Mahtab Narsimhan

The dabbawallas of Mumbai are legendary for their near-perfect "tiffin" lunch-delivery service: for every six million lunches sent, only one will fail to reach its intended destination. The Tiffinis about that one time in millions when a box goes astray, changing lives forever. When a note placed in a tiffin is lost, Kunal is separated from his mother. Years later, the twelve-year-old lives under the thumb of a cruel foster father. Then Kunal meets the tiffin carriers, and a plan is hatched. Along the way, Kunal learns what it means to be part of a family.

The Tiffin

Dylan, an aspiring photographer, is spending a month in Mumbai with his friend Rohit Lal and his family, but knowing nothing of Indian culture, he cannot seem to do anything right (do not hit cows!)--and the situation is made worse by the tensions within the Lal family over whether Rohit should be raised in India, which Mr. Lal's wealthy sister is pushing for.

a novel of sacred cows, snakes, and stolen toilets

Mission Mumbai

Embrace the Chicken

Two friends, one deep alliance, the trip of a lifetime! Travel to the colourful and chaotic streets of India from the comfort of your home in this hilarious and heartfelt story about friendship and family. When aspiring photographer Dylan Moore is invited to join his best friend, Rohit Lal, on a family vacation to India, he jumps at the chance to escape his parents' bitter fighting and go on an exciting journey just like his Lord of the Rings heroes, Frodo and Sam -- except with less walking and lots of amazing food and photo ops. How hard can it be for a street-smart New Yorker to navigate India? Turns out, really hard. Mumbai is nothing like New York City, as Dylan discovers in his daily encounters with intense heat, massive crowds, filthy streets, and strange customs. He loves it all, and it's a great distraction from what's happening at home, but he's always one step away from disaster, despite warnings from Rohit and his mom. And when Ro's family problems threaten to cut the trip short, it seems like the two friends can't agree on anything anymore. Will their separate goals pit them against each other, or can they set aside their differences in this epic quest for friendship and adventure?

In this partially illustrated chapter book, an eight-year-old girl confronts a bully with the help of a genie she discovers has been living in a spice bottle her grandmother left her.

Genie Meanie

"In this partially-illustrated chapter book, an 8-year-old girl confronts a bully with the help of a genie she discovers has been living in a spice bottle her grandmother left her."--

The Tara Trilogy is a middle-grade fantasy adventure set in India. It is infused with Indian mythology, culture, and folklore. A young girl must fight an evil healer, Zarku, who is intent on destroying all that is precious to her. Armed only with courage, perseverance, and spirit she must try and save herself, and the ones she loves. The Third Eye (Book 1) How will Tara escape the malevolent gaze of the Third Eye? For Tara and her brother, Suraj, the year since their mother and grandfather fled the village of Morni, has been a nightmare. Their new stepmother is cruel and deceptive, and their father is indifferent to their suffering. Villagers have been disappearing, often returning in a strange, horrifying form. When a new healer, Zarku, a mysterious man with a third eye possessing strange power, suddenly appears in Morni, all are mesmerized by his magic-all except Tara, who sees through his evil disguise. With nothing but her own courage and wit, Tara tries to find her missing mother and grandfather-the true healer, in time to save her village. Alone and lost in the forest, she must enlist the help of the god Ganesh and the lord of death, Yama, or she, like others before her, will fall victim to Zarku's third eye. ★ Winner of the Silver Birch Fiction Award The Silver Anklet (Book 2) What if the only way to get rid of your worst enemy was to sacrifice your brother? When hyenas snatch Tara's brother, Suraj, and two other children from the local fair in Morni, Tara and her newfound companions embark on a rescue mission. Tara soon discovers that Zarku, her nemesis with the third eye, is back and intent on revenge. A deadly game of hide-and-seek ensues, and Tara and her companions must work together to survive. But is it soon clear that Zarku is only after Tara; the other are dispensable. Should Tara risk the lives of her friends? Or can she once again defeat Zarku and save her brother, armed only with belief in herself and a mysterious silver anklet. The Deadly Conch (Book 3) What if no one trusted you, not even your own family? Tara's triumphant return to Morni is short-lived as her stepmother's daughter, Layla, seeks revenge. And so begins a series of carefully orchestrated events to cast suspicion on Tara: a dead dog in the village temple, contaminated well water, and whispers that Tara is possessed by the demonic spirit of Zarku's mother. Layla fuels the villagers' blind superstitions and fears. Soon all of Morni is against Tara, even her own family. Death seems to be the only way to stop her evil stepsister. Tara turns to Lord Yama and his deadly conch for help. After a visit to the Underworld, Tara has only twenty-four hours to prove her innocence and save the village before she must go back to the world of the dead. And live there. Can Tara believe in herself one last time to defeat Layla, or will Lord Yama and his deadly conch claim her soul? Mahtab Narsimhan is an award-winning author with numerous critically acclaimed books in the fantasy, horror, mystery, and contemporary genres. Many of her books have landed on prestigious lists and The Third Eye won the Silver Birch Fiction Award. She is deeply committed to representing diversity in her books. Please visit www.mahtabnarsimhan.com for more information.

