Embrace the Chicken

by Mahtab Narsimhan

Shivani only left Mumbai a few months ago. But she isn't feeling like such an outsider anymore. She likes her new school and she finally has a best friend. But when her mother volunteers for the school's annual fundraiser, Shivani is sure she will completely embarrass her. Especially if she cooks one of the "stinky" dishes that Shivani loves but is too ashamed to eat in front of her friends. On the day of the fair, the moment Shivani walks into the gym, she knows her worst fears have come true: the unmistakable scent of Indian spices is in the air. But then she sees that dozens of people are lined up at her mom's stall. It's the most popular one!

Genres: Middle Grade, Canada, Realistic Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2019

Reviews

[Jett of the hollow 🏹]

Read 2x for school and it’s a good book!

[Laura]

This is rather a cute, quick read about a girl, Shivani, who is trying to desperitly be like all the other white Canadians that she sees around her. Her family only recently emgrated, and she wants so much to fit in, that she eats white bread sandwiches, rather than Indian food, so she doesn't look weird. She wears jeans, instead of a sari, and she does not let any of her friend come to her home, because she is embarrassed that her mother doesn't speak good English yet.

This gentle book, told from Shivani's point of view, shows that things are not the way they seem. That people will not shun her because of her mother, or her mother's cooking, or her mother's use of English. That instead, they will embrace her.

It is a common fear, that of not fitting in, and this is a well done take on it.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Rae Knightly]

Fun read for middle-graders who, I'm sure, will easily relate to young Shivani who feels her mom is constantly embarrassing her in front of the 'cool' kids in school. But, in the end, who wouldn't want to 'embrace the chicken'? I know I would, especially after reading all the spicy, mouth-watering anecdotes.

[Cherlynn | cherreading]

This is a simple but meaningful story about embracing one's heritage, culture and uniqueness. I loved all the descriptions of Indian food and cuisine. They made my mouth water! This is definitely an important read that I would recommend to all kids.

[Sinamile]

ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Cool.

I think Shivani was unnecessarily cruel to her mother, really. There were moment where I literally cringed because it was too much! This one seemed too rushed, I think it would've been better if it was a little longer, where we build up to the point where Shivani learns to live herself and her culture.

Books like this one are important, especially for immigrant children who'd most likely go through the same situation as Shivani, but I think with this one it would've worked so much better if it was longer and explored Shivani's growth more.

This is not to say I didn't like this book, I did and younger reads may enjoy it a lot more. But some of it was cringe worthy because Shivani was just so awful to her mom sometimes, and it was way too quick!

P. S. I'm definitely going to try do the recipes given (I definitely liked that that bit was added in!)

[Lee Födi]

The title of this book caught my eye right away—possibly because my very first pet was a blind chicken (I grew up on a farm) or possibly because I'm famous among my students for complaining about having to clean the chicken coop when I was a kid.

Suffice it to say, there are no clucking chickens in this book; the title is a metaphor, referring to main character Shivani's rejection of her culture after her family immigrates to Canada from Mumbai. It is an effective metaphor and the use of food is woven throughout the text (and will make you hungry)!

This is a book that tackles important issues of self-awareness and identity, but doesn't try to bite off more than it can chew—a positive thing, as I just wanted this story to take us into Shivani's journey of self-discovery. It delivers!

[Michelle Kidwell]

Embrace the Chicken
by Mahtab Narsimhan
Orca Book Publishers
Middle Grade
Pub Date 29 Jan 2019


I am reviewing ing a copy of Embrace the Chicken through Orca Book Publishers and Netgalley:


Shivani only left Mumbai a few months ago but already she is starting to feel less like an outsider. She likes her new school she has a best friend now but when her Mom volunteers for the school fundraiser she worries what others will think because of the stinky dishes her Mother cooks and the fact she struggles with English. Shivani loves the dishes but won’t eat then around her friends.


Embrace the Chicken is a high-lo book geared towards reluctant, struggling readers.


I give Embrace the Chicken four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Cheriee Weichel]

This little novel packs a lot of important messages into it. Like many newcomers to Canada, Shivani is struggling to fit in and find a place for herself in her new school and community. She is terrified that if people meet her mother, who is struggling with English, people will make fun of her. If they do that, they will also end up making fun of Shivani.
I cringed at how Shivani was ashamed of her family and her culture. Thankfully, her parents are smart and their new community is diverse and accepting. I really appreciated how responsible and responsive all the adults in this book are. I also liked how thoughtful the students are. This is the reality of the multicultural world I spent many years teaching in.

[Anne]

Shivani and her family have moved to Canada from Mumbai. Shivi and her younger sister and her dad have all learned English quite well, but her mom still struggles with the language. Shivi is trying to fit in and make friends so she is embarrassed by her mom and doesn't want anyone to meet her, including her new friend Mel. Shivi makes up all kinds of excuses to keep her mom away from the school fundraising event - but her lies might cost her more than she bargained for.

A typical hi-lo from Orca although I do like the diverse theme with it's realistic topic and very authentic student voice. Also includes 2 Indian recipes!

[Layne Peacock]

I got this book to read with my Migrant/ESOL summer school high school students. It is such a good book for those students. It addresses issues they deal with- coming to a new country, trying to figure out where they fit in, trying to balance their home culture with the new country’s culture, wondering how they will be treated because they are different, etc. It’s a very sweet book, and of course, I cried.

[Kathy]

I loved this book. The author's voice rang so true and as I was reading it I could picture it enfolding in the neighborhood where I work that has many families from different cultures attending the local schools.

[Christina]

This is a cute, high-low book that explores the internal conflict Shivani experiences as she attempts to navigate fitting into her new school. Bonus marks given for being written by an Indo Canadian author!

[Ee]

So boring. It doesn’t have anything that makes it interesting, but somehow is a 3.6 star book. This is just my opinion, but it is a very horrible book, and the characters are annoying. I do not recommend!

[Sheri Radford]

Ignore the off-putting title and allow yourself to get swept up in this charming book for reluctant readers.

[Sonia Garrett]

Orca Currents are short high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Ms. Narsimhan's new novel "Embrace the Chicken" is an excellent addition to this collection. New immigrant, Shivani, is starting to settle into her new life in Canada. She likes her school and has a best friend. The problem is she's achieved this by rejecting her culture. When her mom volunteers to cook for the school's fundraiser, Shivani is devastated. Will her mom prepare a 'stinky' curry and embarrass her?
This is a beautifully written coming of age story about hope and acceptance.

[Debbie Ohi]

A thoroughly engaging read about friendship, family and embracing cultural differences. Although I wasn't quite as self-conscious as Shivani when I was her age, I do remember feeling nervous about how others at my school would react to my mother (whose English was not perfect), and how ashamed I was later on of how I felt. I wish this book had been around back then!

Reading Mahtab Narsimhan's books almost always make me hungry for Indian food, and EMBRACE THE CHICKEN is no exception. Plus I love that there are simple recipes at the end for butter chicken and chana masala.