LitPick Review
Picture in your mind the image on the cover of this book, "Kalpana's Dream": a lone skateboard set dramatically against a periwinkle sky, casting a striking shadow onto the sun- bleached concrete beneath it. Now picture in your mind an elderly Hindu grandma, swathed comfortably in a traditional white sari, stepping confidently onto this skateboard, pushing off, and gracefully gliding into flight.
Opinion:
Of course, this novel by Judith Clarke isn't as random as that description makes it sound. It's actually about Neema (real name Nirmolini), an Australian girl with roots in India, who experiences the same school, friend, and boy problems that you'd expect. Like her teacher who may or may not be going out with a vampire; or her best friend Katie who simply cannot stand her little sister; or Neema's crush on the strangly familiar boy who rides past her house on his skateboard every day. But through its focus on Neema's family background and Indian cultural heritage, "Kalpana's Dream" gives a refreshing twist to your run-of-the-mill, day-in-the-life- of-a-girl-just-starting-high-school teen novel. Plus, the perspective wanders omnisciently from Neema, to her grandma, Kalpana, to the school's English teacher, and even to other students in the class. Clarke weaves these plots together neatly, keeping things focused yet varied enough to pull the reader's attention throughout this cute little novel. Please, don't judge a book by its cover - but if you're in the mood for some light literary refreshment, let your curiosity lead you over to "Kalpana's Dream."