The Third Eye-The Silver Anklet -The Deadly Conch

Tara Trilogy Books 1-3

Even though she only left Mumbai a few months ago, Shivani isn't feeling like such an outsider anymore. She likes her new school. She finally has a best friend. But when her mother volunteers for the school's annual fundraiser, Shivani is sure she will completely embarrass her. Especially if she cooks one of the "stinky" dishes that Shivani loves but is too ashamed to eat in front of her friends. On the day of the fair, the moment Shivani walks into the gym she knows her worst fears have come true: the unmistakable scent of Indian spices is in the air. But then she sees that dozens of people are lined up at her mom's stall. It's the most popular one!

The story of two boys with more in common than meets the eye

You and Me Both

2009 Silver Birch Award — Winner 2009 Red Maple Award — Shortlisted 2009 Best Books for Kids & Teens — Commended 2008 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award — Longlisted For Tara and her brother, Suraj, the year their mother and grandfather fled the village of Morni in the middle of the night has been a nightmare. Their new stepmother is cruel and deceptive, and the village itself is lacking a healer. What’s more, men of the village have been disappearing, often returning in a strange, altered form. When a new healer, Zarku, a mysterious man with a third eye possessing strange power, suddenly appears in Morni, all are mesmerized by his magic – all except Tara, who sees through his evil disguise. With nothing but her own courage and wit, Tara tries to find her missing mother and grandfather, the true healer, in time to save her village. But along the way she must enlist the help of the god Ganesh and the lord of death, Yama, or she, like others before her, will fall victim to Zarku’s third eye.

Tara Trilogy

The Third Eye

Anika has recently emigrated from India and is having a difficult time adjusting to life in a new country, not to mention life in a new school. Remembering the advice her grandmother gave her, she prays to Lord Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god. But Lord Ganesh is slow to respond and Anika takes to the Internet to attract his attention. When her problems begin to resolve themselves, she can breathe a sigh of relief. But has Lord Ganesh truly been helping her, or has she been relying on her own inner wisdom all along? This is a sweet and witty story about staying true to one's beliefs and finding strength in unlikely places.

Looking for Lord Ganesh

When eight-year-old Kiara discovers that her recently deceased grandmother left her a genie, trapped in a bottle of garam-masala, she’s elated. She’ll be a modern-day Aladdin and have someone to do her bidding. And Kiara could really use a little magic. Third grade is just about to start and she’s spent the summer worried about being in class with Matt, a bully who seems to have nothing else to do but make Kiara and her best friend Bai’s lives miserable. Unfortunately, the genie has decided he's on vacation after working for ten thousand years and is looking for someone to do his bidding. A battle of wills ensues, and Kiara realizes that you don’t really need magic to solve your problems.

When Krish and his father take a camping trip to Ladakh, he convinces himself they'll bond, despite Krish's fear of germs and the outdoors. They become lost in a storm and stumble upon the hidden village of Imdura. The Imdurans are very secretive and can't let Kabir and Krish expose their existence to outsiders.

Valley of the Rats

What if the only way to get rid of your worst enemy was to sacrifice your brother? When hyenas snatch Taras brother, Suraj, and two other children from the local fair in Morni, Tara and her newfound companions decide to rescue them on their own. Tara soon discovers that Zarku, her nemesis with the third eye, is back and intent on revenge. A deadly game of hide and seek ensues, and Tara and her companions must work together to survive. But it is soon clear that Zarku is only after Tara; the others are dispensable. Should Tara risk the lives of her friends? Or can she once again defeat Zarku and save her brother, armed only with belief in herself and a silver anklet?

The Silver Anklet

When hyenas snatch Taras brother, Suraj, and two other children from the local fair in Morni, Tara and her newfound companions decide to rescue them on their own. A deadly game of hide-and-seek ensues, and Tara and her companions must work together to survive.

This special three-book bundle collects all the books in the acclaimed Tara Trilogy, winner of the Silver Birch Award. Based in Indian mythology and culture, these novels follow Tara and her brother Suraj as she encounters such figures as the gods Ganesh and Yama, as well as a host of dangers. Mahtab Narshimhan expertly weaves mythology together with real life into a thrilling, lyrical odyssey. Includes: The Third Eye The Silver Anklet The Deadly Conch

The Third Eye / The Silver Anklet / The Deadly Conch

The Tara Trilogy 3-Book Bundle

A charming, heartbreaking and beautifully evocative novel about fate, friendship and family Every day in the vast and vibrant city of Bombay, thousands of dabbawalla delivery-men transport hundreds of thousands of freshly prepared lunches in tiffin boxes, straight from workers' homes and into their offices. Even though the city is a maze of streets, and the tiffins carry a delivery code only dabbawallas can understand, no lunch ever gets lost. Well, almost never... When a secret note placed in a tiffin box goes astray, the consequences for a young boy are devastating. Separated from his mother and forced to work as a slave in a cafe, Kunal is sure that if he could just find his family, his life and his fortunes would change forever. Recruiting the help of a dabbawalla friend, Kunal vows to find his mother - and it seems the answer may lie with the tiffins once more. If a lost note was the beginning of his destiny, can he use another to change it?

Mahtab Narsimhan

About

Books

Join the club