Awesome Orange Birthday: A Branches Book (The Party Diaries #1)

by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, Aaliya Jaleel (Illustrator)

Overview

In this full-color early chapter book series, Priya starts a party-planning business to help save the planet — one party at a time!

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Priya is excited to plan her aunty’s birthday party. She will donate the money she makes to help the cutest endangered animal on the planet, the quokka! But the party is this Saturday! With so many items on her to-do list, can she get it all done in time? Priya sends out handmade invitations, makes DIY decorations, and sets an orange-only snacks menu — including pumpkin samosas! Will Priya’s very first party be a success?

With speech bubbles, easy-to-read text, and vibrant artwork on every page, this series is perfect for newly independent readers!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338799613
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Series:	The Party Diaries
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	26,334
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

MITALI BANERJEE RUTHS grew up in Houston, Texas, and dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday. She has worked as a babysitter, an ice cream seller, and a medical doctor. She is the author of the picture book Archie Celebrates Diwali, the Scholastic Branches early chapter book series The Party Diaries, and the Scholastic Acorn early reader series The Inside Scouts. Mitali lives in Canada with her husband, three kids, and their dog, Tux.

AALIYA JALEEL is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with a BA in Arts & Technology. She is the illustrator of Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, Under My Hijab, Muslim Girls Rise, and the Scholastic Branches series The Party Diaries.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Awesome Orange Birthday (The Party Diaries #1):

"This series debut aimed at newly independent readers provides short, colorful, diary-style entries with a sweet central character. Strongly recommended." — School Library Journal

"Priya is a well-rounded, nuanced protagonist whose enthusiasm and anxiety will resonate with readers, and the narrative, peppered with bright images, is fast-moving... A layered, upbeat tale starring a determined, relatable protagonist." — Kirkus Reviews

"Priya’s infectious enthusiasm shines through the diary format... This series opener gets an enjoyable party started for beginning readers." — Booklist

Praise for Archie Celebrates Diwali by Mitali Banerjee Ruths:

"This sweet picture book about sharing Diwali will ring true in many households." — Kirkus Reviews

"A reassuring portrayal of childhood anxieties." — Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2022

Gr 1–4—Priya is launching her own business, party planning! After successfully planning and hosting her three-year-old brother's birthday party, Priya is organizing her aunt Layla's, too. The prospect of this new adventure is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Every day after school, Priya spends time planning for her special aunty, with the help of friend and neighbor Melissa. Some of Priya's family appear in traditional Indian attire, and the amazing menu presented reflects Priya's culture as well. It's clear that Priya has some form of anxiety, and it is normalized through the character development. The 10 chapters, each from eight to 12 pages long, make for a readable and well-paced text for youngsters. Each page has color illustrations, and a variety of techniques are used for visual supports, including word bubbles, glossaries, lists, and maps. While this is a work of fiction, there is an element of nonfiction in the depiction of what party planning entails: supplies, menu planning, and DIY decorations, to name a few. VERDICT This series debut aimed at newly independent readers provides short, colorful, diary-style entries with a sweet central character. Strongly recommended.—Linda Annable

School Library Journal

2022-11-29
When Priya Chakraborty starts her own party-planning business, her community comes through to help her succeed—and to calm her anxiety.

Priya, a young South Asian American girl, loves crafts, her best friend, Melissa (depicted as light-skinned in the illustrations), and quokkas, fuzzy Australian animals in danger of extinction. What she doesn’t love are surprises. So when her mother’s best friend, Layla Aunty, asks Priya to throw her birthday party, Priya uses her diary to stay organized and avoid the unexpected. While she’s excited about Layla Aunty’s orange-themed party, she’s also anxious and overwhelmed: There are orange snacks to prepare, orange decorations to make, and orange invitations to deliver. Luckily, Priya doesn’t have to do any of this alone: Melissa helps her deliver invitations, her Dida helps her make snacks, and, on the day of the party, her mother’s friends help her decorate. Thanks to Priya’s creativity, the day is a resounding success—such a success, in fact, that it leads to even more business for Priya’s Parties. Priya is a well-rounded, nuanced protagonist whose enthusiasm and anxiety will resonate with readers, and the narrative, peppered with bright images, is fast-moving. The text offers pronunciation guidance for potentially unfamiliar words, such as quokka or the various snacks for the party (jalebi, chevdo, etc.).

A layered, upbeat tale starring a determined, relatable protagonist. (Chapter book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews