Ajay and the Mumbai Sun
Abandoned on the Mumbai railways, Ajay has grown up with nothing but a burning wish to be a journalist. Finding a discarded printing press, he and his friends Saif, Vinod, Yasmin and Jai create their own newspaper: The Mumbai Sun.
As they hunt down stories for their paper, the children uncover corruption, fight for justice and battle to save their slum from bulldozers.
But against some of the most powerful forces in the city, can Ajay and his friends really succeed in bringing truth to light? Not to mention win the most important cricket match ever…
Book details
- Title: Ajay and the Mumbai Sun
- Author: Varsha Shah
- ISBN: 9781913696337
- Publisher: Chicken House
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Reviews submitted after the awards submission deadline (5pm on 3 March 2023) won’t be considered as part of this year’s book awards, but you can still share your thoughts on the book below.
I loved this book so much! I don’t think I could stand up to people with that much power like Ajay did. Ajay’s dreams of becoming a journalist really paid of. I was amazed by the suspense and mystery. I adored the plot twist at the ending of the book I didn’t see it coming. A big WELL DONE to Mr Shan for his creativity and imagination. It was definitely something I couldn’t put down for a second. Now I know that cricket and newspapers make an amazing combination.👍🏾
I loved this book it was amazing
Especially the plot twist at the end.
A bid well done to Mr Shan this is an
amazing book. It made me know that
cricket and newspapers definitely match.
I now know to really never judge a book by
it’s cover. My favourite character was no
doubt Jai because he is so relatable .
This book needs a part 2. It never .
stoped with the adventure not even at the start.
I recommend this book to 8 and above.
This is a victorious novel and full of
mystery. I couldn’t stop turning the pages
of suspense and adventure for a second.
Mr Shan does have a brilliant mind.
I’ll admit the front cover looked boring but
as soon as I read a page. I was hooked
I couldn’t put the book down for a second.
I loved it!
apologies I meant Mrs
This book is incredible. It follows the journey of five kids who were in the slums or stations. I love all of the children as they stand up for what is right and believe that they can make a difference; their determination is magnificent. Now every time I play cricket, I will think about this book. This book deserves the award.
I really enjoyed the books and found out determination is the main topic of this novel. Ajay has to fight his way to the top. Varsha Shah you have really thought about the structure of your story it’s really intrigued me to continue reading me; It’s really kept me reading whenever I have free time. My favourite part of the book is the part when he is playing the cricket mostly because I love the sport. I really appreciate what you have written and understand why your book is in the juniper book awards.👏👏
I loved your book it was great I loved how Ajay never gave up even if he was sad 😢 it has a moral to it like every story I think is is that you should never give up, like it says in the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse(“ Asking for help isn’t giving up”, set the horse, “it’s refusing to give up.”)
Ajay and the Mumbai sun is a fantastic book about a young boy in India. Ajay would love to be a journalist but can he fulfil his dream?
This book teaches resilience, friendship and bravery and I would highly recommend it. There are lots of interesting twists and I could not put it down. My favourite character was Vinod as I loved all the descriptions about his food. However, I have one question: Does Ajay create his own newspaper industry? I would recommend it to children aged 7- 12 years old.
This book is about a boy who lives in the slums in Mumbai and is the editor of the local newspaper, The Mumbai Sun. The characters were adventurous, brave and kind. I loved Ajay’s personality and I really could imagine myself in their world.
I think this book is for the ages 9-11 and I would definitely recommend it.
Well done Mrs. Shan
This book was very interesting and made me want to read more. It takes a bit of time to get into but after a while its a very exciting book and I struggled to put the book down! I would recommend this book to people are interested in books which are action-packed and burst with colour. Its about a boy called Ajay who has a passion for writing newspapers and wants to start his own newspaper business. Overall, this book was extremely good and I would definitely recommend it.
