LIGHTS FOR GITA

• "Pick of the List" —American Bookseller, 1995
  
• "Lights for Gita reminds us that what immigrants bring with them does not all fit in a moving van. They also come laden with traditions and the hope of passing them on...." —Five Owls

Gita has recently moved to America from India, and she is looking forward to celebrating Divali—her favorite holiday—with her family. She has invited some of her new friends from school to join in the festivities, but a winter storm puts a damper on her plans. Just as Gita decides she hates her new home, events take another turn. Beautifully illustrated with warm, radiant paintings.

Teachers Take Note:

Author Rachna Gilmore carefully introduces readers to Divali, one of the most important holidays observed by Hindus all over the world. This five day "Festival of Lights" which falls in October or November is a magical family time. It honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth who brings good fortune and prosperity to all throughout the year. In Lights for Gita, the central character learns a lesson about the true meaning holidays hold for families everywhere.

A Gift For Gita will help inspire classroom conversations about:
• Indian cultures and traditions
• Families and holiday expectations
• Immigration experiences
• Winter holidays with a focus on lights: Christmas, Chanuka, and Kwanzaa being other examples

Author Web Site: Rachna Gilmore lives in Canada but grew up in Bombay, India, and England. In 1999 she won the Governor General's Literary Award for her children's book A Screaming Kind of Day. In 2002 A Group of One was selected as a Jane Addams Children's Book Award honor book.To learn more about Rachna Gilmore visit:
www.makersgallery.com/gilmore

Other Resources:
Lights For Gita: The Video has been produced as an animated video for the Talespinners Collection of the National Film Board of Canada.
To learn more about these videos call 1-800-542-2164 in the US or visit the NFB website at www.nfb.ca

• Asian Cultures
The Asia Society's online clearinghouse for K-12 Asian and Asian American Studies. Ask Asia offers high quality, classroom-tested resources and cultural information including engaging games, activities, and links to relevant people, places, and institutions. Ask Asia is part of a national initiative designed to provide access to quality resources on Asian and Asian American themes at the elementary and secondary level. www.askasia.org
Asia for Kids is a commercial site which offers hard to find resources for the home, classroom, or library. Its mission is to make the rich Asian heritage and its diverse languages accessible to everyone. Its collection includes books, language textbooks, videos, software, dolls, games, posters and resource materials for parents and teachers. www.afk.com

• Building Understanding for the Immigrant Experience
American Family Immigration History Center: Between 1892 and 1924 over 22 million passengers and members of ships' crews came through Ellis Island in the port of New York. This is the official Ellis Island web site: www.ellisisland.org
Museum of Immigration on Angel Island: This is the immigration center many Asian families went through on the West Coast. There were much stricter quotas placed on Asians coming to the United States than European immigrants. For a better understanding of these and other issues visit the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. www.aiisf.org

Activity Suggestion:
A "Taste of India"
As an assignment to introduce the idea of cultural heritage to children, prepare this classic vegetable dish. The spices are wonderful! Gita author Rachna Gilmore sent us this recipe when we asked her about what simple dish the grandmother in A Gift for Gita might prepare for Gita.