What do you think?
Rate this book
Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page: A Novel
From award-winning author-illustrators Supriya Kelkar and Jarrett Lerner comes an illustrated middle-grade novel about a pair of unlikely friends determined to save the library that brought them together
Roohi and Nate are not friends. Their paths have crossed a handful of times over the years—and the outcome has never been good. Nate thinks Roohi is a snobby know-it-all, and Roohi thinks Nate is nothing but a slacker.
But that begins to change when they both somewhat reluctantly join a reading club that meets during lunch at their school library. The Lunch Bunch allows Roohi to open up about feeling disconnected from her friends on the track team after a broken toe sidelined her for the season. Nate, who has always struggled in school, shares how tired he is of constantly being compared to his genius older brother. Despite their differences, and maybe because of them, Roohi and Nate form a friendship unlike any other they’ve ever had, with each other and with the other kids in the club.
As the Lunch Bunch gets stronger, though, things seem to be falling apart at the library. When the kids learn that their beloved librarian, Mrs. Sharp’s, job may be in danger due to budget cuts, they band together to find a solution . . . which proves to be easier said than done. Can Roohi and Nate’s new friendship survive outside of the Lunch Bunch in order to save the place that brought them together?
Roohi and Nate are not friends. Their paths have crossed a handful of times over the years—and the outcome has never been good. Nate thinks Roohi is a snobby know-it-all, and Roohi thinks Nate is nothing but a slacker.
But that begins to change when they both somewhat reluctantly join a reading club that meets during lunch at their school library. The Lunch Bunch allows Roohi to open up about feeling disconnected from her friends on the track team after a broken toe sidelined her for the season. Nate, who has always struggled in school, shares how tired he is of constantly being compared to his genius older brother. Despite their differences, and maybe because of them, Roohi and Nate form a friendship unlike any other they’ve ever had, with each other and with the other kids in the club.
As the Lunch Bunch gets stronger, though, things seem to be falling apart at the library. When the kids learn that their beloved librarian, Mrs. Sharp’s, job may be in danger due to budget cuts, they band together to find a solution . . . which proves to be easier said than done. Can Roohi and Nate’s new friendship survive outside of the Lunch Bunch in order to save the place that brought them together?
- GenresRealistic Fiction
304 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
5 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 1, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Roohi is an overachiever; she's is involved in cross country team, science olympiad, Robotics Team, and the school newspaper. She has a friend group from each activity, but is struggling with her relationship with herr cross country friends after she broke her toe and had to stop running. She has a lot to deal with at home, mainly watching her three younger brothers while her father works from home and her mother is a surgeon at a local hospital. The one place she finds comforting is the library, where she eats lunch every day to avoid her friends and to talk books with the cool, rock band t shirt wearing Mrs. Sharp. She and Nate aren't friends; he's a slacker skater boy whom she feels has been rude to her, so she's rude back. Nate's parents seem to favor his older brother, Noah, "the smart one" who is off at college. His best friend is Z (or Zach), but lately the two haven't been vibing. When Nathan sees a lunchtime book club starting, he wants to join, even though his father makes snide comments that it's :"more Noah's thing" and he has to lie to Z about where he is going. Roohi is NT excited about the club, because it means she has to share her space with Miles, who loves an ogre based book series, Dao, who is on the girls' basketball team, and Troy. When everyone votes to read a graphic novel that Roohi thinks is infinitely inferior to the fantasy novels SHE would like to read, she is even angrier. It doesn't help that another cross country runner, Bianca, seems to have taken her place in her cross country friend group. As discussions about the book start, the participants bring up a lot of personal struggles and ask for help to work through them, which was part of Mrs. Sharp's plan for the group. While she's not super pleased to have to deal with Nate, the two bond briefly over their shared love of drawing. When it is revealed that the school district is short on money and Mrs. Sharp may have to work at other libraries if librarian positions are reduced, the lunch bunch tries to find ways to save her full time position. They think about bake sales (figuring the $635 would save at least one librarian's job!), petitions, and a talent show at which the group would speak passionately about the importance of librarians. None of this is easy, and Roohi and Nate don't always see eye to eye about anything. The two eventually reconcile, but librarian positions are still cut. With Mrs. Sharp only coming to their school two mornings a month, Roohi, Nate, and the other lunch bunch group have to find their way forward.
