Praise for Much Ado About Baseball
Much Ado About Baseball is the best children’s book I’ve read in the past 10 years!
Brad Thor, New York Times bestselling author of the Scot Harvath series
Praise for Bracelets for Bina's Brothers
The vibrant colors and perky tone of this culturally specific yet universally appealing book make for a fun read-aloud with a bit of a math lesson sneaked in.
Booklist Review
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Spectacular. Complex issues of identity, family, and mortality made completely understandable and relatable – for adults and middle grade readers – through gorgeous, spare language. Rajani LaRocca makes every word count.
Liz Whitelam, Whitelam Book, Reading, MA
Praise for Much Ado About Baseball
In addition to the wonders of the game, readers will encounter magical delights like fairy dust, a Fountain of Youth, Books of Power and mildly poisonous snacks.
Linda Sue Park in the New York Times Book Review
Praise for Where Three Oceans Meet
A celebration of intergenerational, border-crossing love . . . A sweet picture book about forming family ties across oceans.
Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Midsummer’s Mayhem
Midsummer’s Mayhem is an enchantment of a novel, bursting with magic, mystery, and mouth-watering baked goods. Readers who have their own baking-show dreams will be cheering for Mimi until the very last page.
Kate Messneraward-winning author of Breakout, The Seventh Wish, and All the Answers
Praise for Midsummer's Mayhem
This riff on A Midsummer Night’s Dream is heartfelt and ridiculously fun. Mimi, sweet as sugar with a heart of gold, creates as many problems as she solves, but readers will be cheering for her and her family the whole way.
Booklist Review
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
I felt this novel in verse in my bones. An important book, it will change how young readers see their world. And that’s the best kind of book to read at any age.
Jane YolenAuthor of The Devil's Arithmetic, Briar Rose, and Mapping the Bones
Praise for Midsummer’s Mayhem
Taking its inspiration from one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Midsummer’s Mayhem is a sweet and fun story about mistaken identity, bumpy romance, and the everyday magic of baking.
Barbara Deeauthor of Star-Crossed and Maybe He Just Likes You
Praise for Much Ado About Baseball
A Much Ado About Nothing homage that explores parental expectations, complicated friendships, and teamwork. A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem.
Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
Praise for Where Three Oceans Meet
The metaphor of the intertwining of cross-cultural and cross-generational similarities and differences is sustained from start to finish, offering points of connection for readers from all backgrounds.
Booklist
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Brimming with warmth. An approachable account of negotiating identity and of struggling with loss.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Praise for Midsummer's Mayhem
Honeysuckle sweet with a pinch of mayhem and a fairy twist! You’ll only want to put this book down in order to eat an entire plate of cookies. Shakespeare and baking — it’s the book combo dreams are made of.
Liz RiceThe Book Cellar, Chicago, IL
Praise for Midsummer's Mayhem
What a wonderful, intriguing, and magical book. And wow, did it ever get my tastebuds going! Each time I picked it up, I felt the urge to head to my kitchen. . . . What I loved most was the smartness of it. It never once doubted its young readers.
Kathy AppeltNewbery Honor and National Book Award nominated author
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
This novel in verse beautifully told exclusively from the point of view of a young girl named Reha coming of age in the midwest. Her relationships to her family, friends, and her Indian culture, to the sight of blood, and to her sense of belonging in two different worlds are constant themes, and come together poetically and crushingly in the end. I loved every page, and will be so excited to see Reha’s story on our shelves!
Paul Swydan, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, MA
Praise for Midsummer's Mayhem
An entertaining and epicurean retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. . . . Strikes a perfect balance between the pleasant and the melancholy, as sweet and savory as one of Mimi’s confections.
Shelf Awareness
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
This deeply memorable coming-of-age story weaves Indian mythology with the relatable modern story of Reha, as she grapples with identity, family, and what it means to truly be home.
Joy McCulloughAuthor of Blood Water Paint; A Field Guide to Getting Lost; and We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire
Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Rajani LaRocca’s RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE explores the difficulties and joys experienced by immigrants through the eyes of Reha. Reha is of two worlds, her parents are from India but she was born in the US, and she often finds herself torn between the two. She has two best friends, one she sees during the week at school and one she sees on weekends when she spends time with other Indian families, and feels like she lives two different lives. When her mother gets a scary medical diagnosis Reha decid… Read more
Faith Parke-Dodge, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Praise for Where Three Oceans Meet
This warm intergenerational tale emphasizes how love transcends distance and endures across continents.
Publishers Weekly
Praise for Seven Golden Rings
LaRocca’s story, cast in the cadence of classic folktales, is enlivened by the contrast of Sreenivasan’s cartoon illustrations, which render tableaux in a magenta-tinged palette. A deft and engaging introduction to a sometimes flummoxing subject.
Publishers Weekly STARRED Review