
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun
Author:
Varsha Shah
Illustrator:
Sonia Albert
Published by:
Chicken House
First Published:
7 Apr 2022
Ideal for readers aged
9-12y
My Review
Ajay, abandoned and living with other children in an old railway station in Mumbai, has a dream: to be the editor of a newspaper. He and his friends Saif, Vinod, Jasmin, and Jai stumble across and old printing press and Ajay’s aspirations become a reality as, together, they work at finding stories and fighting injustice along the way. Ajay also learns that true friendship takes sacrifice and selflessness, and that integrity is a value to be treasured and praised. It’s a story full of sunshine, the flavour of India, the importance of friendship and empathy, and the fierceness of the few overcoming the tyranny of wealth and power.
Heads Up!
Shah is dealing with weighty issues but she navigates them in a way that is very accessible for young readers. A factory building collapses towards the end of the book and the manager is trapped inside, but there is no blood or gore, we are just left knowing he has not survived the accident despite Ajay and his friend's attempts to reach him through the debris.