Personally, I absolutely adored this read. If I saw this book in a book shop or library ,I would pick it up because of the interesting cover. If I read the blurb , I would certainly want to find out more . The blurb really intrigued me , and I was so excited to read the book. In my opinion , I would recommend this book for people of the age of 10 and above due to the violence in some scenes . Ajay and the Mumbai Sun grew even more intriguing as the story carried on. Occasionally , there were sad parts in the story and it really transferred the emotion from the book to me . The action scenes were my favorite parts , as they were strongly sketched into my mind as though my brain was a sketchbook .Honestly, this is one of the best books I have ever read , and definitely one of the most well-explained . If you are someone who loves adventure stories , I would really recommend this . Now that is my sort of book!
Personally, I think this book was really great and enjoyable. I loved the idea of Ajay in India trying to becoming a journalist. Meeting friends along the way, losing fans and and fighting for justice, I absolutely love the idea of that! If adventure stories were a cup of tea, I would certainly drink them. It’s got a little bit of sadness as Ajay’s mum had abandoned him when he was younger, I’m not quite finished as I have a few more pages but the suspense is killing me whether or not he will find his mum again and be reunited with her. I am fond of the part where they go to the Old Lady’s house and find that Somchand Omar Shikand was a three year old! It’s nice to have some humour in amazing books! This book had great grammar and I could clearly picture where they were. It was like it took me into my own little world. My brain was my own little land, I could imagine where the beach was while they were demolishing all of the food, when they went to the Block Surveyor’s Building, and the Old Lady’s yellow house. Overall I think that this book was a really good find and that I would definitely recommend it to 10 – 13 year olds as that is what age I picture Ajay and his friends (13). Well done to Varsha Shah! -Gabrielle
Personally, I absolutely love this book – I’ve never read anything as good as this! The vocabulary was exceptionally good here and there. Occasionally it was amazing vocabulary and other times it wasn’t described as well as other times. What I love about this book the most is the how the characters never give up, they’re determined and don’t stop till they have peace for themselves and all of Mumbai!! I also like that they all have dream jobs, and Ajay and his friends make those dreams come true no matter what it takes. It was a real surprise to see Somchand Omar Shikand was a three year old. This was definitely my kind of book and I certainly would recommend it to my friends.
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is one of those books where once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down, the combination of the dreams coming true, Cricket Chaos and fighting back against the corrupt system of officials make this book incredible.
I personally believe that this book should win the best book of the year award.
I highly recommend this book, well done
I’m not sure there is another character quite like Ajay! His resilience, his optimism and his complete determination to become a journalist, to uncover corruption and to stand up to people was like an unstoppable river of energy that charged through the book taking the reader with him. A really relevant read in a world where the media is constantly manipulated. A great book for anyone interested in politics, news, adventure, injustice and cricket!
Ajay lives on the streets of India but has a big dream to become a journalist. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the other Juniper Books because the storyline wasn’t as interesting. However, I did like the moral of the story, never give up on your dreams, and I enjoyed reading about what life is like for Ajay in India.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was well written and kept the reader engaged. I loved that Ajay held true to his values but thought about the effect that his decisions made. His friendship with his friends really showed through. I would definitely recommend this book.
Ajay and the Mumbai sun is a great read for young people who like reading inspirational stories. Ajay and his team share such a close bond that they help each other no matter the cost . They always persevere even when their printing press was destroyed they persevered when the bulldozers were about to destroy the slums they persevered
I’d love to see a sequel to this awe inspiring book.
This book is about a boy (Ajay) who has a dream to become a writer and despite obstacles he achieves his dream. I felt the book had a great storyline, however I didn’t warm to the characters, particularly Ajay, because I felt he was just using his friends for the newspaper’s benefit. I think this book would be suitable for ages 9-12.
I really enjoyed this book because it was action-packed, also it was bursting with colour and I couldn’t put the book down. I would recommend this book to 9-12 years olds and people who like adventure books. I liked the characters especially Jai because he likes sports and so do I. My favourite part of the book was the cricket match. I liked the idea of Ajay in India becoming a journalist. What I love about this book the most is the how the characters never give up and they are eager to find peace. I would definitely read this book again. Overall, I would recommend this book to all and I rate it a 9/10.
The Mumbai Sun is a story about perseverance and having the courage to tell the truth, whatever the cost.
