By Piranha T. 

Theodosia Throckmorton is hardly your average eleven-year-old girl. Not only is she the daughter of the Head Curator of the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London and is deemed unfortunately clever by most adults, she is also the only person who does anything to destroy the curses on the museum's artifacts when they arrive fresh from Egypt courtesy of her archaeologist mum. It's simple enough, really: with the help of her protective amulets and the advice of ancient texts, Theodosia has managed to keep the worst curses from wreaking havoc in the museum. If only her parents consented to wear gloves when touching the artifacts; it would make her job so much easier. But her parents seem to think she's peculiar rather than seeing the curses lurking around the museum at night, and Theodosia knows that if she tried to explain, they'd ship her straight off to boarding school. 

When Theodosia's mum returns from Egypt brimming with artifacts, Theodosia is prepared to spend the next few weeks rooting out the curses before they're put on display. She certainly doesn't expect a curse as vile as the one clinging to the Heart of Egypt her mum returns with--one which will leave England vulnerable to its enemies if left unchecked. 

Before Theodosia can decide what to do, though, the Heart of Egypt is stolen. And it's up to her to track it down and learn more about the Egyptian magic she's always experimented with in time to stop the curse. 

I've wanted to read Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos for years, and it didn't disappoint. Theodosia's character and narrative are absolutely perfect--upper-class, sophisticated, and with a touch of dry humor and seriousness which together make her extraordinarily endearing. The rest of the series is at the very top of my to-read list--I can't wait to read more about Theodosia, and see where LaFevers goes with the successive books! The world is also fully realized: the atmosphere of Edwardian England is skillfully evoked and blended with the Egyptian magic Theodosia discovers in the museum, which I enjoyed immensely. I laughed more than once, was surprised often, and loved the myriad characters, making this book thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who enjoy quirky historical fantasy, or to anyone who regularly identifies ancient curses by moonlight. 

By Piranha T.
 
For Rahul Kapoor, the beginning of seventh grade isn’t looking good. Yes, it will mean he’ll be able to see his best friend Chelsea even more regularly than he has over the summer. But he’ll also be at the mercy of bullies like Brent, who make fun of him for being Indian American. When he talks to his grandfather, Bhai, a week into the school year, he gives Rahul a piece of advice: find something, and become the best at it. Then nobody will be able to stop him.

No matter how hard Rahul tries, though, none of the activities he tries are quite right—until one of his teachers convinces him to join the Mathletes. Although he’s always dismissed its members as nerds, he begins to realize that math really can be fun. But what if he still can’t become ‘the best at it’? And even if it can, will it really help him figure out who he is?

The Best at It is an awesome, deeply relatable realistic fiction novel. Rahul is an incredibly sympathetic and real protagonist—his journey to accept all the parts of who he is really resonated with me, and I think it would with most middle schoolers, too. I highly recommend The Best at It to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T. 

Mayhap Ballanstain knows she must always obey her parents' four last rules:
 
Do not leave the house.
Do not go into the grass.
Wait for us.
Sleep darkly.

Those last words from sisters Mayhap, Winnow, and Pavoinne Ballanstain have been framed on the wall of their bedroom since their parents disappeared into the strange, swaying silver grass which surrounds Straygarden Place. But Mayhap would have known better than to enter the grass even without the warning: it is thick and strange, reaching to the roof and slipping in through open windows and unattended keyholes.

Do not leave the house.

Mayhap and her sisters have never had a reason to leave Straygarden Place. The house provides for their every need: making them food, dressing them in the morning, and even giving them droomhunds so that they can sleep without the blinding white light which disturbs the dreams of any Ballanstain.
Do not go into the grass.

But when Mayhap's older sister, Winnow, does just that--and returns dramatically changed--Mayhap must learn the truth about Straygarden Place, their parents, and herself.

Wait for us.
Sleep darkly.

Having read and loved Hayley Chewins's first novel, The Turnaway Girls, I found myself with high expectations for The Sisters of Straygarden Place--and it exceeded them all. The Sisters of Straygarden Place blew me away, its immersive, expansive prose pulling me into it from the first page to an atmospheric world full of floating trees and silver grass and strange, unquenchable magic and twined with mystery. There was nowhere where this book felt slow or confusing--indeed, any time where this book was anything less than engrossing, twisting, and full of hidden magic. It brims with the strange and the unexpected, with startling revelations and brilliant imagery, but what drives it are the underlying threads of discovery and emotion which make Mayhap--indeed, all the characters--shine so brightly. They feel so real I could touch them and talk to them, and I knew and believed in every one of them by the end of this story. I highly recommend The Sisters of Straygarden Place to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who find atmosphere and characters crucial to a story as well as a plot full of the startling and beautiful. 

