Walk a mile in my shoes
Two grade eight girls—one a rich bully, the other a new immigrant – mysteriously switch bodies. Much is learned.
September 15th, 2026
Review by Heidi Greco
The easiest and clearest way to describe this book is as a contemporary version of “Freaky Friday,” the 2003 movie about a rock band, guitar-playing teen and her professional mother switching bodies. But instead of the swap being between a mother and daughter, here it’s between two grade eight girls, one of whom is, frankly, a spoiled brat.
Riya Khatau lives in West Vancouver but has been kicked out of her private school, so is now getting chauffeured to a public school in Burnaby where her mother hopes she might “…learn about respect and the value of money.” Yet it doesn’t seem she’s learning much, especially about respect, as she’s already become best friends with two girls who could only be called “mean.” This group of three seems to revel in tossing insults at nearly everyone they encounter, and their bullying insults have quite the effect: ’Out of my way!’ Charlotte – Char to her friends – calls out as we march down the corridor,” says Riya. “A terrified boy flattens himself against the wall. Most others move aside.”
But even with the security of her new friends, referred to as “the coven,” Riya can’t help but be curious about Saanvi, a girl she considers “ordinary” yet who somehow, despite her unfashionable clothes, intrigues her. Riya is also secretly hurt when her friends refer to Saanvi as “fresh off the boat” as she knows her own parents only came to Canada as teens.
When the class makes a field trip to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, a room holding special artifacts radiates a mysterious force that causes Riya and Saanvi to switch into the other’s body. And there begins the important lessons Riya must learn.
Saanvi’s home (where Riya, in this “new” body must go) is modest; her parents run a corner store and the family lives above it. Saanvi’s bed is a simple cot, but there is so much in the home that makes up for what Riya, at first, deems to be lacking. The food that Saanvi’s grandmother Nani makes is amazing – no more of the boring “health food” her family’s housekeeper provides—and actually has flavour. Some of the dishes remind Riya of her own grandmother (“Dadi”) and the delicious foods she prepared during her last visit to Canada.
But it’s not just the food that’s different (and better!) at Saanvi’s home. Everyone in the family works hard to keep the store going, despite the fact that there’s always much to do and that shoplifters frequent the place. What Riya sees is a family where everyone works together and gets along despite the day-to-day challenges – a far cry from her own. Her parents favour her brother and barely seem to have time for her. Unlike Saanvi’s family, who take joy in spending a precious evening watching a classic Bollywood film together, Riya contemplates the fact that her family never does much of anything together. It doesn’t take too long for Riya to conclude that love matters more than money. But, the dilemma that remains is a big one: How can she get back into her own physical body?
She knows it likely means getting back to the museum at UBC, but without her usual ride from the family chauffeur, even this presents difficulties. Fortunately, Riya is smart enough that when Nani reveals she knows something is up and offers advice, she pays attention and listens. Because the real Saanvi is also unhappy in her “new family” (even though she’d previously envied the material wealth she’d seen), the two girls make a plan to visit the museum together with high hopes that they might switch back to their real selves.
The lessons each of them gains are important ones—about sharing and caring and letting go of things that don’t matter. This book, Not Myself Today (Orca Currents $10.95) also offers a number of cultural insights and does so with respect. The story is peppered with South Asian terms when mentioning food or clothing. And while Orca deserves recognition for all they’ve done by providing books that meet the needs of all young readers and honouring diversity, this book would have served both ends better had a glossary and a pronunciation guide been included. Still, Orca’s exemplary leadership is one we can only hope more publishers will lean into. 9781459842335
Like the two girls in this story, Heidi Greco is someone who appreciates the flavours of home cooking. Heidi used to keep a blog called “What’s fer supper?”
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