Lowji Discovers America [Paperback]

Candace Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Dear Jamshed,

American is not so different from what we thought. I told you I wouldn't see a single cowboy riding across the plain, and I haven't.

I have not even seen a plain.

Still there are some silver linings. They are:

1. Trapper and King, the cat and dog who live in the apartment building. They are cuddly and waggy. I am not allowed to play with them, though, because they are supposed to catch mice and keep burglars away.

2. Ironman. He owns a pig and talks to me a lot. But he is a grown-up.

3. Kids. I can hear them playing outside. Too bad they do not want to play with me.

I wish you were here.

Do you wish I was in India?

Write back soon.

Your friend,
Lowji

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The versatile Fleming has written a refreshingly light novel about a boy from Bombay who moves to a small town in Illinois at the beginning of summer vacation, so he's faced with no friends and nothing to do. Before long, though, he persuades his grouchy landlady to adopt a succession of animals (first a cat, then a dog, and finally a goat), rescues a pet pig that belongs to a very sweet tough guy, and wistfully watches a mysterious girl on a blue bicycle pass by his apartment. Told in first person in Lowji's slightly formal yet engaging voice, the story has a simple charm that glides over some well-worn comic territory (how often has a goat munched on a ruffled shirt stolen from a clothes line?). Interspersed throughout are letters to the boy's best friend in India, which show his gradual transition into his new world. Similar in tone to a classic like Henry Huggins, this book is nevertheless firmly set in the 21st century and opens a window to what may be an unfamiliar culture to many readers. The episodic structure lends itself to classroom or family read-alouds.–Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. "To be honest, I am more than a little sad," says nine-year-old Lowji after he moves with his parents from Bombay to an apartment in tiny Hamlet, Illinois. It's summer, the local kids are hard to meet, and Lowji longs for a pet to keep him company. Then he cleverly persuades crotchety, overworked landlady Crisp that animals could help with the chores. Soon the building is home to a cat that keeps mice under control, a dog that substitutes for a burglar alarm, and goats that keep the grass short. Delighted, Lowji helps care for the menagerie of pets and, in the process, begins to form new neighborhood friendships. Details about Indian culture (an appended glossary defines terms) and Lowji's Zoroastrian religion are purposefully inserted, as are a few moments when Lowji finds common ground with his new neighbors. But, through Lowji's mostly age-appropriate voice, Fleming tells a gentle, effective story about the loneliness and bewilderment that come with moving, and her brisk, lively sentences make this a good choice for readers gaining confidence with chapter books. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (June 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416958320
• ISBN-13: 978-1416958321
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #759,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Asian & Asian American

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun for Kids!, March 10, 2008

By 

Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lowji Discovers America (Hardcover)

LOWJI DISCOVERS AMERICA is a fun book with a great message. It's also one of 2008's Children's Sequoyah Masterlist reads. Author Candace Fleming tells Lowji's story in a great first-person voice that will doubtless have young readers rolling in the aisles as the hero tries to figure out how things are done in his new country, and tries to figure out a way to get a pet.

The author captures a lot of the accent Lowji would have in his speech after so recently coming from Bombay, India, and she gives him great parents. Ma is very strict and loving, but Bape seems to have an incurable love of puns that is just painful to read. My son loved them!

I loved how Lowji had a notion of what America would be like after living in crowded Bombay all his life, then was heartened and disappointed at the same time. He thought things would be vastly different, but they really aren't at first.

The disappointment over not getting to have a pet quickly shifts gears to Lowji trying to figure out a way to get one anyhow. The author's digs at the common backdrop of American culture, especially in the giant store ALL-MART, was terrific.

There are a lot of episodes that continually build Lowji's story. I felt his sadness when the bird, Tippy, deserted him for the other kids in the store. But I was laughing aloud with my son when the pig, Blossom, nearly has a heat stroke and Lowji saves her by bringing her into the store. This is exactly the kind of thing my kid would do, and it just proves that kids speak the same language more than adults do.

I also loved how Lowji constantly talked Landlady Crisp into getting animals to do her work for her. The cat is brought in to handle the mice. The dog is brought in to handle security. And the goats are brought in to handle the lawn care. This is all very Tom Sawyerish and works well.

However, parents might not find the burping contest and squirting milk out of one nostril quite so funny. My son, of course, thought they were tremendous.

LOWJI DISCOVERS AMERICA delivers a familiar and humorous story in an accent that will probably be new to most young readers. There's also a lot of information regarding Indian culture. If you're working on the Sequoyah list with your child, this novel should definitely be one of those you pick up - especially if your child is a boy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lowji Discovers America, November 28, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Lowji Discovers America (Hardcover)

Lowji is so clueless in the beginning. Even though this is a quick read, there is so much excitement in this book.Lowji lives in an apartment with mice and rude neighbors. To solve many problems, Lowji suggests different animals to take the place of the broken tools, but then the animals make a bigger problem. Even so the owner of the apartment complex keeps the animals. In the end Lowji meets a girl and they become great friends. I'd tell you more, but I don't want to ruin the adventure. 'Lowji Discovers America' is definitly a book I suggest you to read. I hope you enjoy this story as I did.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars America, January 18, 2006

By 

Joel Bangilan (San Antonio, Tx United States of America) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lowji Discovers America (Hardcover)

Candace Fleming goes out on a limb to tell the story of Lowji a young boy who moved with his mother and father from India to a small midwestern town in the United States of America. This story is charming, light-hearted, and well written. Lowji is an endearing character that comes to understand his new home. He is challenged by cultural misunderstandings and learning the funny expressions that English speakers of the United States often take for granted. In a very innocent way Lowji makes the adjustments to life in the USA. He makes new friends and settles into a new home. The acculturation experience is one that many new Americans may endure. Fleming handles the situation with clever conscience without vilifying either Lowji's family or the townspeople.