Asian Authors Directory
Dr. Padma Venkatraman explored rainforests and coral reefs and served as chief scientist on oceanographic research vessels, directed a school, and led diversity efforts at a university before becoming a full-time author and speaker. Her novels, The Bridge Home (a 2019 Global Read Aloud), A Time to Dance, Island’s End and Climbing the Stairs were all released to multiple starred reviews (>20) and have won numerous awards , including the We Need Diverse Books Walter Award, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Golden Kite Award, Crystal Kite Award, Paterson Prize, South Asia Book Award, ASTAL RI Book of the Year, Julia Ward Howe Award etc., named to several best book lists (e.g. ALA Notable), and received many other honors. Visit her at www.padmavenkatraman.com, enjoy her writing prompts and giveaways on twitter @padmatv, and follow her on ig / fb @venkatraman.padma. To invite her to speak, please contact her speaking agency, The Author Village.
Born Behind Bars (Penguin Random House, Nancy Paulsen Books, October 2021)
The Bridge Home (Penguin Random House, Nancy Paulsen Books, February 2019)
A Time To Dance (Penguin Random House, 2014)
Island’s End (Penguin Random House, 2011)
Climbing the Stairs (Penguin Random House, 2008)
Winner, WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award for young readers; Winner, SCBWI Golden Kite Award for middle grade fiction; Winner, New England Crystal Kite Award; Winner, South Asia Book Award (twice); Winner, Paterson Prize for young people (twice); Winner, ASTAL RI Book of the Year; Winner, Nerdy Book Award; Winner, Julia Ward Howe Award; Global Read Aloud, 2019; Audiophile Magazine Earphone Award
Malka Penn Award Honor Book; Cybil Awards Finalist; TX Bluebonnet Award Nominee 20-21; FL Sunshine State Children’s Choice Award Nominee 20-21; VA Reader’s Choice Award Nominee 20-21; KY Bluegrass Award Nominee 20-21; MN Youth Reading Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee 20-21; WSRA Wisconsin State Reading Association Award Nominee 20-21; ALA Notable Book; ALSC Notable Audiobook; Notable Book for a Global Society (ILA NGBS); Kirkus Best MG Bks; Kirkus BBYA; NYPL Best MG; NYPL Best Teen; Chicago Public Library Best Bks; Booklist Editor’s Choice Best Bks; Washington Post Best Bks; Mighty Girl Best Bks; SLJ Top 10 Audio Bks; Bklist Editor’s Choice Best Audio 2019; Jr Library Guild audio selection; CSMCL Best Bks; GoodReads Best MG Bks; Washington Post KidPost Summer Reading Selection; ProjectLIT, 2019-20; Ebony Teach Best Books 2019; Betsy Bird’s 31 MG titles in SLJ; Mighty Girl pick; Today Show pick; ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults (BBYA); Booklist Top 10 art book for youth; Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) Choice; Forever literary top 10 character driven books; Eliot Rosewater (IN) masterlist; IBBY Outstanding book for young people with disabilities; Indienext (summer) selection; IRA Notable Book for a Global Society (NBGS); New York Public Library Top 25; New York City Reads (#NYC365); Nutmeg Award (CT) masterlist; Rebecca Caudill (IL) masterlist; Red dot award winner (3rd place, Singapore children’s choice); Sequoyah (OK) masterlist; ALA/ Amelia Bloomer List Selection; Bank Street College of Education Best Book; Booklinks Best New Book; Booksense Notable; Capitol Choice; Cybil awards finalist; Children’s Literature Network Top 25; NCSS/CBC Notable; Pennsylvania School Library Association (PASLA) Top-40; Publishers Weekly Flying Start; ME Student Book Award Nominee; UT Beehive Book Award Nominee; SC Children’s Book Award Nominee; NJ Garden State Book Award Nominee; Shortlisted for Reading Across Rhode Island