​By Piranha T. 

It's the beginning of another school year, and absolutely nothing is going right for sixth grader Merci Suárez. At Seaward Pines Academy, the expensive private school she and her older brother, Roli, attend on scholarship, Merci feels constantly out of place, whether it's because of the constant bullying of Edna Santos, whose life's mission seems to be to lead her possy of friends to make Merci miserable, or something as small as the massive packages of school pictures all the other families have ordered, while hers opts for the least expensive one. Plus, this year, Merci's been chosen as a Sunshine Buddy--an assigned friend to help new students adjust to Seaward Pines. It's the last thing Merci wants to do, particularly when she definitely doesn't fit in at Seaward Pines herself. 

And everything at home isn't much better. Merci lives with her extended family in Las Casitas, which is usually wonderful. But now she can't try out for the soccer team because she has to watch her twin cousins after school. And her grandfather, Lolo, is starting to act strangely--forgetting their names and getting into strange arguments with his family. 

Merci's life is turning upside-down. But maybe all the changes will help her change for the better, too. 

Merci Suárez Changes Gears is a relatable, fast-paced middle-grade novel. The characters and situations in this book are particularly realistic to me, and felt modern and universally identifiable for middle schoolers. I particularly enjoyed reading about Merci's family--they all interact and bounce off one another naturally, and both their characters and their relationships felt incredibly realistic. I recommend Merci Suárez Changes Gears to readers ages ten and up who enjoy realistic fiction novels. 

​By Piranha T. 

Two qualities are revered above all others in Ayortha: beauty and a strong singing voice. And though Aza has a voice befitting royalty--and has learned the trick of throwing it so that it seems as though her songs are coming from anywhere she likes--physical beauty has never been one of her attributes, as she is reminded seemingly every day, when she's cruelly shunned by visitors to her family's inn. 

When Aza is invited to a royal wedding, she thinks of it as an honor which will soon pass. Instead, she is pulled into the role of Lady in Waiting to the new queen, who has a plan for Aza's skills. The queen feels her singing voice will not live up to society's expectations, and so she commands Aza to be her voice for her--to project her voice so that it seems as though the queen herself is singing. 

Aza doesn't like the deception, but the queen leaves her no choice. Reluctantly, Aza does as she asks--but not all is as it seems. And if Aza can't unravel the web of deceptions and magic in Ayortha's capital soon, it will cost her her life. 

A fairy-tale of a story threaded with elements of 'Sleeping Beauty', Fairest is a fantasy full of snatches of Aza's songs. I liked Aza and the conflicts, both external and internal, of her and the other characters, which made the story feel authentic. I particularly enjoyed how Gail Carson Levine brings in the stringent and unfair beauty ideals of fairy tales in a story reminiscent of 'Sleeping Beauty', one of the worst offenders on this particular topic. Fairest is set in the same world as Ella Enchanted, but despite overlap in places and a few characters, they remain wholly independent of one another, and you can easily read Fairest without any prior knowledge of Ella Enchanted. I recommend Fairest to readers ages ten and up looking for an interesting, absorbing fairy tale retelling. 

By Piranha T.

When things start getting weird at school for twelve-year-old Mila, she repeats what her best friends have told her: it’s not weird. It was just a hug, after all, a birthday hug, but didn’t it last a little too long to be comfortable? But it doesn’t end there. There are more hugs, more strange comments, boys standing a little too close to her, until Mila can’t dismiss it anymore. She can’t even call it ‘flirting’, like her best friend Zara. The same group of boys continues to bother her in a way which isn’t bullying, isn’t teasing, but then, what’s she supposed to call it? She knows she can’t tell her mom, not when she’s having so much trouble at work. And how can she explain it to anyone else when it feels so weird, so personal?

But then Mila begins taking karate lessons, and they help her realize that she’s not defenseless. More than that, maybe she can figure out how to confront the boys, and make herself heard.

