Download high-resolution image Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

Safe Harbor

Author Padma Venkatraman On Tour
Look inside
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home

When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too.
Padma Venkatraman (padmavenkatraman.com) was born in India and became an American after living in five countries and working as an oceanographer. She also wrote The Bridge Home (Walter Award, Golden Kite Award, Global Read-Aloud), A Time to Dance (IBBY selection, ALA Notable), Island's End (CCBC Choice, South Asia Book Award), and Climbing the Stairs (ALA/Amelia Bloomer List, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People). She lives in Rhode Island. View titles by Padma Venkatraman
Our Dreams

“Geetha, we’re almost there,” my mother whispers. I
scowl (because she woke me up)
wiggle (because the cramped airplane seat won’t let me stretch)
yawn (because I feel like I only just fell asleep).

In my dream
(which burst when Amma’s voice poked it)
we were still in India.

In my dream
I was a famous musician
playing my bamboo flute at the Music Academy,
playing powerfully enough
to move my packed audience to stillness
before thunderclaps of applause rose
to the vaulted ceiling and my father
strode onstage and clasped me in his arms
because I’d brought him back to us
through my music’s magic.

In reality
I’m slumped in stale airplane air,
my ears popping like dosai flour on a hot griddle
as the plane drops down, down low,
landing

in my mother’s dream.

Three Years Before We Moved Across Oceans


My mother said she and my father grew apart
as if they were two branches on the same tree,
bending in different directions.

Truth: Angry storms blew apart
our family tree.

That’s why
only Amma and I flew to America.
Appa stayed behind, in India.

Now that the two of us are so far away from him,
I should stop imagining my parents
will somehow get back together.

But I guess hope is a cork that never stops bobbing
on the waves of life’s ocean.

Welcome to America


My mother’s sister, Kamali Chithi,
and her husband, Payya Chithappa,
are waiting in the airport with welcoming hugs.
Let me take that. Payya Chithappa tries to lessen my load.
I tussle with him, clinging to my backpack, although
I’m so tired, I could fall asleep standing up
in spite of the clackety carts, clickety shoes,
chattering voices.
I’m sure I can trust my uncle, but I want to hold
my old moss--green backpack tight
because my fragile bamboo flute is inside.

Welcome to the land of the free!
Payya Chithappa shrugs,
lets my backpack go, and leaves
me to carry my burden on my own.

Empty Apartment

Isn’t this great?
my aunt exclaims as we
walk into our new place.
I trudge through the poky kitchen,
two tiny bedrooms with a bathroom squished in between,
and something my aunt calls the family room,
although most of our family is in India!
I feel further from home than ever before.
I squint out a grimy window
at the squat gray buildings, crouching 
like a flock of pigeons
on a narrow gray street below a dull gray sky.

My uncle cranks open a window, and tangy sea air
whooshes in, making my skin tingle.

Isn’t it nice, Geetha? Our new home?

Amma’s eyes sparkle.

Yes!
I say real loud. Yes! I repeat
as if shouting something
more than once can make it true.

Traveling Heavy

My aunt and uncle have filled up our
super-tall American fridge with
super-big American fruits and vegetables.
Now we have butter instead of ghee,
cheese slices instead of paneer cubes,
milk in cartons, not bottles, and a container of
butter pecan ice cream—a flavor I’ve never heard of.
After they hug us goodbye,
saying, Call us if you need anything, see you soon,
we eat and unpack.
Then I go straight to bed,
where I lie awake thinking of all
I couldn’t carry with me:

Our tall tamarind tree
with its sweet fruit and shady canopy
under which I felt safe.

The room lined with shelves full of books
that I loved to touch and smell and read and reread.
Books full of stories and poetry and
facts about animals and nature.
I wanted to bring my favorites with me, but Amma said,
Sorry. We can only bring what we really need, Geetha.

She kept taking books out of my bag and
I kept sneaking them back in, till finally
she hugged me close and said,
There are weight limits on what we can carry.
But there’s no limit on how much
you can dream for in America.
There, if you work hard enough, you can
be anyone you want, do anything you want.

So I packed light
and we flew across the sea
with my little suitcase, my old backpack,
and my weighty heart.
* “Venkatraman’s latest novel beautifully captures the theme of finding love by letting go. Geetha, a young girl from Tamil Nadu, India, relocates to America with her mother after her parents’ divorce. Leaving behind her beloved patti, appa, and dog Dhurrie, Geetha struggles with sadness and adjustment in her new environment, where she faces bullies and cultural challenges. However, her life begins to change when Miguel, a boy her age, and Santo, a harp seal pup in need of rescue, enter her world. Through her efforts to help Santo and connect with her new friends, Geetha discovers her place in this unfamiliar setting and learns that sometimes release is necessary for growth. Written in verse, this novel offers a poignant exploration of emotional resilience and the bittersweet nature of change. It will particularly resonate with readers who value themes of personal growth, cultural adjustment, and the power of compassion. Additionally, environmental advocates will find the subplot of rescuing Santo and the broader message of climate awareness engaging and relevant, which is a perfect fit for middle school library collections. The novel is a must-read for those who appreciate lyrical storytelling with emotional depth.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Aquatic pollution and marine life conservation propel this fish-out-of-water verse novel. Following tween Geetha’s parents’ divorce, Geetha and her mother . . . emigrate from Chennai, India, to the U.S., seeking a fresh start. Afraid of triggering Amma’s depression, Geetha squelches her anger at being uprooted. . . . School is no better, especially when a ‘shiny-smile’ girl targets Geetha with daily bullying. A fledgling friendship with Latinx-cued local Miguel seems doomed following initial miscommunication, but the two later reconnect when trying to save an injured baby harp seal. . . . Venkatraman (Born Behind Bars) centering adult women of color in STEM spaces, including a veterinary technician and Miguel’s oceanographer mother, who act as role models for Geetha add an empowering undertone.” —Publishers Weekly