Set in Mumbai India, the story starts when street orphans: Ajay, Vinod, Yasmin, Saif and Jai – find out that a renowned journalist – Mr Gupta – has booked a reservation at the hotel that Vinod works in. These children and many others, have been left on the streets with nothing and live in the slum or railway station wanting to become famous. Ajay has been left in the streets with nothing but a wish to be a journalist. Together, they create their own newspaper called: The Mumbai Sun when Saif and Ajay discover a printing press in the railway office. When finding articles to write about to hook the readers, they come across stories involving corruption, the truths behind ‘an environmentalist’, a cover-up regarding a collapsing factory, whilst at the same time trying to stop bulldozers from destroying their slum. Meanwhile, they find the real meaning behind their friendships and are forced to fight for justice. Each of them helps with the newspaper in their own ways: Yasmin decorates the paper, Vinod writes the recipes section, Saif writes the formal form of the newspaper with a printing press and Jai advertises the sports section whilst Ajay edits and writes the newspaper.
My favourite character is Lata – a lawyer working under Mrs Pain – because although she fears her employer she fights for justice and finds her independence.
Overall, this was a heartwarming and friendly read, full of emotion and targeted to hopeful journalists as well as anyone who loves a good adventure. This is a book that really captures the sounds, smells, atmosphere and energy of Mumbai. The style itself creates this book and entrancing read woven full of hopeful and inspirational phrases. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone 9-11.
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is an amazing read. It shows the power of determination that young people have in our world today. The book is full of twists and cliff-hangers. It also shows that the media can get manipulated quite easily. The plot twist at the the end was so unexpected, I feel like it crept up behind you and surprised you. My favourite character was definitely Ajay. I recommend this book to people who like journalism, young heroes saving the day and definitely cricket lovers and fans. I have some questions to ask you:
I love this book so much and I hope for a sequel.
This was the first juniper book and I absolutely loved it. I loved how Ajay lept on trying to fulfill his dream in becoming a newsreporter and also managed to win the cricket match.
This is a brilliant book about how you don’t have to be rich or successful to make a change to people’s lives. It also shows how truth always triumphs over lies. I enjoyed how at the start people weren’t reading the Mumbai sun and at the end everyone was reading it.
I loved it so much. The plot was just amazing and it was just the best book ever!
This was a very interesting book to read, the author choosing to write the book from the perspective of a boy who has to stand up to corrupt officials although he has to live on the streets is what really hooked me into this book, the amount of mystery and bravery that is inside this book was amazing. Well done to the author!
This is one of the best books I have ever read!!!Ajay was abandoned on the Mumbai railways only left with his mothers fountain pen. With his fountain pen, he makes his dream come true… to become an editor of an newspaper. With the help of his friends: Saif, Vinod, Yasmin and Jai, they create their own newspaper: The Mumbai Sun. Ajay and his friends uncover the truth of the destruction of the slum and their newspaper becomes famous, and Mr Gupta (the editor of the most famous newspaper in India) asks him to become a reporter for his newspaper. Ajay reclines and saus to Mr Gupta: “I belong to the Mumbai Sun”.
I would give this book a 9/10 because some parts were a little bit unrealistic. I recommend this book for 8-13 year olds. My favourite character is probably Ajay because he never gives up and eventually his dream comes true. Ajay and The Mumbai Sun is an amazing book!!!
I LOVE this book! I can’t explain in words how good this book is. The fact that Ajay’s friends stayed with him the whole time was amazing. The plot twist at the end changed everything which I adored! My favourite character was Ajay because he is brave and determined. I recommend this book to everyone who likes to be on the edge of their seat.
This book, for me, was amazing! Ajay really does prove himself to be an amazing journalist, against all odds. He uncovers secrets that even the largest newspapers of Mumbai don’t cover. Also, at the end, the amazing twist occurs, but you must read all of it to exactly understand what happens and the influence they try to make on Ajay to stop his work. Going from the orphaned slum kid to the editor of “The Mumbai Sun” he really does have an extreme passion for journalism. I would recommend this book to children who enjoy adventure and close calls.
This book was absolutely jaw dropping! The twists and turns in the book was almost intact exactly like I was on a rollercoaster. The book makes me feel as though I’ve just arrived in India and it’s wonderful how Ajay and his friends go in amazing adventures in the slums.