Maybe He Just Likes You is a thought-provoking novel which explores sexual harassment, friendship, and reality. Barbara Dee tackles harder topics in this book in a way which is both realistic and accessible, which makes it particularly pertinent. All the characters in this feel extraordinarily well-rounded, especially Mila’s friends; she honestly has one of the most natural friend circles I’ve seen in middle-grade, who don’t always stand by her even when she’s struggling but remain relatable and strong. I highly recommend Maybe He Just Likes You to readers ages ten and up, whether you’re looking for a thought-provoking read or just a realistic fiction novel which feels indisputably true.

By Piranha T. 

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper of the oracular pig Hen Wen--a duty which he feels should be noble and meaningful, but instead leads to nothing remotely interesting. He longs to leave his home at Caer Dallben and adventure out into the world, where he imagines a world where heroes like Prince Gwydion keep evil at bay, and peril is never distant. 

But when Hen Wen escapes, and Taran follows her, he quickly learns that his dreams of sword-wielding heroism are not quite as he thought. Not only that, but Hen Wen may be in mortal danger--for the Horned King, the latest champion of the nefarious Arawn, is also searching for her as he seeks to rule all of the land of Prydain. And only Hen Wen knows the secret to defeating him. 

Now Taran must find Hen Wen before the Horned King--all while avoiding the dark beings sent to find her first. He finds help, too, though: from the hero Gwydion, who is very different from how he imagined him; from Fflewddur Fflam, a bard with a penchant from embellishing the truth; and from Eilonwy, a strong-willed girl who knows a bit about magic. But will it be enough to find Hen Wen in time, and save Prydain? 

The Book of Three is one of my enduring fantasy favorites, and when I reread it this summer, I found it just as good as I remembered. Alexander's prose is engrossing, his characters well-defined. Eilonwy in particular I feel the need to bring attention to; although far from perfect, and less so in successive books, she is one of the few female characters in fantasy of this era who has an interesting personality and a life beyond the male characters, although they do invariably stereotype her into the habitual and tight gender roles of this world. The land of Prydain (based on Welsh mythology) is interesting as well; for those who enjoy the inspiration of Welsh mythology in books like Over Sea, Under Stone, this series is particularly recommended. I recommend The Book of Three (and the successive books in the five-volume Chronicles of Prydain) to readers ages ten and up who enjoy high fantasy novels. 

​By Piranha T. 

Serafina lives in the basement of Biltmore Estate with her pa, staying out of the sight of the rich folk who live upstairs, and heeding her pa's warning to always stay out of the encircling forest. Her pa does maintenance work for the rich Vanderbilts who own the estate, but they don't know Serafina exists. She spends her time prowling the basement and systematically catching the estate's rats. Only occasionally does she venture upstairs to stare around, unnoticed, at the opulence of the Vanderbilts and their guests, or borrow an unattended book from their vast library. 

But when Serafina sees a stranger in the basement--a stranger who wraps his slithering black cloak around a girl from upstairs and subsumes her--Serafina knows she must tell someone what she saw. And when her pa doesn't believe her, Serafina has no choice but to break the rules she's followed all her life and venture upstairs to find someone who will. And she does: she finds Braeden, the Vanderbilts' nephew. 

Serafina knows she has to find the Man in the Black Cloak before he takes more children, and as she gets to know Braeden she discovers he feels the same. Their search will take them out of Biltmore and into the forbidden forest, full of strange, dark magic and whispering secrets. Can Serafina and Braeden discover the Man in the Black Cloak's identity before more children are taken--or will one of them be his next victim? 

Serafina and the Black Cloak is an atmospheric novel full of mystery, secrets, and dark magic. Set in the late 1800s at Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, where the Vanderbilts really lived, this book feels as though it captures both the historical and regional setting in a really cool way. I loved Serafina's determination and personality, and she constantly surprised me in the best possible ways. This book is part-fantasy and part-mystery, as Braeden and Serafina are searching for the identity of the Man in the Black Cloak, but it also shares its touch of creepiness/horror with books such as The Sisters of Straygarden Place and A Path Begins, so if you've liked either of those, I think this could also be enjoyable. I recommend Serafina and the Black Cloak to readers ages ten and up who enjoy dark historical fantasy full of questions and mysteriousness. 

By SK

Sixth grader Ellie loves swimming in her pool, poetry, and Latin music. She's at the top of her class, and adores animals, especially her pug, Gigi. But ever since she was five years old, Ellie's biggest focus has been on not standing out to avoid giving the people who torment her about her weight any more reason to target her. And with her best friend moving away, her parents arguing constantly, and her mom pushing for weight loss surgery if the latest diet she's found doesn't work, Ellie's even more determined to stick to the list of Fat Girl Rules she's created to help her blend in. 

