A 12-year-old investigates water stolen from her Mumbai neighborhood in this clear look at resource access and wealth disparity. Minni and her brother Sanjay live with their affectionate parents in a small, laughter-filled home crammed alongside other residences. Authorities severely limit water to the low-income neighborhood's local tap, and when a fight at the tap hits close to home, Minni wonders what she can do to mitigate her community's water crisis. Things take a turn for the worse after she, her brother, and their friends inadvertently witness water being stolen, and Sanjay and another friend are soon sent away to avoid potential retaliation by the culprits. When their mother becomes ill, and Minni takes her place working as a servant at a wealthy Mumbai apartment building, she sees firsthand the difference that privilege makes in garnering basic necessities ("Money, not prayers, makes the water flow")--and is surprised to learn more about the local water-related injustice. Aptly describing variations between rich and the poor and alternating Minni's first-person telling with the child's observant journal entries, Bajaj (Count Me In) writes an engaging literary mystery. Ages 10--up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)

Growing up in the slums around Mumbai, India, seventh grader Minni has been raised to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, but she can't keep quiet when she spots injustice. She dreams of going to college but keeps bumping up against the realities of poverty that make that nearly impossible. The narrative focus is on Mumbai's unstable, often non-potable water supply and the lack of indoor plumbing in Minni's neighborhood. When her brother spies the "water mafia" siphoning water illegally, he is sent away for his safety, while their mother goes to the country to recover from a serious illness. This leaves Minni to obtain water and boil it, take on her mother's job as a maid, and struggle to attend school full time. Her own sleuthing leads to a shocking conclusion about corruption and Mumbai's water resources. Bajaj's suspenseful novel peels back the curtain on modern-day class and caste inequities and how they create a cycle of poverty that spirals through generations. Minni's thirst for what's right steers the novel toward an optimistic conclusion in which one person can bring about big changes. Julie Hakim Azzam November/December 2022 p.79(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

For Minni, Sanjay, and their friends, life is a daily balance of chores, school, and trips to the community tap for water. They live in a poor part of Mumbai, in the shadow of gleaming high-rises, where their realities could not be further removed from those of the rich. The kids are smart and savvy, and their friendship is strong, so when a series of calamities adds layers of danger, they support one another through the worst of it. This fast-paced adventure story includes a vivid portrayal of life in a place where income disparities are glaring, education is a hard-won privilege, and a lot hangs in the balance when you take a risk. The main plot involves the kids' accidental encounter with the water mafia, thieves who steal and sell fresh water illegally. This is a real and perilous fact in Mumbai and, despite some improbable events, is convincingly portrayed. There's a lot to learn about and to like here: the characters, the humor, the emotional roller-coaster ride, and more.

Gr 3--6--Versatile narrator Dutt imbues protagonist Minni with affecting tenacity as the 12-year-old faces a barrage of challenges. Her older brother is sent away from their Mumbai shack for his safety after witnessing--with Minni and another friend--water thieves depleting their already reduced neighborhood supply. Her ill mother leaves next, hoping to recover away from the city with her sister, leaving Minni to be a rich family's servant in Ma's stead. Minni's exams are imminent, but her study time dwindles. When Minni recognizes the powerful thief, she must decide how much she's willing to risk for justice. Dutt expertly channels Minni's contagious wonder at discovering what might seem quotidian to privileged readers: the computer class her mother made possible; her teacher's similarly difficult growing up; the wealth of her mother's employers, including taps that instantly spout fresh water. VERDICT Dutt effortlessly embodies Minni's thirst to know, learn, and grow.

A girl from a Mumbai slum defends the right to water. Minni may only be 12, but she's already well aware of how water issues in her neighborhood affect the health and safety of the people around her. While her brother, Sanjay, left school after 10th grade in order to work in a restaurant, Minni dreams of finishing school and getting a good job. But when Minni, Sanjay, and two of their friends witness water being stolen from their community, their families are terrified that the thieves will retaliate against the children. After Minni's mother comes down with an illness that leaves her unable to go to work as a servant in one of the city's high-rise buildings, she suggests Minni take her place while she recovers. Minni is thrust into a world of wealth and privilege and develops an uneasy friendship with the daughter of the house. It comes as a shock when she discovers the source of the water thefts is closer than she could have imagined. In this poignant, relatable work, Bajaj expertly depicts class and wealth differences; Minni's worries for her mother and anger at the injustices inflicted on her community are especially moving. A valiant call for justice. (author's note) (Realistic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.