I really loved the Mumbai sun because of how educational and enlightening this is. For example, it highlights and tries to make people aware of everything happening in the world around us. The book is also inspirational as it teaches us to never give up, no matter what the obstacle or task. Overall, I give the 5/5 and recommend to all readers.
This is my favorite book out of all the Juniper books, I could not put it down until I had finished it!
Ajay and the Mumbai sun is a book overflowing with hope showing that the truth always comes to light. For a person with an Indian background this is a relatable story that shows the cracks in Indian p[olitics
I love, love, love, love, loved it! Your book was such a pleasure to read, and shortly after reading a few chapters, I was so immersed! The reason why I adored reading your book was because of how I could picture myself in India, surrounded by the smell of herbs and tropical spices. But, the way you wrote it in a child’s perspective really changed how I may look at homelessness among families, or the unfortunate. The twists and turns had me thrilled, I particularly enjoyed the MAJOR twist nearer towards the end when the person I least suspected, turned out to be the true villain! All in all, your book was absolutely fantastic, and I can tell that you will go far!
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun was a very adventurous book and the plot twist at the end was exciting. The cricket match at the end was tense. My favourite character was Ajay as he never gave up even when things got tough. This book was absolutely amazing. Once I finished it I wanted to read it again and again.
Ajay and The Mumbai Sun was one of the greatest books I have ever read! This book follows the story of a young boy named Ajay, who was abandoned on the Mumbai Railways with nothing but a burning desire to become a journalist. As he faces hardships, corruption and controversy, he and his friends do not back down, no matter the cost, to save their home.
A round of applause to Mrs Shah, She really outdid herself!
I really enjoyed this book because Ajay followed his dreams to make his own newspaper. He was very dedicated to help his friends and a role-model because he fought for justice, even when times were tough. The moral of the story was obvious, never give up on your dreams and Ajay did that to the letter. It was almost like a rags to riches story as you could see how more and more people bought his newspaper and he became successful. His friends all had their own skills which came in handy throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the excitement of the cricket match as I am an avid cricket player. Jai is my favourite because he was very talented at cricket and he was like Ajay, he fought for justice as home was going to be bulldozed by the government. I would recommend this book to children from the age of 8-12 years old. Varsha Shah has written an excellent read and I couldn’t put it down.
Ajay and The Mumbai Sun by Varsha Shah is an inspiring book, about a boy who was determined to fulfil his dream his dream of being a journalist, but little did he know friends are the most important. I would recommend this book to 8-11 year olds, it is for people who like adventure. My favourite character was Saif because he was resolute that he would help his friend achieve his dream. I think this book has a clear story line and is extremely surprising, when it comes to plots, I think Varsha Shah has done a splendid job with making them exciting . In conclusion, I would rate this masterpiece a 9 out of 10.
This was not my favourite book, however, I loved the plot but I thought it took a bit too long to get to the plot of the story. The idea was great but could have been executed better. Not the best of books but I think that Varsha Shah has a lot of potential in the industry!
Keep up the good work!
This book was amazing, and was actually my second favourite, my first being, of course, Running Out Of Time. I loved the young Indian boy aspiring to become a journalist ,he was my favourite character; this made me realise that I actually might want to be a journalist, the truth needs to be out there. And the plot twist at the end— amazing.
There are no spoilers in this review 🙂
I highly recommend Ajay and the Mumbai Sun as it is an enjoyable book in the adventure genre that has many plot twists. People interested in literature (excluding reading itself) may be additionally interested due to the focus on news and magazines but I personally am not thoroughly interested in these subjects and still had a brilliant time reading it.
This book is certainly inspirational as it shows that anybody from any background can achieve their dreams. Ajay is a thoroughly creative boy throughout the plot and is a well made character by all standards. He is curious, friendly and demands justice for all but is also slightly self conscious and easily feels bad, regretting his decisions.
It is written in third person and is generally interesting on the whole. The area and characters are based on Mumbai, and this becomes quickly apparent when combined with the slums, factories and railway children. The story teaches people that you can eventually reach your dreams as long as you are persistent and try hard. I think its fair to say Varsha Shah has outdone herself!
