09/13/2021
On the fictional Pacific island nation of Mariposa, unsettling new developments coincide with one child’s grandmother arriving from India: men in hard hats with clipboards now patrol the streets, winged cameras zig and zag past windows, and Muki Krishnan, 12, has preparatory school assignments focusing on patriotism. When the president of the island divides residents into Butterflies, mainly white families who have lived in Mariposa for three generations, and Moths, or more recent immigrants—often people of color—and Muki stumbles upon an ominous new construction, Muki begins to fear for his Indian family, especially for his yoga-practicing Paati. Muki’s mother tries to shelter her son from events, but Muki gains information from his classmate and ally Tinley Schaedler, whose white father oversees imprisonment and deportation. As neighbors begin to turn on neighbors, Muki must find a way to resist. Part age-appropriate parable about fascism, part quest adventure, this dystopian middle grade debut by Sekaran (Lucky Boy ) draws from events both historical and current to craft a startlingly resonant narrative; Muki’s family life especially, including the intergenerational relationships, the food, and the family’s neighborhood store, is richly imagined. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lindsay Edgecombe, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Sept.)
"Sekaran explains systemic racism and the dangers of demagoguery in clear and age-appropriate ways with evocative prose. Breathtakingly memorable." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Sekaran’s world-building is compelling and distinctive, never overtaken by the story’s clear message about intolerance. The character names (the president answers to 'Bambi'; Tinley’s dad is 'Doggy') bring a touch of the ridiculous to the book’s otherwise sober exploration of prejudice and authoritarianism; and Muki’s vivid enthusiasm makes him a compelling protagonist.” — Horn Book Magazine
"An effective novel-length parable that tracks how microaggressions mask, and then escalate into, political policy and how the fortunes of legal residents can turn on a dime... A useful reading prompt for classroom discussion." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"The Samosa Rebellion is a fascinating journey which seamlessly makes inventive parallels to our current issues of immigration, racism, classism, and xenophobia. A thought-provoking, fast-paced, and heartfelt adventure!" — Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Night Diary
“Sharp, incisive, and layered, The Samosa Rebellion is a deftly written, lovingly realized novel that is at once a page-turner and a call to action. Sekaran’s characters are warm and passionate and impossible not to root for, and their story is urgent and nuanced and relentlessly readable.” — Corey Ann Haydu, acclaimed author of One Jar of Magic
“The Samosa Rebellion is an extraordinary, thoroughly engrossing read. Warm and charming in its exploration of family and friendship, it’s also sharp and clear-eyed in its depiction of a country’s frightening slide toward an anti-immigrant nationalism.” — Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of the Mysterious Benedict Society series
“A strong commentary on the anti-immigrant sentiment prevalent in our own country.” — Booklist (starred review)
Sharp, incisive, and layered, The Samosa Rebellion is a deftly written, lovingly realized novel that is at once a page-turner and a call to action. Sekaran’s characters are warm and passionate and impossible not to root for, and their story is urgent and nuanced and relentlessly readable.
"The Samosa Rebellion is a fascinating journey which seamlessly makes inventive parallels to our current issues of immigration, racism, classism, and xenophobia. A thought-provoking, fast-paced, and heartfelt adventure!"
The Samosa Rebellion is an extraordinary, thoroughly engrossing read. Warm and charming in its exploration of family and friendship, it’s also sharp and clear-eyed in its depiction of a country’s frightening slide toward an anti-immigrant nationalism.”
Sekaran’s world-building is compelling and distinctive, never overtaken by the story’s clear message about intolerance. The character names (the president answers to 'Bambi'; Tinley’s dad is 'Doggy') bring a touch of the ridiculous to the book’s otherwise sober exploration of prejudice and authoritarianism; and Muki’s vivid enthusiasm makes him a compelling protagonist.
"An effective novel-length parable that tracks how microaggressions mask, and then escalate into, political policy and how the fortunes of legal residents can turn on a dime... A useful reading prompt for classroom discussion."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"An effective novel-length parable that tracks how microaggressions mask, and then escalate into, political policy and how the fortunes of legal residents can turn on a dime... A useful reading prompt for classroom discussion."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"An effective novel-length parable that tracks how microaggressions mask, and then escalate into, political policy and how the fortunes of legal residents can turn on a dime... A useful reading prompt for classroom discussion."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
★ 2021-07-27
Since Paati, his grandmother, came from India to live with his family in the fictional island nation of Mariposa, 12-year-old Muki Krishnan has had to adjust to a lot. First of all, Paati snores through the night. Secondly, she rouses him out of bed for yoga before his commute across the city with his Salvadoran best friend, Fabi Calderón, to attend the exclusive prep school where they have scholarships. The differences between their lives and those of their classmates have always been stark. But when Mariposa’s president describes residents as either Mariposans/Butterflies (i.e., those who have been there for generations and who are mostly White) or Moths (i.e., immigrants, predominantly people of color), tensions rise immediately. After Paati is detained, Muki realizes that you are never too young to become a revolutionary and asks to join the secret rebellion against the deportations. The Indian independence movement is referenced several times among rebellion organizers, and the strength of the Krishnans’ multicultural neighborhood is celebrated throughout the book. Sekaran explains systemic racism and the dangers of demagoguery in clear and age-appropriate ways with evocative prose. Spot art showing Muki’s sketches enhances the text, and the opening page of each chapter is adorned with butterflies in flight.
Breathtakingly memorable. (map) (Fiction. 10-13)
