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Book of the Month: Nate And Roohi Are Not on the Same Page
In July, we read Supriya Kelkar and Jarrett Lerner’s recently released middle grade book, Nate and Roohi Are Not on the Same Page. The book released in North America this March. Nate and Roohi is a contemporary middle grade in dual voices co-written by two authors. It captures the awkwardness of middle grade friendships and…
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2026 Varta Storytelling Festival: Lineup and Activities
We’re eager to welcome you to Austin and be a part of the fifth Varta storytelling festival. It will come to Austin for the third time! This event programming is supported in part by the Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment. We are grateful to our partners Austin Public Library, Burrow Library, artists,…
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Can We Stop the Summer Slide And Encourage Kids to Read?
We had a tremendous response on our last post on how to encourage kids to read more. And many of our Bento community members shared their own ideas to stop the summer slide. We hope you enjoy these and share your insights too! What is the summer slide? Summer slide refers to the decline in…
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How Does Reading Spark Creativity in Young Children?
Creativity doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. In fact, it often grows page by page while you’re lost in a story. You open a book, expecting an adventure, and suddenly your imagination wakes up, stretches its arms, and says, “Let’s make something cool!” That’s the magic of reading. It fills your mind with colors, characters, mysteries,…
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How Can We Encourage Reading For Fun?
In a recent podcast episode with Debbie Millman, writer and editor, Spencer Bailey said, “We’re now all on a McDonald’s fast food diet when it comes to our media consumption.” Millman talked about the dip she felt when media platforms began sharing “how many minutes” it’ll take to read. This overbusy, always on the edge…
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Book of the Month: It’s Not Over yet
In June, we’re discussing Salma Hussain’s upcoming young adult book, It’s Not Over Yet (INOY). The book will release in North America this October. INOY is a contemporary young adult book set in Toronto with experiences of a desi family of Pakistani heritage. It’s a coming-of-age story of a teen struggling to come to terms…
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Varta Storytelling festival Back in Austin for the 3rd time!
The Varta Storytelling Festival: a first of its kind event for families in the United States is back for its 5th edition this winter. We’re bringing the event back for the 3rd time to our Austin home. It will be held at the Austin Public Library’s Central Branch on December 5th, 2026 between 1:30 to…
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Book of the Month: All That Chandni Knows
In May, we are discussing Khushboo Patel’s debut upper MG book, All That Chandni Knows (ATCK). The next books we will review are here. ATCK is set in 1999 in Vadodara, India. It is Patel’s debut novel-in-verse, a coming-of-age story about the difficult truths behind seemingly perfect home settings. The book released in the US…
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Book of the Month: Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions
In April, we are discussing Ahmad Saber’s recent YA book, Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions. You will see our upcoming books to be reviewed here. Ramin Abbas is asking the questions we rarely see in literature describing a queer Muslim teen’s experiences. The book was released in the US in March, 2026. Note: this review was…
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Bento StoryLab with Writer Meera Sriram
We are excited to announce upcoming workshops and events celebrating South Asian literature and heritage. These events are open to students, parents, educators, and librarians. Most of the events are available free. Our next Bento StoryLab features writer Meera Sriram. April 18th: Meera Sriram – The ARC of a picture book Award-winning South-Asian writer, Meera…
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