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Ticket to India

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About The Book

A family trip to India turns into a grand adventure in this contemporary novel about the Great Partition, from the award-winning author of Saving Kabul Corner and Shooting Kabul.

A map, two train tickets, and a mission. These are things twelve-year-old Maya and her big sister Zara have when they set off on their own from Delhi to their grandmother’s childhood home of Aminpur, a small town in Northern India. Their goal is to find a chest of family treasures that their grandmother’s family left behind when they fled from India to Pakistan during the Great Partition. But soon the sisters become separated, and Maya is alone. Determined to find her grandmother’s lost chest, she continues her trip, enlisting help on the way from an orphan boy named Jai.

Maya’s grand adventure through India is as thrilling as it is warm: a journey through her family’s history becomes a real coming-of-age quest.

Excerpt

Ticket to India

1

A Rose Is a Rose

THE MOMENT THEY ARRIVED, after an exhausting twenty-hour flight, they found the house, usually an oasis of calm, in chaos. Zara stumbled through the carved wooden doors first, while Maya entered last, sweaty from the soaring temperatures outside, a sharp contrast to cool, temperate San Francisco. She closed her eyes for a moment, watching a kaleidoscope of colors flash behind her eyelids—vibrant images that assaulted her senses each time she arrived. The sun seemed brighter here, more gold than yellow, raining heat down over the dusty city of Karachi. She opened her eyes and her pupils adjusted to the shadowy foyer, decorated in calming white, cream, and powder blue.

While her sister pushed past teary relatives to launch herself into her grandmother’s arms with a dramatic sob, Maya stood back. She was stunned to see how her grandmother appeared to have aged a decade since she last saw her. Her usually meticulously wrapped sari was askew, and her silver hair, always pulled back in an elegant chignon, was wild around her shoulders. Naniamma had always been the strong, solid partner in her grandparents’ marriage and Maya had never seen her cry, let alone fall apart like this. But as soon as Naniamma set eyes on Maya, she beckoned her for an enveloping hug. Before Maya could loosen her tongue and come up with something comforting to say, her mother gently pulled Naniamma away.

“Ammi,” Dalia whispered, “I just can’t believe Abbu is gone.”

They clung to one another for a long minute, until a tight-lipped great-aunt guided them to the living room, with its ornate wooden sofas and embroidered cushions. As the adults and Zara huddled together, passing around a box of tissues, Maya stood, forgotten. Fighting the urge to hide under the dining room table as she had when she was a child, she spotted one of her grandfather’s paintings hanging across from her, an abstract swirl of cool blues and beiges. She remembered the day he’d painted it, while on a picnic on Hawksbay beach. When he had been alive and healthy. Heart heavy, she slunk off with her backpack, up the stairs to the empty television lounge.

Longing to hear a comforting voice, she picked up the phone and dialed her home number in California. She wanted to tell her father that they’d reached Karachi safely. When the rings rolled over into voice mail, she realized he was probably out, dealing with burial plots, headstones, and other preparations for Nanabba’s funeral, which was to take place in San Francisco in a week. Restless, she went to the towering bookshelves that lined the room. She passed business, mathematics, poetry, and old novels, until she reached the section on history and politics. She pulled out a history book, titled The Struggle for Pakistan. On the way to the sofa, she switched on the television to a soap opera in Urdu. While her brain tried to adjust to a language she understood but didn’t speak much, she glumly opened her backpack.

Sixth grade had started two weeks before, and Maya had been thrilled that her best friends, Olivia and Kavita, had been assigned to the same homeroom. But even before she could get used to a new class schedule, the news of her grandfather had come. And now, being away for more than a week meant completing take-home assignments: a stack of math sheets, a book report on Sacagawea, and a detailed journal describing her trip. With a sigh, she grabbed the journal like a lifeline, along with the new box of colored pencils she’d gotten for her art class. They’d just begun analyzing the works of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo when she’d left for Pakistan. Frida’s paintings were instantly recognizable by their bold, earthy colors—rainforest yellows, blood reds, vibrant blues, and neon pinks.

She flipped open the history book and froze. On the first page was a date, along with a signature: Malik Humayun Ahmed. Her grandfather. She stared at the blue ink, thinking back to a summer day, five years ago, when she’d gotten into a particularly nasty fight with Zara—over what, she couldn’t remember. But it had ended how their fights usually did, with her sister throwing verbal daggers at her while she stood there mute, unable to formulate a good jab in response.

