News About Maya Running

• Maya Running is on the American Library Association's "2007 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Nominations" list. See all nominated books here.
  
• Maya Running is on the Chicago Public Library's "Best of the Best" list of children's novels published in 2005. See the full list here.
  
• Maya Running has made the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age 2006 list! Now in its 77th year of publication, the list selects the best of the previous year's publishing for teenagers, 12 to 18-years-old.
  
• India Abroad Magazine featured MAYA RUNNING in its cover story for the April 22, 2005 edition.
  Download the Adobe Acrobat file (1.8 MB)
  Reprinted with permission from India Abroad
   
• India’s largest book club, India Today Book Club, chose MAYA RUNNING (Penguin Books India edition) as a PICK OF THE SEASON for Spring 2005.
   
• Toronto Public Library chose MAYA RUNNING as a recommended read for May, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
   
• Midwest Book Review chose MAYA RUNNING as a a recommended pick for May, 2005. Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review publishes several monthly publications for community and academic library systems in California, Wisconsin, and the upper Midwest.
   
• Chicago Public Schools chose MAYA RUNNING as a recommended read for March, Women’s History Month (for grades 5-8).
   
• Cooperative Children's Book Center out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison chose MAYA RUNNING to be read for their April, 2005 book discussion.

Praise for Maya Running
“The neatest thing about this coming of age story is that it’s about something much bigger than first kisses, or even confusing identities. Maya’s first experience of thinking like an adult is pretty heavy, to use an expression of her time: It’s really a religious truth about her relationship with the universe…It’s a stunning idea, beautiful and complex, and one that belies the book’s simple language and childlike perspective. It’s also pleasingly accessible.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
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The Indianapolis Star listed Maya Running as one of several new books that "succeed in presenting positive, life-affirming, inspiring stories...that deal with other cultures and difficult situations...The sometimes difficult themes are presented in age-appropriate ways that expand children's horizons and gently open their eyes to the sometimes troubling world beyond their own experience." - The Indianapolis Star, May 15, 2005
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“Lush, delicious diction, surprising, delightful similes…also completely fresh and original…Not only is its language beautiful, it has an engaging plot and interesting characters. Better still, the story seamlessly combines elements of sharp realism, dreamy fantasy, and striking Indian myth…Maya Running stands out among the crowd of usual lukewarm YA offerings; Banerjee’s new novel is red hot. Highly recommended/**** – Canadian Review of Materials

“ Eloquently composed…insightfully written…Banerjee’s is a promising new voice…compelling and imaginative.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“ Delightful…a wonderful story…Perfect for multicultural collections.” – KLIATT
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“ Details of the cultures and everyday life of both India and Canada are integrated seamlessly…readers will see themselves in the realistic characters.” – School Library Journal

“ Terrific, funny and inventive.” – Paula Danziger, late author of over 25 books for children

“ In Maya, Banerjee has created a character with an authentic, engaging voice and a poignantly familiar yearning to belong. Teenage readers will find much to identify with in her captivating journey of self-discovery.” – BookPage
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“ Maya Running…is really about the illusory nature of human existence, and about how one should be happy with what one has and what one is…An endearing book that heralds the voice of a bright new author.” –The Pioneer, New Delhi

“ Maya Running is a neat twist on the standard children’s tale of growing up; she writes like a Judy Blume acolyte and finds unusual solutions to Maya’s dilemmas…Not at all preachy.” – Business Standard, New Delhi

“ With its humor, magic, and realism I would recommend it to many students and teachers for units on multiculturalism, Canada, or for literature circles.” – Library Media Connections

“ Banerjee incorporates her life experiences into this imaginative tale…an enjoyable read.” –VOYA

“ Captivating account detailing brilliantly teenage angst.” — Hindustan Times

“ Touching debut novel…featuring fantastic elements of Indian lore.” – Publishers Weekly

“ Anjali Banerjee manages to capture the dreams and turmoil of Mayasri Mukherjee, the central character of her book in a delightful manner.” – Deccan Chronicle

“ Heartwarming... finely crafted, immensely sensitive as well as funny.” — INDOlink

“ Maya Running is full of observations that are incredibly mature and adult-like and then suddenly heart-warmingly childish, and often hilarious.” — The Hindu

“ A unique story with a dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.” — The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN). ALAN chose MAYA RUNNING as a BILL’S BEST BOOK for Jan. 2005.

“ Maya Mukherjee is that delightful rarity in literature, a character who leaps off the page and into your heart. She is every bit as fresh and funny, poignant and unforgettable as Harriet, Ramona and Eloise the first time you met them.” — Susan Wiggs, bestselling author of HOME BEFORE DARK

“An enchanting story…a book to read in one sitting and reflect upon.” — Lisa DuMond, SF Site

“ Banerjee does a fine job of describing Maya’s life and the people who inhabit it.” – Booklist

“ Banerjee’s novel effectively juxtaposes the cultural ins and outs of being Canadian of Indian origin, with the universality of teenage longings.” — Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“ Maya’s primary dreams and heartaches are vividly drawn and should ring true for young adult readers.” —The Bremerton Sun, The Olympian

“ A lively story…Maya reminds me of every girl in the world growing up into adolescence...Maya is everyone – you, me, the little girl at the bus stop, or the one sitting in the front of the class.” — Fife Free Press, Tacoma Weekly

“ Anjali Banerjee has written a fascinating coming of age book filled with color, emotion, sassy observation, and enchanting characters. This book should delight both young and old.”— Sheila Rabe, author of two non-fiction books and sixteen novels, including the Pacific Northwest bestseller, A PRINCE OF A GUY.

“ Sweet, funny, and smart, Maya's voice and the lure of magic will transport readers quickly through this engaging read.” – Author Mitali Perkins.
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“ I find Anjali Banerjee’s writing quite compelling. She has a sharp sense for story, for the critical elements that drive fiction. She provokes in the reader the feeling that nothing is quite over, there’s more here to follow, and yet we have a whole world before us – in miniature form. Banerjee knows something about the fictive act, that it is all about compression. You can’t say it all – you select just enough. And that’s it. She knows where to draw the line. In just a few words, she says more than many say in a hundred.”
— Jack Smith, Co-Editor, Green Hills Literary Lantern published by Truman State University

“ Banerjee’s characters are so full of life. They step off the page and into the reader’s world with a stunning presence. Her fiction is downright irresistible.”
— Pam McCully, editor of the quarterly magazine Lynx Eye

“ Anjali’s ability to transcend genres and still pique the reader’s curiosity and imagination are the qualities I seek in professional, experienced writers. Unfortunately, these skills are hard to find in one writer, which makes me respect and appreciate Anjali all the more. I believe any editor will find Anjali an absolute joy with whom to work.”— Elizabeth Lex, Editor of several regional history books.