When Sita moves to a new school, her hair is the first thing everyone notices—long, shiny, and impossible to ignore. At first, being different feels awkward. But with a little encouragement from her mom, Sita learns to see her hair as something to celebrate. Then she hears a heartbreaking story about a child with cancer, and a spark of kindness turns her self-consciousness into courage. Could her long hair become a gift that changes someone’s life?
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Sita Reddy and her family have relocated from Chennai, India, to America. Being the new student in class comes with its challenges. The stares. The whispers. Sita really wants to fit in at her new school, but the unwelcome attention to her long, black hair is making her feel self-conscious. Sita decides to hide in the shadows, keeping to herself, but she must come into the light eventually, and that’s when this story starts tugging on heartstrings.
Misunderstandings can stem from many reasons. For Sita, it stemmed from a classmate who kept staring at her very long hair. She thought he had an issue with it but soon discovered the real reason behind his stares. Chris’s sister has cancer, and he would love to grow his hair out to make a wig for his sister. Unfortunately, his hair is not growing fast enough. His stare was in wonderment; how did Sita grow her hair so long? The sweet gesture and the sadness in Chris’s eyes were touching. Sita’s plan to cut and donate her hair to a cancer charity was also very moving.
Me and My Long, Long Hair is a sweet, heartfelt story that shows how one’s act of kindness can bring sunshine to another’s dreary day. Though Sita is right, “hair is just hair,” but to those who have lost it due to chemo, a wig brings them joy. It offers them a reason to smile. To hope.
Sita’s act of kindness did not stop with donating her hair; she rallied her classmates to create a fundraiser to raise awareness about kids with cancer. Hair or money, a little bit goes a long way!
I highly recommend reading this heartwarming story with your family or class. I also recommend reading and completing (at least) one option from “Ways to Help.” Let’s eradicate cancer and support cancer patients and their families!
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Meet the Author
Award-winning author Pria Dee believes that it’s important for children to learn about the wonderful differences in other cultures, as well as how hard life can be. In her new children’s picture book Little Moe Can’t Fly, she depicts the struggles of a little gosling who is a late bloomer face. The story of a gosling from hatching to migration also deals with the emotional distress that is experienced by children when they feel they are “slow” to learn. In this poignant story, Dee describes how maternal love can support a little one through these insecurities.
Pria has an active imagination and often weaves her stories around ideas that pop into her head, spurred by current events, personal observations, and her imagination. She thinks a wonderful children’s story shows empathy and involves relatable characters. She hopes her young readers come away from her books with a glimpse of another’s life and learn both the similarities and differences in their own lives.
When she isn’t writing thoughtful and enlightening stories to children, Pria enjoys reading, walking, painting, drawing, and listening to music. She also appreciates spending time in nature, often with her dog, and draws inspiration from it. She is also the published author of an adult novel under a different pen name.
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