Later, it was Nanabba who’d coaxed Maya out of a tree and set up an easel for her in his office. Painting, for him, he’d explained, was like meditation. He’d shown her how to use a brush, demonstrating how the strokes could disentangle her thoughts. Each color, he told her, meant something different as it formed an image on the canvas. Red was danger, pink meant love, yellow hinted at cowardice, blue resonated calmness, green was renewal, and brown symbolized the earth. Maya fell in love with the process and later found that writing served the same purpose.

“And he was right.” Maya sighed, writing a title on the front of her journal: “My Journey to Pakistan.” On the next page she sketched a rectangular stretch of land, bordered by Afghanistan, India, China, and the Arabian Sea along the bottom. Then she began to write, soothed by the rush of words spreading across the page.

Thursday, September 15

Karachi, Pakistan

Here are some facts about Pakistan:

1. The name Pakistan—pak (“pure”) and stan (“land”) means “land of the pure” in the Persian and Urdu languages.

2. Islamabad is the capital, though Karachi is the biggest city.

3. The population is 193 million people, making Pakistan the sixth most populous country in the world.

4. The national language is Urdu, the official language is English, and Saraiki, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, and Baluchi are also spoken.

5. The official currency is the Pakistani rupee.

6. Cricket is the most popular sport.

My mom’s family is from Karachi, Pakistan, but my dad was born in Chicago. His parents came to the United States from Pakistan in the 1970s so his father could get a PhD in engineering. As soon as he graduated, they moved to the West Coast and settled in Berkeley, California. My parents met when my dad went to Karachi to visit his grandparents. They liked each other instantly and decided to get married.

Maya paused. There was no avoiding it, she realized. Her grandfather was the reason they were here, and she had to say something about him.

The day before yesterday, my grandfather went to weed his garden in the cool part of the afternoon, as he usually did. A few hours later, that’s where they found him, lying peacefully in a patch of tulips. He’d had a heart attack.

He was the eldest of three boys, and his greatest wish growing up was to fly. And so, even though his dad was totally against it, he became an air force pilot for the Pakistani military. But he didn’t stay in the sky long. He came tumbling down to earth when he crashed during a training drill, and broke his back. His flying career over, he joined his father’s accounting firm. When my grandfather told me this story, he wasn’t sad. He just accepted what had happened as the will of God. He told me that as he buried his dream of flying, he uncovered something else—the joy of gardening.

My last memory is of him sitting on the porch, holding his pipe. I can still smell the smoke rising in the warm night air, mixed with the scent of musk and cedar wood—his Old Spice cologne. He’d been telling me one of my favorite stories about his childhood—about the time he and his best friend climbed up a mango tree and hung their schoolmaster’s bicycle from its branches.

Maya exhaled a pent-up breath, the air rushing out of her lungs as her eyes filled with tears. She had been his favorite, she knew. He had never said it, but in his quiet, gentle way, he’d hinted at it as they both worked together on some shared interest or another—painting, gardening, collecting old coins, eating unripe mangoes sprinkled with chili pepper and salt. She clutched the journal to her chest and leaned back against the sofa, comforted by the words that were bringing her grandfather back to life, even if just for a moment.

• • •

Hot. It’s really hot. Eyes flickering open, Maya found herself in a large four-poster bed with her ­sister sprawled beside her, a rumbling snore whistling through her nose. The window stood like a velvety black square, facing the garden. Jet-lagged, she must have conked out on the sofa and been moved here. She kicked off the too-warm blanket and sat up. I should record her, Maya thought gleefully, momen­tarily forgetting where she was. Her sister would have a conniption if she heard herself snoring. Maya sighed, staring at Zara’s tranquil, pretty features, usually animated and full of life. But the momentary thought of embarrassing her popular, perfect sister filled her with quiet satisfaction—it hadn’t been easy growing up as her younger sibling.

A junior at Berkeley High, Zara came home with straight As and had just been elected captain of the debate team. At Sunday school at the local mosque, the teachers were always perplexed that Maya was Zara’s younger sister, since she couldn’t memorize the passages from the Quran as fast as her older sister could. She’d wanted to reply that she took her time to analyze what she was memorizing to understand it better, but as usual, she couldn’t muster the courage to do so. Maya’s hands twisted the blanket. It wasn’t as if Zara went out of her way to be mean to her—it was just so hard growing up in her shadow. Maya felt like she was forever trying to reach her, figuratively and literally, since Zara also towered a good foot above her.

