I connected with Varsha Bajaj through her books long before we became friends online. I have read every one of them and shared them with kids. It’s an honor to celebrate Varsha at Cynsations as she welcomes her new novel, Roar (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 2026).
Your forthcoming middle-grade book, Roar, is about a boy whose eye-opening trip to a tiger sanctuary ignites his desire to join those who are roaring to protect the animals. What was your inspiration for this gripping story?
A few years ago, I read an incredible news article about a tiger who traveled 1200 kms across India, looking presumably for habitat and a mate. I was fascinated. It was the ultimate survival story, full of bravery, courage, and endurance. (See the BBC story here.)
A year later, in stark contrast, I watched one episode of Tiger King, a television show in which tigers were bred and raised in captivity. It was horrifying and an affront.
I dived into the research rabbit hole to learn more about the tiger.
Both Thirst (your previous NY times bestselling novel) and Roar are set in Mumbai and center on young protagonists confronting conservation issues, water in Thirst and tigers in Roar. These stories reveal hard truths about human impact on the planet while still empowering middle-grade readers. What intentional craft choices guide you in turning complex conservation issues into emotionally resonant, accessible stories for middle-grade readers?
Thirst was set in Mumbai but essentially holds true for any part of India or the world that faces water scarcity. Roar is set in North India. Conservation is an issue close to my heart. I worry about the planet that we leave behind for future generations, but I’m also heartened by organizations and individuals who are fighting against climate and other disasters.
Understanding my protagonist and how these issues would affect them is the most important part of my process. Sometimes, I brainstorm for months. Sometimes I get discouraged. I fill notebooks and legal pads with random thoughts and words, and from that tangle, a character emerges and then I follow their lead, and invariably that young protagonist is hopeful.
Arya, the fierce tigress and her unusual, moving bond with Crow evoke the classic friendship of Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams (Harper Brothers, 1952). How did your research inform the way you portrayed them realistically in their natural environment?
Thank you for the very flattering comparison. The crow is an enthralling creature. It’s extremely intelligent and fascinating in the way it problem solves, grieves, and socializes. Its presence is ubiquitous in India, which makes it almost disappear into the landscape. I think its deep dark feathers are gorgeous and beautiful, but it doesn’t have the plumage or colors that make bird watchers look for it. Crow is just present, the ideal companion for Arya.
In the story, our main character, Rohan quotes Malala, saying “she was just eleven when Malala started fighting for girls’ education.” Rohan is also eleven in the story, and he wants to save the planet, too. What do you hope readers take away from Roar?
That each one of us, irrespective of our age, can make a difference. Finding your voice and Roar doesn’t happen overnight, sometimes it can take a lifetime, but finding your passion can give you a purpose.
In a previous interview for the Cynsations blog, you shared how the exercise of reading aloud together turns a book into a shared, magical event that forges real connections beyond borders and boundaries. Your own works were included in the Global Read Aloud program and championed by teachers committed to education and social justice across America and even in Japan, Korea, and India. How did being part of a long‑standing book club influence the way you write stories designed to be read aloud and shared across communities?
You’ll have to go back to my childhood. My grandfather, to whom this book is dedicated, would sit in a rocking chair on the verandah and read aloud to me. He read to Jane Austen and P.G. Woodhouse. It was music to my ears. I also write picture books which are designed to be read aloud. Years ago, I discovered that reading aloud made all the flaws of my writing visible to me in a way that reading silently doesn’t. It was a turning point in my journey as a writer. I also enjoy the musicality of the spoken word.
Having written picture books and middle-grade novels for varying age groups with valuable SEL (social emotional learning) and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) themes, what did you learn about yourself as a writer and as a human by moving across different stages of childhood?
I’ve learnt that typically, I’m driven to create by emotions that grab me. Sometimes, the emotion is outrage, concern, and disbelief. At other moments, it’s love and respect for nature and the changing seasons. Each project determines its own the audience.
Your first book, How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?, illustrated by Ivan Bates (Little, Brown, 2004), was published more than two decades ago. In another Cynsations interview on thriving as a long time actively publishing author, you shared that if you had to do it again, you’d protect yourself from being crushed by rejection and the hurtful silence of agents and editors. What have rejections taught you that you’d want artists in any discipline, at any stage, to hear?
Somewhere along the way, I cognitively restructured the word rejection. I learned that rejections are feedback. They help you to grow, reflect, learn, and move on. Agents and editors are not rejecting you; they’re rejecting a particular manuscript. They’re not rejecting all your work, or the manuscripts that you will bring to life in the future. Sometimes, the rejection is not of your work at all, but it doesn’t fit their imprint, or their editorial style, or they may have acquired something similar.
How do you celebrate success?
With meditation, reflection, travel, time spent in solitude, and with a plain sugar cookie and a steaming cup of chai.
What are you working on next?
I’m in the early stage of writing my next middle grade novel. I’m hard pressed to articulate my concept because it’s a jumble of images and thoughts. Honestly, at this stage I’m not even confident that it will one day be a novel, but I will work at it, and my muses will hopefully cooperate.
I do have three picture books under contract. Go Tuk Tuk Go! releases in Fall 2027 and is story of a rickshaw/Tuk Tuk that practices mindfulness. It’s illustrated by Bao Luu and published by Nancy Paulsen books, Penguin Random House.
Cynsational Notes
Varsha Bajaj is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade novel, Thirst, Count Me In, and Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood, which was shortlisted for the Cybils Award and included in the Spirit of Texas Reading program. She also wrote the picture books The Home Builders (a Dolly Parton Imagination library selection) and This is Our Baby, born Today (a Bank Street Best Book). She grew up in Mumbai, India, and when she came to the United States to obtain her master’s degree, her adjustment to the country was aided by her awareness of the culture through books. She lives in Houston, Texas.
Suma Subramaniam is a recruiter by day and children’s book author by night. She writes picture books, middle grade, chapter books, and poetry. Her works include Crystal Kite Award winner: Namaste Is A Greeting, New York Public Library Vibrant Voices Selection: She Sang For India, ILA Notable: My Name Is Long As A River, and the V. Malar series. Suma volunteers with SCBWI and We Need Diverse Books or blogs about children’s literature. Learn more at https://sumasubramaniam.com.