Meet The Author
About Avani
Avani Chhaya, a Midwest native with roots that span across oceans, is an avid storyteller. She is beaming about publishing her first book, Lakshmi at the Lake. She brings a background filled with teaching, nonprofit work, and educational policy. Avani aspires to tell stories that spotlight the beauty of the South Asian experience.
Avani’s work featured has been featured in the Library Love Story and the Common Ground Series on KUT, ORANGE Magazine, VISIBLE Magazine, Reappropriate, Wilderness House Literary Review, The Austin Chronicle, The Liberator Magazine, Red Weather, and in Elisabet Ney's Suffrage Now Exhibit.
Read more about her books below!
Lakshmi at the Lake
Book Description
Lakshmi’s week is chock-full of adventure! From admiring sprawling cypress trees with Mama to birding with Daddy, and packing parathas for picnics with Nani, Lakshmi is eager to explore every inch of the great outdoors. But she soon realizes there is much more to each place than meets the eye. What will she uncover at the lake? In a stirring story about the joys of being in nature, author Avani Chhaya reminds us that the greatest experiences, and even greater discoveries, can often be made in our own backyard and shared with the ones we love.
How To Buy This Book
Purchase Lakshmi at the Lake here, directly at Stirred Stories. You can also find Lakshmi at the Lake on Bookshop.org, Barnesandnoble.com, Amazon.com, and Walmart.com. Happy reading!
Book Review
“Lakshmi at the Lake taps seamlessly into the curiosity of a child discovering the wonders of the natural world. Through beautiful illustrations, and simple but effective storytelling that celebrates one of the various cultures that make up the tapestry of this country, the book also encapsulates what a modern Indian-American family looks like. By the end of this book, I wanted to join Lakshmi and her family down by the lake.” — Vishakha Darbha, Audio Producer at The New York Times and contributor to award-winning anthology my culture is not a costume
Let’s Go Bird-Watching!
Come along and let's go birding with the characters in Lakshmi at the Lake by making a set of homemade binoculars.
Supply List:
• Two toilet paper rolls
• Twine or ribbon
• Glue or tape
• Stickers
Begin by having the adult / caregiver make a small hole in each toilet paper roll. Tie the twine to the toilet paper roll on each side. Then, glue or tape the toilet paper rolls together with the twine facing out. Now, it's time to decorate your binoculars! For our binoculars, we chose nature-themed stickers for a mess-free activity.
Now, we are ready to explore the beautiful outdoors with our homemade binoculars!
Finding Lakshmi at the Lake on a library shelf is the sweetest treat.
Urbana Free Library
Evanston Public Library
Indianapolis Public Library
Events
December 2024
Book Launch at Booked Evanston
July 2025
July 2025
Book signing at Barnes & Noble
Schaumburg, Illinois
August 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble
Tulsa, Oklahoma
February 2025
Storytime at Rogers Park Branch,
Chicago Public Library
June 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble,
Schererville, Indiana
August 2025
July 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble,
Lennox Town, Ohio
July 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble
Deer Park, Illinois
August 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble
Springfield, Missouri
August 2025
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble
Topeka, Kansas
September 2025
Storytime at Barnes & Noble
Chicago, Illinois
April 2025
Tabling at Evanston Ecology's Earth Day
Storytime at Dandelion Bookshop
Oak Park, Illinois
July 2025
Storytime at Bookends & Beginnings,
Evanston, Illinois
Storytime at Barnes & Noble,
Dublin, Ohio
I Spy…
Did you spot these items in Lakshmi at the Lake?
• One brown bear water bottle
• A sunflower satchel
• One mirrored kurta
• A gorilla book
Author's Note
My first book, Lakshmi at the Lake, has been such a labor of love. The characters in the book are modeled after my little family, and the illustrations include a few of our favorite things. As a writer, I am passionate about diversifying children's literature and ensuring that dynamic, multi-dimensional South Asian characters are brightly shown in books.
Storytime Stations
Station: Be an illustrator
Draw your favorite scene from the book.
Station: Make your own animal
There were so many interesting animals in Lakshmi at the Lake! Construct your own animal with these supplies.
Station: I spy
Can you find these items in the book?
Station: Pack a picnic
Make a mango lassi & roll a paratha for your pretend picnic (just like Nani and Lakshmi!).
Station: Make homemade binoculars
Go on an adventure with Lakshmi by constructing your own binoculars!
Jersey City Free Public Library System Jersey City, NJ
K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library Aberdeen, SD
Multnomah County Library Portland, OR
Schaumburg Township District Library Schaumburg, IL
St Charles Public Library Saint Charles, IL
Three Rivers Public Library District Channahon, IL
Urbana Free Library Urbana, IL
Warren County Public Library Bowling Green, KY
Whitmore Library Cottonwood Heights, UT
Where can you find Lakshmi at the Lake?
Baltimore County Public Library Towson, MD
Billings Public Library Billings, MT
Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service Salem, OR
Ela Area Public Library District Lake Zurich, IL
Evanston Public Library Evanston, IL
Fountaindale Public Library District Bolingbrook, IL
Harold Washington Library Center Chicago, IL
Indian Prairie Public Library Darien, IL
Indianapolis Public Library Indianapolis, IN
