Shakti is a middle grades graphic novel about a twelve year old Indian American girl who must face the challenges of moving to a new school and learning to control the magic she has inherited from one of her moms. 

On her first day at her new school, Shakti makes friends with Xi. And soon she finds a few girls to avoid, the dreaded mean girls who are dubbed HEK for their first initials. HEK has the school under it's thumb and maybe it's spell? Even the teachers let HEK get away with anything they want. 

Told with several vignettes of Durga Ma and Kali Ma, this book is full of beautiful art and Indian traditions. The ever helpful Durga Ma cannot be summoned for magic with any malice in your heart or her reverse, the evil Kali Ma will appear. This book is both written and illustrated by Tamil folks and I learned so much, and I love how the story they crafted brought awareness to and drew meaning from Indian beliefs. 

This is top notch literature. I can't wait to read this with my son when he's a little older.