I’m very pleased to welcome Reena Bhojwani and her MG book Fragrant Soup, Book 1 of Siu-Yin and the Dragons. to The Irresponsible Reader today for this Spotlight post (I’ll have a guest post from her in a little bit, too). Fragrant Soup is one of the more unlikely titles that I can remember–also one of the more appealing (or maybe I’m just hungry right now. Probably both). This looks like fun for both the target audience and those who are open to reading MG (which should be everyone, right?) Learn a little about the book and then go pick it up. I’m about to.
Book Details:
Title: Fragrant Soup by Reena Bhojwani
Series: Siu-Yin and the Dragons, Book 1
Publisher: Inspired Muse!
Format: Hardcover
Length: 365 pg.
US Publication Date: September 8, 2024
About the Book:
Nine-year-old Siu-Yin still doesn’t know the difference between boil and burn. The Lunar New Year’s Eve feast is only a couple weeks away. Every year, Poh Poh makes a special soup, an important offering to the dragon protector who brings luck to the village. This year Poh Poh has fallen ill. No one else knows how to make the sacred soup. So it’s all up to Siu-Yin.
If she succeeds, the village will be blessed with luck in the year ahead. If she fails, Siu-Yin and her village will have to face the wrath of a mighty dragon. Will Siu-Yin be lucky enough to figure out the recipe in time or will she stir up colossal trouble for herself and her village?
A ‘perfect for all ages story’ that is engaging enough for middle grade whilst the warmth and emotional impact will appeal to older audiences too.
It’s a captivating tale that’s bound to leave your heart full, but it might make your stomach hungry!
Perfect for fans of Grace Lin, Roald Dahl and Robert Munsch!
Fragrant Soup is Reena’s attempt to highlight similarities and differences between Cantonese and North Indian cultures. She’s been exploring the concept of identity for years and this book has helped her celebrate both aspects of the core cultures she resonates with.
Fragrant Soup was originally a (5000-word) short story published in one of the Hong Kong Writers Circle anthologies titled ‘After the Storm’ and after plenty of encouraging feedback, Reena decided to grow it into a full-fledged (62,000 +) middle grade novel. [you’ll hear a little about this later]
Fragrant Soup is book 1 of what Reena hopes will be a 9-book series!
Book Links:
Amazon ~ Imaginary Muse! (if you live in Hong Kong and want a signed copy)
About the Author:
Born and brought up in Hong Kong, Reena Bhojwani is an author, a performer and a storyteller. She is also a TEDx speaker. She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, with a creative writing major and a theatre studies minor. She has over 13 years of experience teaching creative writing to kids between 4-16 years old at Elephant Community Press. Additionally, she has volunteered to facilitate writing craft workshops for the Hong Kong Writers Circle since 2010. She happens to also be a poet and the winner of the 2018 Peel Street Poetry Slam Contest. ‘Fragrant Soup’ is her debut middle grade novel. She has previously published a picture book (‘Surprising Mrs Rhubarbson’) and its accompanying activity book. She is also the author of over 15 short stories, published in anthologies by the Hong Kong Writers Circle.
Author Links:
Facebook ~ Instagram ~ ~ Website