Strengths: There are any number of middle grade novels about book bans, but fewer about the very real problem of librarian positions being cut because of funding shortfalls. Since I could have lost my job had my district's ballot initiative failed, this hit very close to home. The cuts are realistically portrayed as well, and I love the impassioned lists of all of the good that full time school librarians do. The friend drama was well portrayed, and I felt particularly bad for Roohi's broken toe! Been there, worn the boot! Nate and Roohi are definitely different types of students, but they are very realistically portrayed; many cross country runners want to be involved in everything, as Roohi is, and are frequently at odds with students who, like Nate, are not as fond of academics. I loved that they connected over their shared love of drawing, and tried to work together to save the library. The addition of drawings to the story will add some appeal to this title, for fans of those graphic novels of which Roohi is not fond!
Weaknesses: Roohi's situation is exactly why I don't allow students to spend more than a lunch or two in the library before I insist they talk to a school counselor to get proper help with their problems. Roohi clearly needed a lot more help that Mrs. Sharp could provide.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Varnes' Property of the Rebel Librarian, Magoon, Smith, and Murakami's The Vice Principal Problem, or Janet and Jake Tashjian's Einstein the Class Hamster Saves the Library.
Roohi is an overachiever; she's is involved in cross country team, science olympiad, Robotics Team, and the school newspaper. She has a friend group from each activity, but is struggling with her relationship with herr cross country friends after she broke her toe and had to stop running. She has a lot to deal with at home, mainly watching her three younger brothers while her father works from home and her mother is a surgeon at a local hospital. The one place she finds comforting is the library, where she eats lunch every day to avoid her friends and to talk books with the cool, rock band t shirt wearing Mrs. Sharp. She and Nate aren't friends; he's a slacker skater boy whom she feels has been rude to her, so she's rude back. Nate's parents seem to favor his older brother, Noah, "the smart one" who is off at college. His best friend is Z (or Zach), but lately the two haven't been vibing. When Nathan sees a lunchtime book club starting, he wants to join, even though his father makes snide comments that it's :"more Noah's thing" and he has to lie to Z about where he is going. Roohi is NT excited about the club, because it means she has to share her space with Miles, who loves an ogre based book series, Dao, who is on the girls' basketball team, and Troy. When everyone votes to read a graphic novel that Roohi thinks is infinitely inferior to the fantasy novels SHE would like to read, she is even angrier. It doesn't help that another cross country runner, Bianca, seems to have taken her place in her cross country friend group. As discussions about the book start, the participants bring up a lot of personal struggles and ask for help to work through them, which was part of Mrs. Sharp's plan for the group. While she's not super pleased to have to deal with Nate, the two bond briefly over their shared love of drawing. When it is revealed that the school district is short on money and Mrs. Sharp may have to work at other libraries if librarian positions are reduced, the lunch bunch tries to find ways to save her full time position. They think about bake sales (figuring the $635 would save at least one librarian's job!), petitions, and a talent show at which the group would speak passionately about the importance of librarians. None of this is easy, and Roohi and Nate don't always see eye to eye about anything. The two eventually reconcile, but librarian positions are still cut. With Mrs. Sharp only coming to their school two mornings a month, Roohi, Nate, and the other lunch bunch group have to find their way forward.
