I chose this book last summer, I think, during a free cereal book giveaway, and I chose it because it had earned the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. It did not disappoint.
It’s a book about children, and for children, but its themes may be upsetting. For instance, my ten-year-old does not like in movies or books when people die if she did not expect it, and I had to warn her about a death in this book. That is all I will say about plot spoilers.
The novel is essentially a letter that main character Viji is writing to her sister Rukku. Growing up in India, the girls first deal with an abusive father. After witnessing him become physically abusive, Viji decides to run away from home, taking Rukku with her. Rukku is developmentally disabled, and together, they venture into the city to try to make a life for themselves. Their experiences show the reality of life for children in other parts of the world, where, for instance, they search trash heaps and sell scraps to men who exploit them for their labor and threaten to do more. The children are essentially powerless, as they do not have resources or knowledge to better their position. They live in fear and really rarely plan more than a day or two into the future.
The narrative is straightforward yet poignant. Although there are many along their journey who stand in their way, there are also those who help the children. It’s a great book for readers in the US who might think their lives are difficult, and it is a great read for everyone to learn about compassion and the inspiration to improve one’s life.
Ultimately, I recommended the book to my daughter—I just told her who died so she wouldn’t get too upset.