But not everything goes according to plan. A cheerful, guitar-playing new girl moves in next door. Her parents bring Ellie to a therapist who she hates at first, but who turns out to be highly perceptive (and quite quirky). And Ellie begins to realize that maybe, just maybe, she doesn't need to be fixed or changed at all to be worthy of respect and love.

A wonderful, sometimes heartbreaking story about loving yourself and standing up to your detractors, I thoroughly enjoyed Starfish. Ellie is a deeply compelling character--amusing, caring, and increasingly brave--and it's a joy to watch her progression throughout the book as she learns to take up space, stand up to her bullies, and love herself. Bullying has become a common theme in middle grade books--and the cruelty of some characters makes parts of the book hard to read--but the nuance Fipps brings to her exploration of the topic, and especially the challenge of finding a way to stand up to your detractors while not becoming a bully yourself, set Starfish apart. And this is the first book I can recall reading that openly and honestly called out body-shaming and fatphobia, issues which a huge number of people, including kids and teens, face, yet gets very little attention from storytellers. Yet the characters aren't preachy, one-dimensional, or simply vehicles for making a point--they're human. The story is written in compelling free verse, making it a fast, engaging read that mirrors Ellie's love of poetry. Honest, unflinching, and warm, I would highly recommend Starfish to readers ages ten and up, and also for book groups or discussions. 

By Piranha T.
 
Alex Mosher knows he’s never been like other kids. When he sees a dog on the street, instead of playing with it, he dreams up tales of it as a harbinger of death. And while other kids try to forget their nightmares, he writes them down in journals he calls his nightbooks, crafting horror stories just like the ones he loves to watch and read. The kids at school tease him for his obsession with creepy things. At last, Alex decides he’s done with being different, and descends to the basement of his apartment building to burn his nightbooks.

But on the way down, he gets captured by a witch named Natacha, and becomes caught up in a story much more terrifying than the ones he’s always written. Natacha only keeps him alive for his stories, one each night—creepy stories from the nightbooks Alex intended to destroy.

​But Alex knows he isn’t the first kid to get lured into Natacha’s apartment. And now he’s only one of two left. Natacha will keep him alive for his stories, but for how long? And more importantly—can he escape first?

I’m not usually a fan of creepy stories, but after reading J. A. White’s Thickety quartet, I decided to give Nightbooks a try. I’m glad I did. Nightbooks is an interesting and multilayered novel, somewhere between Hansel and Gretel and The Arabian Nights, full of quirks and interesting characters. There were a few twists which took me completely by surprise, in a good way! I like Alex and the supporting cast, from the witch Natacha to her ornery cat, Lenore. Although there were certainly creepier elements in Nightbooks, I think this is definitely a book which can be enjoyed by readers who don’t always like horror as well as those who do. I recommend Nightbooks to readers ages ten and up who like books about stories and unique twists on fairy tales. 

​By Piranha T. 

Eighth grader Nicki Ames knows that Ava is her best friend. That's how it's been since third grade: Nicki and Ava sleeping over at each other's houses, partnering up in classes, and hanging out after school. When their gym teacher tells everyone to pair up with their best friend, Nicki doesn't have to consider. 

Only Ava walks over to Britney--one of the popular girls--instead. 

Maybe Nicki's been abandoned in front of her whole class. Or maybe Ava is just branching out, right? Maybe Nicki is reading into it too much. Ava will just explain everything soon, and the world will be normal again. 

But she doesn't, and it isn't. Ava barely talks to Nicki, leaving her confused and unsure. If Ava is being a bad best friend, does that mean Nicki should just wait for her to come around? Or is this her opportunity to strike out on her own? 

Bad Best Friend is one of the most realistic, relatable novels I've read in a long time. Everything from conversations to characters to events feels spot-on and complicated in all the right ways. Nicki's struggle to decide who she is beyond Ava--and whether she wants to find out--never felt forced, and I like her as a character for her many layers and feelings which often conflicted with one another. Her family dynamic was also extremely well-drawn. I highly recommend Bad Best Friend to readers ages ten and up looking for an incredibly authentic and engrossing realistic fiction novel. 

By Piranha T.

In Middle-Earth, a world full of wizards and humans, dwarves and elves, and many darker creatures who dwell in the shadows where none but evil dare to tread, there is one race not troubled with light and dark or terrible wars. The hobbits of the Shire live peacefully in their round-doored hobbit-holes, enjoying uneventful serenity, with an emphasis on frequent, delicious meals. They are not the types to go on adventures or gallivant about with dwarves or wizards. And especially not hobbits from a family so respectable, so down-to-earth, as the Bagginses.