Strengths: There are any number of middle grade novels about book bans, but fewer about the very real problem of librarian positions being cut because of funding shortfalls. Since I could have lost my job had my district's ballot initiative failed, this hit very close to home. The cuts are realistically portrayed as well, and I love the impassioned lists of all of the good that full time school librarians do. The friend drama was well portrayed, and I felt particularly bad for Roohi's broken toe! Been there, worn the boot! Nate and Roohi are definitely different types of students, but they are very realistically portrayed; many cross country runners want to be involved in everything, as Roohi is, and are frequently at odds with students who, like Nate, are not as fond of academics. I loved that they connected over their shared love of drawing, and tried to work together to save the library. The addition of drawings to the story will add some appeal to this title, for fans of those graphic novels of which Roohi is not fond!
Weaknesses: Roohi's situation is exactly why I don't allow students to spend more than a lunch or two in the library before I insist they talk to a school counselor to get proper help with their problems. Roohi clearly needed a lot more help that Mrs. Sharp could provide.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Varnes' Property of the Rebel Librarian, Magoon, Smith, and Murakami's The Vice Principal Problem, or Janet and Jake Tashjian's Einstein the Class Hamster Saves the Library.
March 13, 2026
A group of 6th graders bond over a book and become unlikely friends - and would-be heroes - in this book about the power of storytelling, the value of libraries, and the challenge of finding one’s niche in middle school. Roohi is a star student and overachiever who is also often overwhelmed by the responsibility of watching her three rambunctious little brothers outside of school. She is actively involved in robotics, the school newspaper, and Science Olympiad, but her core friend group are her cross country teammates, and when a broken toe means she will sit out the spring track season she is unsure where she belongs. She likes all the kids in those other groups, but feels excluded by the cross country girls, so she starts spending all of her lunches in the library discussing favorite books with the school librarian, Mrs. Sharp.
Nate is seen as a slacker by most of his schoolmates, in large part because of his association with his best friend Z, with whom he spends every afternoon skateboarding and complaining about other kids; at home Nate feels he will never live up to his parents’ expectations, especially in comparison to his older brother Noah. Nate is not a great student or much of a reader, but, spurred on by a comment from his mother and a genuine affection for Mrs. Sharp, he decides to take a chance on the newly formed Lunch Bunch Book Club (but lies to Z about where he’s going).
The Lunch Bunch is comprised of Nate, Roohi (who is somewhat chagrined about giving up some of her one-on-one time with Mrs. Sharp), Dao, Troy, and Miles. They choose a book and Mrs. Sharp provides them with an online portal where she posts discussion questions and the kids can chat. In this way the five of them slowly get acquainted, sharing personal details that help them connect with the book and each other. Roohi and Nate gradually overcome their long-simmering mutual resentment and begin to build a genuine friendship. When the group finds out that district budget cuts mean Mrs. Sharp will be spending much of her week working in other schools, they are devastated. Roohi is determined to do something to save the librarian’s job, and when she realizes posters and bake sales will not be enough, she recruits the rest of the Lunch Bunch for a bold surprise presentation in front of the school board. Although this project has mixed results for the various friendships as well as for the school community at large, each member of the Lunch Bunch learns about the power of their own voice in private and public situations.
Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page blends a tween friendship drama with a tale of social activism and a paean to libraries and librarians. The chapters alternate narrators between Nate (written and illustrated by Lerner) and Roohi (by Kelkar), complete with different fonts and doodles and sketches in each character’s style. These changing perspectives provide avenues for empathy for these two main characters as they navigate the many challenges they face; readers will certainly be able to relate to them and the other three Lunch Bunch members as well. All five kids are dealing with strong feelings about issues over which they have no control, the sometimes-unrealistic expectations of the adults in their lives, and finding a positive self-image particularly in light of other kids’ impressions of them. Their effort to save Mrs. Sharp’s job enables them to overcome these problems by channeling their energy into a meaningful purpose. Roohi is Indian American, Nate cues as white, and there is diversity in the supporting cast of characters. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Nate is seen as a slacker by most of his schoolmates, in large part because of his association with his best friend Z, with whom he spends every afternoon skateboarding and complaining about other kids; at home Nate feels he will never live up to his parents’ expectations, especially in comparison to his older brother Noah. Nate is not a great student or much of a reader, but, spurred on by a comment from his mother and a genuine affection for Mrs. Sharp, he decides to take a chance on the newly formed Lunch Bunch Book Club (but lies to Z about where he’s going).
