anyways, she and her totally awesome family stick together through thick and thin, papparatzi, covert meetings, and her sneaking out to meet with her awesome friends. Her dad wins, she is a first daughter, but still speaking and blogging her own mind.
Her...more
Her...more
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| book | 2 | 8 | Apr 28, 2012 06:58pm |
Mitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and immigrated to the States when she was seven years old. She's written several books for young readers, including BAMBOO PEOPLE, RICKSHAW GIRL, MONSOON SUMMER, and SECRET KEEPER. Mitali maintains a website (mitaliperkins.com) and blog (mitaliblog.com) where she chats about books between cultures. Follow her at twitter.com/mitaliperkins.
More about Mitali Perkins...
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