Born in prison in Chennai, India, to a Hindu mother falsely accused of stealing from her employer, Kabir has known only a harsh life behind bars. Upon his ninth birthday, he is released to the outside world. He wants nothing more than to find his Appa's (father's) family in the neighboring state of Bengaluru (Bangalore). All Kabir knows of his father is that he is Muslim; Appa didn't tell anyone of his marriage to Amma; and he stopped writing to them after he left India to work in the Gulf. When Kabir befriends Rani, a Kurava (Roma) girl, they team up to find Kabir's paternal grandparents, and the pace of the plot quickens. Short chapters and paragraphs guide the story to its bittersweet conclusion for both Rani and Kabir. As in The Bridge Home (rev. 1/19), Venkatraman portrays children's experiences of poverty and other social issues; here, she explores Hindu-Muslim animosity, how the Indian caste system predetermines social status, and how biased institutions interact with (and ultimately fail) those of lower caste. This earnest, heartfelt adventure will transport many readers to a different setting while guiding them to draw parallels with contexts closer to home. An author's note addresses the Roma community in India, water shortages, and incarceration rates in relation to caste. Julie Hakim Azzam November/December 2021 p.120(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Nine-year-old Kabir Khan has known nothing but the Chennai prison where he was born. But when a new warden arrives, he's forced to leave it--and the mother he believes innocent of the crime for which she was imprisoned. With the help of a Kurava teen named Rani and her talking parrot, Kabir narrowly escapes a man who plans to sell him into slavery. Focused on proving his Hindu mother innocent and finding his father--a Muslim man who went to work in Dubai to finance his mother's defense--Kabir and Rani travel to Bengaluru, encountering danger, disappointment, and hope along the way. As the two navigate a water shortage and the journey, Rani teaches Kabir about the caste system and how to make it on the streets, while Kabir shares his own knowledge through singing and storytelling. Twining themes of perseverance, friendship, and prejudice ("Funny to think rich people... build fancy cages to live in. Probably because they're afraid of poor people like us"), Venkatraman (The Bridge Home) renders the gripping circumstances surrounding Kabir and Rani's journey with a keen attention to character and plot, making for an immersive reading experience. Ages 10--up. (Sept.)

Nine-year-old Kabir has only known a life limited by Indian prison walls. His mother, incarcerated for a crime she didn't commit, gave birth in confinement and has raised him with the help of other inmates--his "Aunties"--and an encouraging teacher. Kabir longs for life beyond that narrow, grim world, but when he suddenly finds himself cast out by the new prison warden, he has no idea how to navigate the noisy, bustling city around him. After nearly being sold into servitude by an unscrupulous guardian, Kabir goes on the run. Rani, a more experienced homeless child, generously takes him under her (and her parrot's) wing. Remaining hopeful through it all, an indefatigable Kabir decides to seek out his father's relatives, despite scant details to go on. Rani is willing to humor him, and the pair sets off to find his kin and figure out a way to free Kabir's mother. Through Kabir's observant eyes, Venkatraman (The Bridge Home, 2019) thoughtfully and gently explores a troubled justice system, interstate conflicts over increasingly common water shortages, and a frustrating caste system. It's a difficult world, but there are plenty of kindnesses and minor miracles to soften the rough edges. An optimistic and earnest tale of the power of hope and the gift of family in all forms.

A young boy is forced to leave the Chennai jail that is the only home he's ever known. When Kabir is deemed too old to stay and is sent out into the world all alone, separated from his wrongfully imprisoned mother, he decides to search for the family of the father he has never met to try to save his mother from her unjustly long sentence. Armed with faith, instinctive wits, and the ability to run fast, Kabir escapes danger and meets Rani, a teenage girl from the marginalized Kurava, or Roma, people who is traveling with her parrot. She teaches Kabir, who has a Hindu mother and a Muslim father, about caste dynamics and survival on the streets. She accompanies him to Bengaluru, where Kabir eventually meets his paternal grandparents. Along the way, their experiences reveal the invisibility of low-caste people in Indian society, tensions between neighboring states over water supplies, and the unexpected kindness of helpful strangers. Kabir's longing for freedom and justice underscores bittersweet twists and turns that resolve in an upbeat conclusion, celebrating his namesake, a saint who sought to unify Muslims and Hindus. Kabir engages readers by voicing his thoughts, vulnerability, and optimism: While his early physical environment was confined within prison walls, his imagination was nourished by stories and songs. This compelling novel develops at a brisk pace, advanced by evocative details and short chapters full of action. A gritty story filled with hope and idealism. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 5--8--Kabir was born in a Chennai jail. He's never met his dad, and his mom is doing time for a crime she didn't commit. Then a new warden arrives, and Kabir is told that he is too old to live in the jail. Sent to live with his uncle--a man who turns out to be a fraud who intends to sell the boy--Kabir escapes and finds himself living on the streets. He meets Rani, a street kid with a parrot. Rani teaches him the rules of the streets. But Kabir still wants to find his dad and rescue his mom from her unfair imprisonment. Will he succeed? Narrating her own book, Venkatraman brings to life her beautifully written tale with endearing characters. Her narrative and writing styles work well together to bring listeners into Kabir's world. The plot is well developed and charming. Themes of hope and idealism will tug at listeners' heartstrings. VERDICT A must-listen for middle grade listeners who enjoy realistic fiction. Recommended for any library collection.--Jessica Moody