“Geetha’s life is turned upside down when she and her mother move from India to Rhode Island, where being an immigrant in a new elementary school leaves her feeling alienated, angry, and longing for connection. . . . Geetha finds the connection she craves in a seal that has washed ashore due to injuries from human pollution. As Geetha acclimates to her new home, she uses her connection to this injured seal and her lifelong love of music to forge a new way forward for herself and her mother. Geetha’s love for music drives the poetic lines of this novel in verse. . . . Simple and relatable, Safe Harbor mixes themes of coming-of-age, immigration, and conservation into a sweet story accessible to younger elementary readers as well as those who enjoy Kerry O’Malla Cerra, Saadia Faruqi, and Barbara Dee.” —Booklist

“Geetha’s emotions ring true, as do the little moments that remind Geetha that she’s an outsider. The story comes to vivid life as Geetha draws parallels between herself and Santo—both feeling lost and adrift—and organizes a cleanup of the beach. Venkatraman closes with an especially poignant author’s note in which she discusses her own experience as a woman of color in STEM. A tender coming-of-age tale with special resonance for nature lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews

About

An uplifting novel in verse about an immigrant girl adjusting to life in the US through her love of nature, music, and poetry, by the award-winning author of The Bridge Home

When Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents’ divorce, they leave everything Geetha loves behind—her family, her friends, her dog, and all that’s familiar. As if that’s not hard enough, Geetha is bullied at her new school for her clothes, her food, and her English (who knew so many English words could be spelled or pronounced differently in the US—or just be altogether different!). She finds some solace in playing her flute and writing poetry, and even more when she meets Miguel, a kid with whom she has a lot in common, and the two of them help rescue an injured harp seal stranded on the beach. But Geetha can feel her anger building over lots of things—careless people who pollute the sea and hurt animals, and her mom for making her move. She’s never been so sad and angry. She can see a lot of her fears mirrored in the injured seal when she visits it at the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, and this broadens her understanding of survival skills. And when she and Miguel start a beach-clean-up venture, she’s surprised to find how many kind kids are out there. Geetha is torn as the time comes to let the seal go, knowing she’ll miss him, but wanting the best for him. She’s learning to live with mixed feelings and accept that while there will always be rough waters, there are plenty of safe harbors too.

Author

Padma Venkatraman (padmavenkatraman.com) was born in India and became an American after living in five countries and working as an oceanographer. She also wrote The Bridge Home (Walter Award, Golden Kite Award, Global Read-Aloud), A Time to Dance (IBBY selection, ALA Notable), Island's End (CCBC Choice, South Asia Book Award), and Climbing the Stairs (ALA/Amelia Bloomer List, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People). She lives in Rhode Island. View titles by Padma Venkatraman

Excerpt

Our Dreams

“Geetha, we’re almost there,” my mother whispers. I
scowl (because she woke me up)
wiggle (because the cramped airplane seat won’t let me stretch)
yawn (because I feel like I only just fell asleep).

In my dream
(which burst when Amma’s voice poked it)
we were still in India.

In my dream
I was a famous musician
playing my bamboo flute at the Music Academy,
playing powerfully enough
to move my packed audience to stillness
before thunderclaps of applause rose
to the vaulted ceiling and my father
strode onstage and clasped me in his arms
because I’d brought him back to us
through my music’s magic.

In reality
I’m slumped in stale airplane air,
my ears popping like dosai flour on a hot griddle
as the plane drops down, down low,
landing

in my mother’s dream.

Three Years Before We Moved Across Oceans


My mother said she and my father grew apart
as if they were two branches on the same tree,
bending in different directions.

Truth: Angry storms blew apart
our family tree.

That’s why
only Amma and I flew to America.
Appa stayed behind, in India.

Now that the two of us are so far away from him,
I should stop imagining my parents
will somehow get back together.

But I guess hope is a cork that never stops bobbing
on the waves of life’s ocean.

Welcome to America


My mother’s sister, Kamali Chithi,
and her husband, Payya Chithappa,
are waiting in the airport with welcoming hugs.
Let me take that. Payya Chithappa tries to lessen my load.
I tussle with him, clinging to my backpack, although
I’m so tired, I could fall asleep standing up
in spite of the clackety carts, clickety shoes,
chattering voices.
I’m sure I can trust my uncle, but I want to hold
my old moss--green backpack tight
because my fragile bamboo flute is inside.

