Every morning, a young girl walks her grandmother to the Aajibaichi Shala, the school that was built for the grandmothers in her village to have a place to learn to read and write. The narrator beams with pride as she drops her grandmother off with the other aajis to practice the alphabet and learn simple arithmetic. A moving story about family, women and the power of education—when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her.
Women in countless countries continue to endure the limitations of illiteracy. Unjust laws have suppressed the rights of girls and women and kept many from getting an education and equal standing in society. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this brilliantly illustrated book tells the story of the grandmothers who got to go to school for the first time in their lives.
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection | 2020 | Commended
Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets | 2020 | Commended
BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize | 2021 | Winner
The Egghead - The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ book | 2021 | Short-listed
Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award | 2021 | Nominated
Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Shining Willow | 2022 | Nominated