Yet when the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves appear at Bilbo Baggins’ front door one afternoon, he finds himself caught up in a strange business which can only be described as an adventure. Long ago, the dragon Smaug descended from the north and destroyed the halls ruled by the dwarf Thorin’s forefathers, Lonely Mountain, a place once full of numberless riches and excellent craftmanship. Now, it is a tomb to the dead, and Smaug sits atop the dwarves’ ancestral gold. The dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, have planned a dangerous quest: to slay the dragon and, at last, win back what once was theirs. And they wish for Bilbo Baggins to be the final member of their company.

Despite his initial misgivings, Bilbo accompanies the dwarves and Gandalf on the journey to Lonely Mountain. The path is long and perilous, crossing dangerous mountains, vast plains, a forest darkened by shadowy beasts, and at last the desolation of Smaug which surrounds the mountain itself.

Hobbits have never been a people for adventuring. But perhaps Bilbo will be the crucial piece in the journey to Lonely Mountain.

I find myself now rereading The Hobbit, and I can see quite clearly why it is such a fantasy classic. J. R. R. Tolkien’s story is not only full of danger and adventure, but also spots of humor, interesting characters, and excellent writing. Although this book is more sedately paced than more modern fantasy novels, it isn’t less engaging, as it is often seen as; instead, it is simply written in a different style.

As someone who loves excellent worldbuilding, Middle-Earth is high on my list. The lands this book travels through are distinct and multilayered, as are the creatures who dwell there. Each race—mainly humans, hobbits, dwarves, and elves—is distinct and well-defined. Tolkien clearly knew this universe very well, including its history; to those who love distinct fantasy worlds, I also highly recommend The Silmarillion, a prequel Tolkien wrote concerning the history of Middle-Earth. Tolkien’s novels of Middle-Earth are some of my favorites. I highly recommend The Hobbit to readers ages ten and up.

By SK

​Former best friends Cora Hamed and Quinn McCauley haven't talked in almost a year. That's how long it has been since Cora's older sister Mabel was killed in a school shooting, a tragedy made even worse by the fact that the shooter was Quinn's older brother. 

What sort of traitorous sister would talk to Quinn after that? Cora ignores Quinn completely, throwing herself into school and Quiz Bowl practice--and trying not to think about Mabel's lip gloss and stuffed animals in their shared bedroom which she can't bring herself to pack up. 

No one at school talks to Quinn, and no one in Quinn's family talks about what Parker did. Her mom blames her dad for owning guns in the first place, her dad blames the terrible things Parker read online, and secretly, Quinn is certain that it was her all own fault for not preventing the shooting when she had the chance. It's been almost a year since it happened, and when she thinks of her brother, Quinn is still torn between horror and fury and treacherous threads of love for the boy Parker used to be. 

But soon, none of that will matter. Because Quinn has a plan to fix everything. The only problem is that she needs help from someone else to execute it, someone she trusts who is smart and imaginative and would understand just how important this is. And there's only one person who fits that description.

Cora is a very smart, very logical person who is very sure that she will never be friends with Quinn ever again, and at first she ignores Quinn's attempts to reach out. Besides--time travel? Changing the past to fix the future? It seems impossible--but maybe only the impossible can make things right. And working with Quinn on her plan isn't betraying Mabel, since they're trying to save her, right?

As Cora and Quinn brainstorm, research, and experiment, flickers of their old friendship begin to resurface, and their growing closeness seems like less and less of a problem--after all, soon enough they'll have fixed the past, and there'll be no reason for them not be be best friends anymore. But wormholes are considerably harder to come by than they expected, as is overcoming the grief, anger, and blame which is still between them.  

Time travel itself might not fix everything. But trying to figure it out might just be the key to finally beginning to heal. 

The Shape of Thunder both exceeded my high expectations, and was completely different from what I was expecting, and its exploration of loss, friendship, grief, and healing is original, timely, and ultimately hopeful. The plot is relatively straightforward, yet the story has striking depth, and is written with compassion, eloquence, and a laudable willingness to explore complexity. I really loved Cora and Quinn, each of whom are flawed and struggling, but also full of love, loyalty, and determination, and are distinct both from each other and from the protagonists in the many other books I've read. The supporting characters are also excellent, and Mabel and Parker (or rather, the other characters' memories of them) are particularly skillfully portrayed and interestingly layered. The Shape of Thunder is an excellent selection for book groups or discussion, and the Author's Note includes resources for how to get involved in ending gun violence. A heartbreaking, beautiful story about friendship, tragedy, the love which can tear us apart, and the love which puts us back together again, I would highly recommend The Shape of Thunder to readers ages ten and up. 

