MISSION MUMBAI by Mahtab Narsimhan

Lots of action and interesting details about traveling and life in India!  

Description from the publisher:

When aspiring photographer Dylan Moore is invited to join his best friend, Rohit Lal, on a family trip to India, he jumps at the chance to embark on an exciting journey just like their Lord of the Rings heroes, Frodo and Sam. But each boy comes to the trip with a problem: Rohit is desperate to convince his parents not to leave him behind in Mumbai to finish school, and Dylan is desperate to stay in India to prove himself as a photographer and to avoid his parents' constant fighting. Keeping their struggles to themselves threatens to tear the boys apart. But when disaster strikes, Dylan and Rohit realize they have to set aside their differences to navigate India safely, confront their family issues, and salvage their friendship.

Mission Mumbai, written by Mahtab Narsimhan was published by Scholastic in 2016.

Why you want to read this book… 

The details of traveling in India are so interesting! I enjoyed all the descriptions of food, customs and cultural traditions woven into this story. Did I mention the food? I appreciated all the mentions of typical Indian foods and meals (you can find two of the author’s favorite recipes here). There’s never a dull moment in this novel, as the two boys explore, facing challenges that test their friendship.

Opening:

I wanted a clear shot but there were too many people blocking the way. Clutching a weapon that was highly inadequate for this dangerous mission, I crept toward the beast.

If you’re a writer… 

Definitely consider reading this to study how to use authentic details to bring a setting to life. This book provides a different spin on the classic middle grade friendship issues, showing how the friendship between the two boys deteriorates when they are preoccupied with their own goals and family problems. 

We narrowly missed colliding with a cyclist transporting cages of screaming hens, a vendor with a tall stack of egg trays on the carrier behind him, and a lamppost. It was scary and thrilling all at once.

If you’re a teacher…

This is a great read for students who are interested in adventure and travel. I found it interesting the way the author depicted the boys interacting with people of all different social classes, showing that everyone had their own problems and joys. For students who have never been to India, this book provides a great snapshot of what life might be like.

The road was submerged in at least two feet of water. Plastic bags, bottles, banana peels, and other unidentifiable debris floated on the floodwater’s pockmarked surface. Everything was soggy and limp in the relentless downpour.

Check out this interesting interview with author Mahtab Narsimhan and go here for some discussion questions and activities.

More middle grade book reviews are waiting for you for Marvelous Middle Grade at Greg Pattridge's blog.

What's So Hard About Writing a Synopsis?

One of the hardest things for me to write is a novel synopsis. I find it even harder than query letter, almost harder than writing the entire novel.

When I begin, it always seems close to impossible to sum up the main points of a novel in one to two pages. The summary that I wrote up before I began writing the novel doesn't fit anymore, and the scene by scene outline I often keep as I write is too detailed. So now what?

Focus on main characters and main plot events. When I get sidetracked by subplots, there's too much information. Too many characters just makes it confusing.

Pretend to tell a friend. If I write about the story as though I'm explaining it to a friend in a letter (or even a critique buddy), it comes more naturally than if I try work from scene summaries. Once I have something down, I can go back later to make sure the events are ordered correctly.

Include a sprinkling of unique details. Not too many, because the point of a synopsis is to show the plot of the story. But a key detail here and there adds some flavour that makes it easier to read than an boring list of events.

I think that's what makes writing the synopsis so challenging. In its essence, it is a list of events. But it needs to be written to highlight and emphasize what's important about those events, using as few words as possible while still capturing the story momentum.

Do you have any good tips for writing a synopsis?