THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING, by
Uma Krishnaswami (
Atheneum 2011)(ages 8-12)(illustrations by Abigail Halpin). Eleven-year-old Dini and her best friend Maggie, both of Takoma Park, Maryland, are tremendous fans of Bollywood movies and, particularly, of the greatest movie star of all time: Dolly Singh.
When Dini's parents announce that they're moving to Swapnagiri, India, for two whole years, Dini and Maggie are devastated. The only good thing the two friends can see is that maybe, just maybe, Dini will get a chance to meet the great Dolly Singh herself.
So when her family finally arrives in the remote mountain town, Dini sets her plan into motion...
THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING offers a vibrant voice and a funny, almost cinematic glimpse into Dini's quest. With larger than life characters and a dose of kismet, in THE GRAND PLAN, Dini encounters monkeys, strangers, representatives of the India Post, and maybe, even, a movie star.
In short, THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING is a whimsically engaging tale of friendship and family. And
chocolate curry puffs which, of course, can fix anything.
SEAGLASS SUMMER, by Anjali Banerjee (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House 2010)(ages 8-12). More than anything, eleven-year-old Poppy Ray wants to be a veterinarian. So she convinces her parents to let her spend the summer on an island in Washington state with her veterinarian uncle Sanjay, who runs the Furry Friends Animal Clinic.
Once there, she comes to realize that it isn't all just about what she can pull out of her black vet kit. It involves blood, emergencies, and occasionally, pain and sadness. But with the help of a piece of seaglass (for meditating) and a boy named Hawk, she just might muddle through and survive the summer.
SEAGLASS SUMMER is a sweet and affecting story of a girl pursuing her dream and overcoming the occasional bout of squeamishness.
