Blue Boy
Publisher
Kensington Books
Publication Year
2009
ISBN
9780758231369
Pages
268 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Satyal's lovely coming-of-age debut charts an Indian-American boy's transformation from mere mortal to Krishnaji, the blue-skinned Hindu deity. Twelve-year-old Kiran Sharma's a bit of an outcast: he likes ballet and playing with his mother's makeup. He also reveres his Indian heritage and convinces himself that the reason he's having trouble fitting in is because he's actually the 10th reincarnation of Krishnaji. He plans to come out to the world at the 1992 Martin Van Buren Elementary School talent show, and much of the book revels in his comical preparations as he creates his costume, plays the flute and practices his dance moves to a Whitney Houston song. But as the performance approaches, something strange happens: Kiran's skin begins to turn blue. Satyal writes with a graceful ease, finding new humor in common awkward pre-teen moments and giving readers a delightful and lively young protagonist.
Grade Level
9-12
Diversity Topics
LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Gender nonconformity; gender identity; gender roles; gender expression; boys who dress as girls; queer
Main Character
male child
Race/Ethnicities
Indian American
Family Formation
mother and father
LGBTQ+
queer male
Awards
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
Keywords
talent show; Indian culture; coming of age; temple; outcast; Hinduism; Lord Krishna; ballet
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Satyal, Rakesh, "Blue Boy" (2009). Diverse Families. 1387.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1387