Name: Author Talk with Raj Tawney
Start: 2024-11-12T15:30:00-05:00
End: 2024-11-12T16:30:00-05:00
Location: 2147 Barnes Ave

Join Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Library in a discussion with children's writer, Raj Tawney
About this Event

This event takes place in person at Pelham Parkway-Van Nest. Join us for a very special author talk with Raj Tawney! In this program, we'll be discussing Raj’s new book, All Mixed Up. There will be a Q&A with the author and the audience, the we will do an activity together.

W hile it is not required, you can get a copy of All Mixed Up by using your library card!

Assistive Listening and ASL

ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing [email protected].

It's 2002--less than one year after the September 11th attacks-- and sixth-grader Kamal Rao is tackling a brave new world of challenges, including figuring out who he really is and how he fits in. Even with New York City in its backyard, the suburban town where he lives is anything but open-minded. That means Kamal - frequently picked on and feeling ostracized -- usually spends his time alone, making mud pies in the backyard or cooking recipes with his mom and grandma from his family's three cultures. Then, one day, a Pakistani immigrant named Jaz arrives at school, entering Kamal's life and challenging his sluggish movement through the world. As the two boys forge a friendship over their love of exploring the outdoors and eating good food, the newcomer begins to show Kamal how being "different" isn't a bad thing at all. For the first time, a fire is lit within Kamal - but what will happen when questions of Jaz's origins and his intentions begin to come into question at school and in their town? Will Kamal-- now on the cusp of discovering who he really is and who he wants to be -- risk his own safety and his family's trust help his new friend, someone he barely knows at all?

Raj Tawney is a writer and journalist whose work largely reflects his mixed-race upbringing in suburban Long Island, NY. Born to an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family, Tawney has explored his identity through personal essays published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and other outlets throughout the country. His debut memoir Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience (Fordham University Press) was published in 2023 to much acclaim. He is based in Miami, Florida.