The book is a really nice book to read and it is a good book to read if you were a bit younger. There are short chapters but that’s what i like about it, because i don’t like ready 20 page chapters, it’s quite nice just to read short chapters sometimes because in other books they tent to be really long chapters. The children play a big part in this book because you don’t really hear about their parents it’s mostly only them.
The characters always have something to do with that scene of the book, so it’s never just based on one character is based on all of them, they all play a really big part in the book, especially Ajay because he’s the main character, he’s kind of what started the book. Away has a great group of friends, they do lots of things together and spend most days together as well. The other characters still play a part in the book but not as much as the group of friends do. All the characters have a big personality, and Ajay’s group of friends are themselves around each other which is nice.
The style was quite good they added a lot of really good words to make you want to read it and wanting, to not put the book down. The way they layed the book out was ok, the pages were quite long but they are in other books as well not just this book. The chapters are short but that wasn’t a problem to me.
The story was based on a group of friends and they do crazy stuff together, it’s also based on newspapers, that’s good if you want to read newspapers. I found it interesting and the endings and openings were really good. Overall i enjoyed the book and i think it is a really nice book to read.
Ajay and the Mumbai sun is an inspiring story about a boy called Ajay who peruses his dream of being a newspaper creator. Ajay and his group of friends become the towns best cricket team.
This story has a brilliant storyline, doesn`t look very appealing from the front cover but when you start reading the book it is phenomenal. As soon as I picked up this book I could barely put it down this story has sone unexpected surprises along the way.
Ajay and the Mumbai sun
This book, was an intriguing read as it included lots of plot twists and characters!
The style of this book wasn’t my favourite as it was laid out with very short chapters and I personally prefer them to include more about the scene of what’s happening but for some, this may help them read it (make it easier).The book does contain lots of very descriptive moments though, for example when the factory collapses Varsha Shah describes Yasmin’s movements using the word “gingerly” this would help the reader feel for her and possibly make them have empathy for the characters and what they’re going through.
Varsha Shah also creates a lovely picture for the characters because they all have their own personalities and way of doing things – I think she portrayed their emotions really well. The book also includes some tense and action-packed sections just bursting with imaginative scenes and chapters which include interesting words like Idyllic and picturesque.
Generally, the book for me, was quite hard to get into and seemed to go quite slowly but once I got around halfway through, I couldn’t stop ! The end of this book, I think, really tied it all together as all of the different sections and scenes came together and made sense.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more of hers !
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is about Ajay, a bright young child with big dreams of becoming a newspaper editor but with very little money to his name. He goes on an adventure through the slums of Mumbai as he discovers a scandal threatening to destroy his home. In a struggle to stop Mr Z and the FISHY builders, Ajay risks losing everything he knows and loves.
Ajay is your classic protagonist, brave, courageous and with a taste for adventure. He has many loyal friends including the inventive Saif, the artistic Yasmin and the rising sports star Jai. The wide variety of characters balance each other out to create an amazing team, while the antagonists have all the evil characteristics suited for the bad guys.
With the perfect blend of adventure, thrills and plot twists and the cultural Mumbai flavour, Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is ideal for children of ages 10-13 – not to say that older people can’t read it! All in all, this is a great book for people who like their adventure stories with a cultural setting and a hint of mystery.
Ajay and the Mumbai sun did not have a good first impression on me. It did not have a good impression on me because I had only seen the front cover. After reading the blurb, I was much more intrigued. After reading the whole book, it had made it’s way up to my top ten favourite books.
The book is about a boy (Ajay) and his friends. who write a newspaper (The Mumbai Sun). They write to raise awareness around the subject of the destruction of the slums, which is where one of Ajay’s friends lives.
My favourite character is Yasmin. I love that she fights for what she believes in. However, she also cares about her friends and home.
My favourite part of the book was the food. Hearing about all of Vinod’s food really immerses you in the Indian Mumbai culture.
The book is an adventure novel with some tragedy. It has medium-length chapters. I would recommend it to 9-14 year olds.
It was a good book it had lots of adventure,courage and determination just for Ajay follow his dreams. It also had downs like some character dying and people losing there jobs.All the chapters were very small and quick there were lots of chapters. It skips past some scenes and goes to the next scene. All the characters have different personality like Ajay is adventurous,courageous and determined. Saif is very smart,very creative and loves engineering.The front cover wasent too exiting because it didn’t have too many bright and vibrant colour’s but when i opened the book it got alot better and exiting.I would say it would be for age 11+.
