House of Uncommons

…stone buildings seemed to rise out of a largely garden-like environment, and in the distance were the towering ghats. Snehagao was…beautiful…

A new school, a strange new language, and an oddly cheerful roommate – Krishnan doesn’t know what to make of it all. He’s here after losing his only parent to HIV, and finding out that he has it too. Angry at having been made to leave the only home he’s ever known, Krishnan is desperate and homesick.
He soon has to make way for new feelings, though – the exhilaration of bolting up and down the school’s running track, and the delicious thrill of competing with his best friend for the post of Prime Minister in the school parliament.
Vishaka George’s uplifting story about a brave teenager and his lovable group of friends is inspired by real events, and is proof that wonderful things sneak up on you when you least expect them.

The StORI (Stories of Rural India) series uses real stories from rural India, of disenfranchised people and communities, and the unique challenges they overcome every day, be it in infrastructure, health care, disability, or job security. They are stories of triumph – of children who participate cheerfully in civic issues, athletes who power past their disabilities, citizens who demand their right to be heard – and an attempt to give these voices a platform, as well as address the serious dearth of children’s books that are set in non-urban locations.