Welcome to the land of the free!
Payya Chithappa shrugs,
lets my backpack go, and leaves
me to carry my burden on my own.

Empty Apartment

Isn’t this great?
my aunt exclaims as we
walk into our new place.
I trudge through the poky kitchen,
two tiny bedrooms with a bathroom squished in between,
and something my aunt calls the family room,
although most of our family is in India!
I feel further from home than ever before.
I squint out a grimy window
at the squat gray buildings, crouching 
like a flock of pigeons
on a narrow gray street below a dull gray sky.

My uncle cranks open a window, and tangy sea air
whooshes in, making my skin tingle.

Isn’t it nice, Geetha? Our new home?

Amma’s eyes sparkle.

Yes!
I say real loud. Yes! I repeat
as if shouting something
more than once can make it true.

Traveling Heavy

My aunt and uncle have filled up our
super-tall American fridge with
super-big American fruits and vegetables.
Now we have butter instead of ghee,
cheese slices instead of paneer cubes,
milk in cartons, not bottles, and a container of
butter pecan ice cream—a flavor I’ve never heard of.
After they hug us goodbye,
saying, Call us if you need anything, see you soon,
we eat and unpack.
Then I go straight to bed,
where I lie awake thinking of all
I couldn’t carry with me:

Our tall tamarind tree
with its sweet fruit and shady canopy
under which I felt safe.

The room lined with shelves full of books
that I loved to touch and smell and read and reread.
Books full of stories and poetry and
facts about animals and nature.
I wanted to bring my favorites with me, but Amma said,
Sorry. We can only bring what we really need, Geetha.

She kept taking books out of my bag and
I kept sneaking them back in, till finally
she hugged me close and said,
There are weight limits on what we can carry.
But there’s no limit on how much
you can dream for in America.
There, if you work hard enough, you can
be anyone you want, do anything you want.

So I packed light
and we flew across the sea
with my little suitcase, my old backpack,
and my weighty heart.

Praise

* “Venkatraman’s latest novel beautifully captures the theme of finding love by letting go. Geetha, a young girl from Tamil Nadu, India, relocates to America with her mother after her parents’ divorce. Leaving behind her beloved patti, appa, and dog Dhurrie, Geetha struggles with sadness and adjustment in her new environment, where she faces bullies and cultural challenges. However, her life begins to change when Miguel, a boy her age, and Santo, a harp seal pup in need of rescue, enter her world. Through her efforts to help Santo and connect with her new friends, Geetha discovers her place in this unfamiliar setting and learns that sometimes release is necessary for growth. Written in verse, this novel offers a poignant exploration of emotional resilience and the bittersweet nature of change. It will particularly resonate with readers who value themes of personal growth, cultural adjustment, and the power of compassion. Additionally, environmental advocates will find the subplot of rescuing Santo and the broader message of climate awareness engaging and relevant, which is a perfect fit for middle school library collections. The novel is a must-read for those who appreciate lyrical storytelling with emotional depth.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Aquatic pollution and marine life conservation propel this fish-out-of-water verse novel. Following tween Geetha’s parents’ divorce, Geetha and her mother . . . emigrate from Chennai, India, to the U.S., seeking a fresh start. Afraid of triggering Amma’s depression, Geetha squelches her anger at being uprooted. . . . School is no better, especially when a ‘shiny-smile’ girl targets Geetha with daily bullying. A fledgling friendship with Latinx-cued local Miguel seems doomed following initial miscommunication, but the two later reconnect when trying to save an injured baby harp seal. . . . Venkatraman (Born Behind Bars) centering adult women of color in STEM spaces, including a veterinary technician and Miguel’s oceanographer mother, who act as role models for Geetha add an empowering undertone.” —Publishers Weekly

“Geetha’s life is turned upside down when she and her mother move from India to Rhode Island, where being an immigrant in a new elementary school leaves her feeling alienated, angry, and longing for connection. . . . Geetha finds the connection she craves in a seal that has washed ashore due to injuries from human pollution. As Geetha acclimates to her new home, she uses her connection to this injured seal and her lifelong love of music to forge a new way forward for herself and her mother. Geetha’s love for music drives the poetic lines of this novel in verse. . . . Simple and relatable, Safe Harbor mixes themes of coming-of-age, immigration, and conservation into a sweet story accessible to younger elementary readers as well as those who enjoy Kerry O’Malla Cerra, Saadia Faruqi, and Barbara Dee.” —Booklist

“Geetha’s emotions ring true, as do the little moments that remind Geetha that she’s an outsider. The story comes to vivid life as Geetha draws parallels between herself and Santo—both feeling lost and adrift—and organizes a cleanup of the beach. Venkatraman closes with an especially poignant author’s note in which she discusses her own experience as a woman of color in STEM. A tender coming-of-age tale with special resonance for nature lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews

2024 Middle and High School Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,

Read more

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more