A Recipient of the 2019
Newbery Honor Award
A Walter Dean Myers Honor Winner
A Recipient of the Malka Penn Award
For Human Rights in Children's Literature
A Jane Addams Children's Book Award
Honor Winner
A South Asia Book Award Honor Winner
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
A Nerdy Book Club Winner
Named a 2018 Best Book of Year by
The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews among others
My most recent book, THE NIGHT DIARY, means a lot to me. It was inspired by some of my father's experiences during the Partition of India in 1947. Watch this talk I did with my amazing editor, Namrata Tripathi, to find out more.
THE NIGHT DIARY was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition! Listen to the interview here.
My most recent book, THE NIGHT DIARY, means a lot to me. It was inspired by some of my father's experiences during the Partition of India in 1947. Watch this talk I did with my amazing editor, Namrata Tripathi, to find out more.
THE NIGHT DIARY was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition! Listen to the interview here.
Praise for The Night Diary
The New York Times:
"...the family's dramatic journey will keep readers to the end. The finale -- unabashedly weepy, deeply cathartic -- is as satisfying as a long, cool, drink of water."
Publishers Weekly Starred:
“...Nisha grapples with issues of identity and the search for a home that remain quite timely.”
The Wall Street Journal:
"In this sensitive and ultimately hopeful story of endurance and love, Ms. Hiranandani handles violence and the threat of it deftly, but, as Nisha reflects: 'My childhood would always have a line drawn through it, the before and the after.' "
Kirkus Starred:
"Believable and heartbreaking…A gripping, nuanced story of the human cost of conflict appropriate for both children and adults.”
The Washington Post:
"With Nisha, readers experience the fear and danger of displacement, take joy in a soothing rain and small bowl of lentils, and try to imagine a new, safe home in a faraway place."
School Library Journal Starred:
“This rich, compelling story, which speaks to the turbulence surrounding India’s independence and to the plight of refugees, should be in all libraries.”
The San Francisco Chronicle:
"This searing novel is not so much about what’s right or wrong with partition but rather what’s right and wrong with people caught in historical crosshairs."
School Library Connection Starred:
"A remarkable poignant epistolary tale."
Pooja Makhijani for Teen Vogue:
"Hiranandani’s portrayal of this period of world history, which is rarely studied in American classrooms, is searing and nuanced."
Booklist:
“Hiranandani’s prose shines in both emotion and simple, rich description…A clear, compelling, and deeply felt historical novel.”
Shelf Awareness Starred:
"Nisha and Amil, with their individual interests, talents and convincingly changeable relationship, are protagonists sure to appeal to young readers."
James Howe, author of The Misfits
“This riveting and important book speaks to the power of love in a world divided by hate and raises questions that still need to be asked seventy years after its events took place. Nisha and her story are a part of me now. My question is how do we make this a ‘community read’ for the whole world?”
Renée Watson, author of Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor-winning Piecing Me Together
“The Night Diary is a treasure for young readers who are searching for their place in the world, who are determined to bring home with them wherever they go.”
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of Newbery Honor–winning The War That Saved My Life
“...Hiranandani’s story is set in an historical time little known to American children, but she tells it in a way that makes it accessible, timely, interesting, and real.”
* * *
You can find the trailer here for my other middle-grade novel, THE WHOLE STORY OF HALF A GIRL. You can also see the trailer for my chapter book series, PHOEBE G. GREEN here.
Praise for
The Whole Story of Half a Girl
Kirkus Starred:
"Like Blume, Hiranandani resists simplistic, tidy solutions. Each excels in charting the fluctuating discomfort zones of adolescent identity with affectionate humor."
Publisher's Weekly Starred:
"True to life, her problems do not wrap up neatly, but Sonia’s growth is deeply rewarding in this thoughtful and beautifully wrought novel."
School Library Journal:
"Hiranandani’s thoughtful debut eloquently balances humor with sophisticated issues related to cultural identity, economic hardship, and mental health. An excellent addition with timeless appeal."
Praise for Phoebe G. Green
Kirkus:
"With all the foodies out there, this delightful series deserves a long shelf life…and many more courses."
School Library Journal:
"Fans of Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody or those who like realistic fiction and friendship stories will enjoy..."
Booklist:
"Age-appropriate humor via an outspoken, lovable, take-charge narrator."