The Lunch Bunch is comprised of Nate, Roohi (who is somewhat chagrined about giving up some of her one-on-one time with Mrs. Sharp), Dao, Troy, and Miles. They choose a book and Mrs. Sharp provides them with an online portal where she posts discussion questions and the kids can chat. In this way the five of them slowly get acquainted, sharing personal details that help them connect with the book and each other. Roohi and Nate gradually overcome their long-simmering mutual resentment and begin to build a genuine friendship. When the group finds out that district budget cuts mean Mrs. Sharp will be spending much of her week working in other schools, they are devastated. Roohi is determined to do something to save the librarian’s job, and when she realizes posters and bake sales will not be enough, she recruits the rest of the Lunch Bunch for a bold surprise presentation in front of the school board. Although this project has mixed results for the various friendships as well as for the school community at large, each member of the Lunch Bunch learns about the power of their own voice in private and public situations.
Roohi and Nate Are Not on the Same Page blends a tween friendship drama with a tale of social activism and a paean to libraries and librarians. The chapters alternate narrators between Nate (written and illustrated by Lerner) and Roohi (by Kelkar), complete with different fonts and doodles and sketches in each character’s style. These changing perspectives provide avenues for empathy for these two main characters as they navigate the many challenges they face; readers will certainly be able to relate to them and the other three Lunch Bunch members as well. All five kids are dealing with strong feelings about issues over which they have no control, the sometimes-unrealistic expectations of the adults in their lives, and finding a positive self-image particularly in light of other kids’ impressions of them. Their effort to save Mrs. Sharp’s job enables them to overcome these problems by channeling their energy into a meaningful purpose. Roohi is Indian American, Nate cues as white, and there is diversity in the supporting cast of characters. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to @abramskids for sharing an early copy with me.
Told in alternating points of view, readers get to know Roohi, a snobby overachiever involved with many clubs and activities at school and expert babysitter of her mischievous younger brothers at home, and Nate, a slacker who’s only good at skateboarding and pretty much does nothing else. Well, at least that’s what they think of each other when they both first (reluctantly) join a reading club that meets in the library during lunchtime.
Slowly the two get to know each other (and others) during Lunch Bunch, and their meetings become a safe haven…until their librarian’s job is threatened to be cut due to budget concerns. Sound familiar? Sure does to me!) 😡
With themes of familial expectations, friendship & belonging, and working together to use your voices to change the world, this new illustrated middle grade story showcases the power of school librarians and the fight we need to keep them working with students.
Early favorite lines:
ARC page 65:
(In reflecting on picture books):
“It was about a bear and a bird, and I couldn’t remember exactly what happened with them, but I remembered how reading it – even for the hundredth time – made me feel. Cozy. That was a good word for it. Happy and safe and comfortable and warm.”
ARC page 105:
“It was like the magic of the library, the way the stories there made you feel connected to characters you’ve never met… Maybe that magic worked in real life, too, letting you see the layers underneath real-life people you thought were just one-dimensional.”
ARC page 155:
(In talking about the importance of school librarians):
“But who would handle discovering new books? Who would make sure everyone got to see themselves in a book? That was something Mrs. Sharp talked about often. Who would help a kid who didn’t like reading find the perfect story? Who would convince other grown-ups and teachers that graphic novels were actually books? And who would chat with me at lunch on non-Lunch Bunch days?”
Publishing Tuesday, March 3rd, but pre-order now!
Told in alternating points of view, readers get to know Roohi, a snobby overachiever involved with many clubs and activities at school and expert babysitter of her mischievous younger brothers at home, and Nate, a slacker who’s only good at skateboarding and pretty much does nothing else. Well, at least that’s what they think of each other when they both first (reluctantly) join a reading club that meets in the library during lunchtime.