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun is a very inspiring and motivational book and this is a review about every aspect of it. The plot is the type I like, fast paced, short chapters, revealing new twists every page, enhancing the mystery element of this unique book. the characters are super motivational and show no matter who you are, you can do anything you want. Very inspirational and a big well done to Varsha Shah. Overall an incredible read, very exciting and keeping me guessing every page. It’s slightly unrealistic but the strong morals definitely more than compensate. The front cover is slightly underwhelming but never judge a book by its cover, especially not this one!
Plot
Ajay is abandoned on the Mumbai railway and has grown up wanting to be a journalist. Finding a discarded printing press he goes and buys Inks. While buying some ink he bumps into a a man and the man offers him a job as becoming the editor of The Mumbai sun. Yasmin one of his friend works in a factory but about half way through the book the factory collapses because Ajay posted it in the latest news paper and Yasmin is angry at Ajay. Will Yasmin ever forgive Ajay?
Characters
Int he book there are a range of characters and bad people. The main character is Ajay and in my opinion he is helpful but a little unfair at some points. His best friend Yasmin is stubborn and get angry at Ajay. Vinod is an amazing cook but he cant be professional cook as he is black and in the book if you are black your not aloud to cook. Jai is a cricket player and spoiler he play and match and sadly looses All these characters are amazing and Varsha Shah really over did her self this time. Her Characters really draw you into the book.
Style
The Style of this book wasn’t my favorite as it’s layout was short chapters. Personally I like long chapters so the end of the chapter isn’t a cliff hanger. The theme is adventure and personally it really is a theme for this book. There are many bit in which there was adventure and there it’s and amazing fiction.
General Judgment
I really like Ajay and the Mumbai Sun its full of twists and turns at every corner The book hides little secrets and is always a cliff hanger. I would recommend it to anyone and i didn’t like the front cover but when you start reading you feel your there and your getting pulled into the book. I couldn’t put this book down. I love it!!!! Well done Varsha Shah !!!
This book was a phenomenon. An absolute phenomenon. Twists and turns, unexpected things happening and spike-bozzling decisions. The setting of this novel is within the slums and never- ending favelas of Mumbai with an additional plus of all the amazing characters, obviously including the main character, Ajay.
Abandoned by his mother on the railways of Mumbai, Ajay has grown up with nothing but the infinite wish to become a journalist that had always been burning in his heart. As Ajay attempts to find stories for his local paper, he and his group of friends are constantly fighting for justice and to save their local home-town from bulldozers.
Now, when I first picked up this book, it wasn’t very appealing to me, but when I started to read, it completely blew my socks off. As usual, never judge a book by it’s cover. my favourite bit is when they are uncovering a mystery about a run-down factory. Looks like you’ll have to read this great fictional novel yourself to find outthe mystery and the interesting ending!
I think this was such a good book! I would definitely recommend this to a friend. The people i would recommend this to, is people who are fond of the genres, adventure, mystery and sort of tradgedy. Ajay is such a brave character to go on all of those adventures, stand up to those people and saved someone even though it put his own life at risk.
This book is about Ajay and his friends called Yasmine, Jai, Vinod and Saif going on an adventure to figure out who built that unstable factory. Also when Ajay finally gets his life-long dream of making his own newspaper, and not only that, but he did it with his friends! 🙂
I love the way Varsha Shah (the author) phrased everything. One example of this is when instead of saying “ill beat you up until you have bruises” she wrote “or ill beat you till your black and blue!”
She also uses good onomatopia, for example “the latches on the door scraped” or a few good little hints for what happened/what arguments happen. For example “See what i have made! Like the sun itself, it will provide light!”
It has very good structure, resolution, style, plot and foundation.
It is so interesting and so unique compare to other books i have read. Extraordinary!
To Varsha Shah,
I really enjoyed reading your book my favourite scene is the scene where ajay pretends to be a cleaner at the office and says that there is a “rat problem” ! I would happily read your book over and over again .