Note: Jasmine Warga is also the author of Other Words for Home. 

By Piranha T. 

More than anything, Riley Oh has always wanted to have magic. Her sister, Hattie, does, just like everyone else in their community of Korean-American witch clans hidden out in the middle of LA. But Riley is a saram--someone born without magic, an ordinary human, adopted by the Ohs soon after she was born. And though her adoptive family is awesome--particularly Hattie, who's Riley's age and the best sister ever--the rest of the Gifted community definitely doesn't think she belongs. 

So when Riley and Hattie discover a spell which allows them to share Hattie's magic between them, they're ready to perform it, no matter what. But everything changes when the spell doesn't go as planned--and it turns out the cost might be Hattie's life. 

Riley's last hope to save her sister is a bargain with the Cave Bear Goddess, but of course agreements with immortals can never be simple. Not only does she give Riley a task she has no idea how to complete--finding the Godrealm's last fallen star--she also has a time limit. If Riley can't find the star, and fast, Hattie will be gone forever. 

With the help of friends, a magical scooter, and the last person Riley ever would have expected, it's up to her to find the last fallen star and bring it to the Cave Bear Goddess before her time is up. But as Riley begins to uncover secrets which were never intended to be revealed, she has to decide what it really means to belong--and what she's willing to give up to fit in. 

The Last Fallen Star blends myth with the modern day in a story full of action, adventure, and awesomeness. Riley is a brilliant protagonist who I love--she's determined, funny, and immensely relatable, and I'm glad there will be two more books about her to enjoy! I also love her relationship with Hattie--the strength of the love between them is palpable throughout and one of the best sister relationships I've read. Graci Kim creates a complete world which feels real, with a cast of unique supporting characters who are all interesting and fun. Perhaps the most standout part of this book is the plot--every time I thought I knew just a little where it was going I was wrong, and a constant flow of action, surprises, and laughs made this book speed by until I couldn't believe I'd reached the end. I highly recommend The Last Fallen Star to readers ages ten and up who love fantasy adventures with strong characters, a fast-paced plot, and a fully realized world. I can't wait for book two! 

By SK

When eleven-year-old Viji runs away from home with her twelve-year-old sister, Rukku, she hopes to find a better life in the city, and maybe even the chance to someday fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. But the city is nothing like she expected, filled with a flood of noise and trash and movement--and very few opportunities for two inexperienced girls who are suddenly on their own. And she has to be careful to keep Rukku away from anyone who might try to put her in a "mental institution," a possibility which she has always feared. The reality of surviving on the streets seems grim, to say the least.

But then the sisters meet Arul and Muthi, two boys who are also homeless, and are introduced to a new world--one of struggling to find food, and gathering trash to sell from Himalayas of garbage, yes, but also of sleeping on an old bridge above a glittering river at night, not being ordered around by anyone, and forming a bond which quickly becomes unbreakable. With every day she lives on the streets, Viji feels her dreams of being a teacher, and of ever finding a better life, drifting farther and farther from reach. But with Rukku, Arul, and Muthi by her side, life's obstacles seem more like adventures than problems, and she and Rukku are the happiest they've ever been--until everything they've worked so hard to build begins to come apart. 

The Bridge Home is rich with compassion, hope, and humanity. The irresistible characters aren't deeply complex, yet are filled with life and energy and motion; Viji is strong, determined, and fiercely loyal, and Rukku is incredibly lovable, kind, and far more talented than most people bother to find out. I was struck by how despite frequently facing dire circumstances, the protagonists still manage to have fun and be silly, ordinary kids. Their moments of triumph and true happiness make their heartbreaking ones even more wrenching (I cried quite a bit!), and the story gives a glimpse into the lives of millions of children whose stories aren't often told. In the author's note, Venkatraman notes that The Bridge Home is based on real stories she gathered from a variety of interviews and conversations, which I wasn't surprised to learn, given how deftly she brings the story to life. A piercing, beautiful story of survival, loss, friendship and sisterhood, I would highly recommend The Bridge Home to readers ages ten and up.