Rajani LaRocca | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Occupation | Writer, physician |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Rajani LaRocca is an Indian-American author of children's literature and a primary-care physician.[1][2] She writes middle grade fiction relating to Indian-American identity and medicine.[3][4] She won a 2022 Newbery Honor for her novel Red, White and Whole.[5]
Writing career[edit]
LaRocca enjoyed creative writing in high school and college, but stopped when she began attending medical school. She began writing again in 2011.[2] She signed with TriadaUS Literary Agency in 2017.[6]
Publications[edit]
Picture books[edit]
- LaRocca, Rajani (2020). Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math. Lee & Low Books Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-885008-97-8.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-04-20). Bracelets for Bina's Brothers. Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62354-129-3.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-08-24). Where Three Oceans Meet. Abrams. ISBN 978-1-64700-500-9.
- Summer is for Cousins (2021)[7]
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-08-31). My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-593-43022-4.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-09-14). The Secret Code Inside You: All About Your DNA. little bee books. ISBN 978-1-4998-1075-2.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2022-03-29). I'll Go and Come Back. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-0717-0.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2022-06-28). Chicken Soup for the Soul BABIES: Now! (Barks Dog). Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63289-339-0.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2022-10-25). Chicken Soup For the Soul KIDS: Lucas's Tricky Day: Looking on the Bright Side. Charlesbridge. ISBN 978-1-62354-283-2.
- A Vaccine is Like a Memory (2023)[2]
- Your One and Only Heart (2023)[6]
- Masala Chai, Fast and Slow (2023)[6]
Middle grade novels[edit]
- LaRocca, Rajani (2019-06-11). Midsummer's Mayhem. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4998-0889-6.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-02-02). Red, White, and Whole: A Newbery Honor Award Winner. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-304744-0.
- LaRocca, Rajani (2021-06-15). Much Ado About Baseball. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4998-1223-7.
- Switch (2022)[8]
- The Secret of the Dragon Gems (2023)[6]
- Mirror to Mirror (Quill Tree Books, 2023)[9]
- Sona and the Golden Beasts (2024)[6]
Personal life[edit]
LaRocca is of Tamil descent.[7] She was born in Bangalore,[6] but grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where she attended Louisville Collegiate School.[2] She moved to Boston for college.[2] She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School.[10]
She currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts[11] with her family.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Makhijani, Pooja. "Q & A with Rajani LaRocca". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Rath, Arun; Ruhalter, Kana (14 July 2023). "'A Vaccine is Like a Memory' teaches children about the history of vaccines". WGBH. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Smith, Vicky. "Out to the Ball Game With Rajani LaRocca". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Groban, Betsy (17 September 2021). "Physician, podcast host, and children's author Rajani LaRocca discusses her six-book year". Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Barron, Christina (2022-01-24). "'The Last Cuentista' wins 2022 Newbery Medal for best children's book". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b c d e f Cooper, Laura Fineberg (2023-07-18). "Interview: Kidlit Author Rajani LaRocca Discusses Four Eagerly Awaited Books". WRITERS' RUMPUS. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b Balaban, Samantha (5 August 2021). "Hop in the minivan: 'Summer Is for Cousins' invites you on a family vacation". NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Soleore, Keira (2021-09-16). "Getting to know the scope and breadth of author Rajani LaRocca's children's and middle grade books". International Examiner. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Author Interview: Rajani LaRocca". Only Picture Books. 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ LaRocca, Rajani (13 July 2021). "How I Managed to Get Six Books Published in 2021". Writer's Digest. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Boles, Sydney; Dearing, Tiziana (2 August 2022). "Local author Rajani LaRocca on writing complicated identities". WBUR. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Shohet West, Nancy (4 March 2022). "Even during the pandemic, these Greater Boston authors kept writing". Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 February 2024.