The Samosa Rebellion

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.)