Slowly the two get to know each other (and others) during Lunch Bunch, and their meetings become a safe haven…until their librarian’s job is threatened to be cut due to budget concerns. Sound familiar? Sure does to me!) 😡
With themes of familial expectations, friendship & belonging, and working together to use your voices to change the world, this new illustrated middle grade story showcases the power of school librarians and the fight we need to keep them working with students.
Early favorite lines:
ARC page 65:
(In reflecting on picture books):
“It was about a bear and a bird, and I couldn’t remember exactly what happened with them, but I remembered how reading it – even for the hundredth time – made me feel. Cozy. That was a good word for it. Happy and safe and comfortable and warm.”
ARC page 105:
“It was like the magic of the library, the way the stories there made you feel connected to characters you’ve never met… Maybe that magic worked in real life, too, letting you see the layers underneath real-life people you thought were just one-dimensional.”
ARC page 155:
(In talking about the importance of school librarians):
“But who would handle discovering new books? Who would make sure everyone got to see themselves in a book? That was something Mrs. Sharp talked about often. Who would help a kid who didn’t like reading find the perfect story? Who would convince other grown-ups and teachers that graphic novels were actually books? And who would chat with me at lunch on non-Lunch Bunch days?”
Publishing Tuesday, March 3rd, but pre-order now!
March 19, 2026
E-ARC provided by NetGalley. I look forward to sharing this book with young patrons who like realistic fiction and/or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which also includes illustrations. Roohi, Nate, and all their classmates and friends experience the typical difficulties of managing those relationships as well as the pressures many young people face from parents to meet what can feel like impossible expectations for students who are just emerging from being "little kids" to being expected to help out at home or become the best at a chosen sport or activity. Readers will benefit from seeing how their choices affect their peers, and how they can make amends if they make a bad choice (or ignore others who do) that hurts a classmate or friend.
Major plot points: reading diverse books; admitting your mistakes and apologizing; being open to friendships with people who seem very different than you; working together to make a difference; fighting local school boards on behalf of libraries and librarians; handling disappointment.
Great diversity representation with vocabulary about East Asian foods and culture.
Major plot points: reading diverse books; admitting your mistakes and apologizing; being open to friendships with people who seem very different than you; working together to make a difference; fighting local school boards on behalf of libraries and librarians; handling disappointment.
Great diversity representation with vocabulary about East Asian foods and culture.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Roohi has a lot of pressure at home to take care of her brothers while doing well at school, running, and participating in lots of school activities. When an injury means she can't run track and therefore is growing distant from her running friends, she finds refuge in a lunchtime library book club. There she meets Nate, a skateboarder who will never be as smart as his older brother. They and the others in the book club must band together to save the librarian's position when school budget cuts are looming. The plot is fairly obvious, but it should give opportunities for readers to see themselves in the characters. The interspersed graphics should add some appeal for middle-grade readers. ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Advanced copy from NetGalley. I enjoyed the concept of the novel with the addition of the doodles. The doodles added to the overall narrative. The story explores realistic friendship struggles and how relationships can change over time in middle school. It also highlights the importance of reading and reminds readers that kids have voices, opinions, and the power to express themselves confidently. The ending is realistic and doesn’t wrap up neatly.
August 19, 2025
Thank you for reading ROOHI AND NATE ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE! Creating this book with the amazing Jarrett Lerner was a dream come true. I hope this book inspires readers to read more books and use their voices to change the world.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love a story about kids trying to save a library and this is a good one, even if the kids sometimes don't act like real kids.
March 18, 2026
I appreciate the dual narration of the story. Two very different kids are a part of a lunchtime book club and find a way to be friends despite their initial impressions of each other. They also work to save the school librarian’s job- and this is so familiar in my own life.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Love these characters and crazy about the drawings throughout!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews