Ajay and the Mumbai Sun - Varsha Shah

 

Ajay lives in Mumbai.  Abandoned by his parents when he was young, he lives on the railway with a group of friends, Saif, Vinod, Yasmin and Jai, making their way by picking-up jobs where they can.  However, Ajay has a deep desire: he wants nothing more than to be a journalist and, when he finds an old printing press that is heading for the scrap heap, he and his friends restore it and begin publishing The Mumbai Sun.  It isn't long before they realise that things aren't always as they seem, especially when the factory Yasmin works in collapses.  Determined to expose the corruption, can Ajay and his friends do what the major newspapers can't and find the biggest scoop in the city before it's too late?

Set on the streets of Mumbai, you quickly get to know that life isn't easy for twelve year old Ajay and his friends.  They live from day to day and have to fend for themselves; life is tough for them but I liked the positivity and warmth that resonated between the friends, despite the situation they are in.  Told through Ajay's eyes, the story combines the children's very different interests: Ajay cherishes his mother's fountain pen and it is this that drives his desire to write; Saif is an apprentice engineer and it is his skills that help to restore the printing press, whilst Vinod's love of food and cooking provide the recipes they print in every edition.  Along with Yasmin who loves to draw and dreams of drawing her own cartoons, the team begin to live their dreams in the most unlikely of circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed reading of their bravado and the ingenious ways they found to get to the heart of the stories - I think in ways only children would be bold enough to attempt.  With a sprinkling of cricket and lots of well-paced action, this was a truly enjoyable book.  It has already piqued the interest of some of my class who I think will love it once they get their hands on it.

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is a story that reminds us to never discount people and to strive for your dreams, no matter what your situation.  It's a book full of positivity, warmth and hope that shows you are never too young to make your voice heard and will definitely be making an appearance on my display in Waterstones Newcastle when it's released on the 7th April.