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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This children's novel has similarities to the Percy Jackson series, in that it brings in mythology with a modern kid and adventures. In fact, it's supported by Rick Riordan through his 'Rick Riordan Presents' imprint. And worthily so.
Aru Shah's mother is a museum curator - the Indian mythology department - and they live in a flat above the museum. Aru never quite manages to fit in with the rich kids at her school, and finds herself telling lies to impress them. Then her bravado causes a mythological creature to come to life, and suddenly she finds it's her duty to save the world.
Great pace, great protagonists (two Indo-American girls), great gods and monsters! I'll be looking out for the next in this new series.
Aru Shah's mother is a museum curator - the Indian mythology department - and they live in a flat above the museum. Aru never quite manages to fit in with the rich kids at her school, and finds herself telling lies to impress them. Then her bravado causes a mythological creature to come to life, and suddenly she finds it's her duty to save the world.
Great pace, great protagonists (two Indo-American girls), great gods and monsters! I'll be looking out for the next in this new series.
This was a great book for me and my second grader to read together. She laughed many times, thanks in large part to the two main characters' straightforward and generally realistic dialogue. The storyline takes you on a journey with many twists - it seemed like a tv show, with each episode focusing on one small arc that contributes to the overall plot. The twisted path of the plot gives you the lay of the land, which seems fitting as this is the first book in the series, but otherwise I would have found the "exploring" aspect to be superfluous.
The main characters encounter their flaws and find faith in themselves and each other - despite their different personalities. It is a good book to read with kids, as there are many discussion points as well as entertaining moments.
The only part that did not suit me personally was that the author had one of the characters have several occasions where her curse word vocabulary was flouted in a general way. No curse words were used, but it definitely gave curse words a very appealing spotlight for children. It could have been skipped without taking away from the character's personality. This was probably intended to be "realistic" and relatable to middle schoolers, for whom the book is intended, but that was the only disagreeable point for me.
The main characters encounter their flaws and find faith in themselves and each other - despite their different personalities. It is a good book to read with kids, as there are many discussion points as well as entertaining moments.
The only part that did not suit me personally was that the author had one of the characters have several occasions where her curse word vocabulary was flouted in a general way. No curse words were used, but it definitely gave curse words a very appealing spotlight for children. It could have been skipped without taking away from the character's personality. This was probably intended to be "realistic" and relatable to middle schoolers, for whom the book is intended, but that was the only disagreeable point for me.
It was okay. I got excited because it was Rick Riordan presented and had Hindu Mythology but this was disappointing compared to the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fantastic book! Lots of adventure, some lessons in being a good friend, many words/names I had difficulty pronouncing and we learned about mythology from a different culture! Aru is a character I found myself rooting for and, despite my aversion to sequels in books I read aloud to my daughter, I look forward to reading the next book together.
This is our Mar 2020 children's book club book for our homeschool group. I can't wait to discuss it with the group and find out what was each person's favorite part. There were so many!
Also, I'm using it for the "Read a book of (or based on) fairy tales or forklore from a culture not your own" prompt in the BYL 2020 Reading Challenge.
This is our Mar 2020 children's book club book for our homeschool group. I can't wait to discuss it with the group and find out what was each person's favorite part. There were so many!
Also, I'm using it for the "Read a book of (or based on) fairy tales or forklore from a culture not your own" prompt in the BYL 2020 Reading Challenge.
This exciting read will be great to hand to readers in 5th-7th grade who enjoyed other books about modern kids having an adventure related to gods - as is obvious by the "Rick Riordan Presents" heading on the cover.
For a quest journey, it had a high number of trials and challenges for the two girls to pass through, so some readers may grow weary of the ups & downs as they achieve one goal only to face another. For some, much of the background material will be new - but even for those familiar with these deities, the constant mentioning of the traditional stories will be useful. However, there is so much background, so many characters and so many stories, that at the end, very little may have accumulated in ready knowledge.
Some readers may grow tired of the way the gods and monsters (and sometimes Aru & Mini themselves) continually seem surprised that Aru and Mini are supposed to be epic warriors although they are "just girls!" Others will cheer every time it is mentioned.
There were a number of details that seemed like editing errors or continuity breaks, but they were minor and probably more jarring to me than to young readers. It was fun to read.
For a quest journey, it had a high number of trials and challenges for the two girls to pass through, so some readers may grow weary of the ups & downs as they achieve one goal only to face another. For some, much of the background material will be new - but even for those familiar with these deities, the constant mentioning of the traditional stories will be useful. However, there is so much background, so many characters and so many stories, that at the end, very little may have accumulated in ready knowledge.
Some readers may grow tired of the way the gods and monsters (and sometimes Aru & Mini themselves) continually seem surprised that Aru and Mini are supposed to be epic warriors although they are "just girls!" Others will cheer every time it is mentioned.
There were a number of details that seemed like editing errors or continuity breaks, but they were minor and probably more jarring to me than to young readers. It was fun to read.
An entertaining book with two middle school Indian girls as the heroines. The book is a great Hindu mythology primer and I often found myself googling references. I found myself sometimes wanting more explanations but I think middle school kids would love it. I do worry some of the pop culture references won’t age well over time.
Heroine with previously unknown powers. This is something my students ask for that I wasn't aware was a category. Aru Shah is truly a female/Indian version of Percy Jackson, and I think that's a good thing for middle grade readers.
5 stars
Hindu mythology? I didn't know much about it except what I've picked up from yoga, but this was a great way to dive into the mythologies of the different gods, demons, monsters, villains (because not all demons and monsters are villains), and heroes, including demigods. This book has plenty of action, humor, and yay, two heroines! Can't wait to read more from this series!
Hindu mythology? I didn't know much about it except what I've picked up from yoga, but this was a great way to dive into the mythologies of the different gods, demons, monsters, villains (because not all demons and monsters are villains), and heroes, including demigods. This book has plenty of action, humor, and yay, two heroines! Can't wait to read more from this series!