Boomi's Boombox

Acclaimed author Shanthi Sekaran delivers a powerful story about grief, family, dance, and friendship that follows a young girl who accidentally travels back in time to meet her dad as a child that will change her life forever. Perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and The Ethan I Was Before. A Junior Library Guild Selection!

When Boomi’s dad dies of Covid, the rest of her life topples like a row of dominoes. First her best friend, Bebe, stops talking to her. Then she gets kicked out of her ballet academy. Her mom becomes hyper focused on her weight. Her grandmother sinks further into the shadows of her mind.

Then Boomi is given one last gift from her dad: his old boombox. Inside it, she finds a mix tape and a note: You can change your life. When she presses play on the boombox, her life really does change: she’s magically transported to Thumpton-on-Soar, England, 1986. And her dad’s there!

But he doesn’t know he’s her dad—he’s twelve, just like Boomi. Boomi starts to see what being twelve was like for her dad, growing up Indian in a town that wanted to silence people like him. She starts to understand why he never went back. But why is Boomi sent back to Thumpton? Is she supposed to save her dad? Or change her life?

• A Time-Traveling Boombox: Boomi’s only connection to her late father is his old boombox. But when she presses play, it doesn’t just play music—it sends her back to 1986.
• A Father Daughter Relationship Across Time: Boomi gets the impossible chance to meet her dad, but he’s not her father yet. He’s Jeevan, a twelve-year-old boy who has no idea who she really is.
• A Rich 1980s Setting: From mix tapes and boomboxes to the challenges of growing up in a small English town, Boomi discovers the world her dad grew up in.
• Heartfelt Friendship Stories: While grieving her dad, Boomi also has to navigate a painful falling-out with her best friend, Bebe, and learn what friendship really means.
• A Powerful Story for Dancers: Kicked out of her ballet academy for not having the “right” body, Boomi’s journey is a moving exploration of dance, self-acceptance, and body positivity.