Maya glanced at the clock on the side table, which glowed 5:23. A grumble below her belly button reminded her that she hadn’t eaten any dinner. A particular eater—or “picky,” as her sister would describe her—she stuck to the few things she liked. Right now, toast with jam sounded perfect. It’s nearly noon back home, she thought. If only none of this had happened and she could be in school with her friends, huddled over a lunch of her usual cheddar and tomato sandwich. Slipping from bed, she headed downstairs, through the dark hall leading to the kitchen. She felt for the door, twisted the knob, and stepped inside—and was enveloped in a rush of icy air redolent with the scent of roses . . . definitely not the kitchen.

Illuminated by the small coffee table lamp lay Nanabba, wrapped in crisp white sheets, covered by garlands of his favorite flower, Rosa bourboniana. They’d been cut from his garden, where they were in full bloom, after a good soaking from the monsoon rains. The glorious pink roses filled every nook and cranny of the small sitting room. In the morning he’d be taken to the morgue, then fly back with them to San Francisco to be buried. Her gaze fixed on the body, she crossed the threshold, pulling the door closed behind her.

As she listened to the hum of the air conditioner, cranked open on full blast to keep her grandfather’s body cold, Maya stood in the shadow of a bookshelf, staring at the long, ghostly shape. Her toes curled against the marble floor. She just couldn’t walk over to look at her nanabba’s face, which had been left exposed.

She turned her gaze toward the shelf, laden with pictures: a shot of her first birthday party, her face covered with cake; Zara’s Ameen celebration when she’d finished reading the Quran in Arabic; her twin cousins after they were born; her aunt’s graduation from Boston University; and a family picnic at the beach a few winters ago. Nestled in the center sat a small, faded color photo set in a silver frame. A giddy young couple stood in their wedding finery, eyes glowing. Instead of a traditional blood-red bridal dress, Naniamma had chosen a turquoise gown, setting tongues wagging and adding fuel to the gossip. Nanabba loved talking about the tumultuous events that had led up to the happy occasion; the story of their relationship had caused quite a scandal in the old days, as was usually the case when a young man from a wealthy family married a penniless orphan.

As Maya stared at the picture, taken nearly half a century before, she heard the door swing open. She shrank into the shadows, spotting a tiny shape float inside the room. It was Naniamma. At first, her grandmother paused; then she hurried over to her husband. Head bowed, she collapsed beside his body and clutched the corner of a sheet. As she cried, Maya averted her gaze, embarrassed to be spying. Although Maya and her grandmother were carbon copies of each other on the outside, sharing the same small frame, thick, wavy hair, and large gray-brown eyes, on the inside it was Naniamma and Zara who were two peas in a pod: outgoing, opinionated, and extremely stubborn when backed into a corner. As Maya huddled beside the bookshelf, she was torn by indecision; should she rush over and hug her or just give her some privacy? Zara would have rushed over. . . .

It was the clang at the front gate that made the decision for her. Not wanting to bother her grandmother, she slipped out the door and ran upstairs. The chowkidar, or guard, was letting in her aunt, Syeda Khala, who’d arrived from Chicago.

• • •

“Hey, Maya!” chorused the twins, Zaki and Ali, as they barreled through the dining room later.

“Hey,” said Maya, putting down the butter knife to receive their exuberant hugs.

The boys had turned four a week before and were full of energy, since they’d slept most of the journey from Chicago.

Syeda Khala, on the other hand, looked like she hadn’t slept in days. “Maya jaan,” she said, giving her a kiss on her head. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” said Maya, watching her pour a cup of steaming tea.

“Where’s Zara?” asked her aunt.

“Sleeping,” replied Maya. “She always has a hard time with the jet lag. It takes her a day to adjust.”

“Syeda!” cried Maya’s mother, entering the dining room.

“Oh, Dalia,” wept Syeda Khala, her eyes spilling over with tears as she clutched her older sister. “I still can’t believe Abbu is really gone.”

“I know,” said Dalia. “It was so unexpected—he was in such good health. It was Ammi I was more worried about, with her high blood pressure.”

Realizing that her mother and aunt needed some privacy, Maya grabbed a stack of toast along with a jar of jam. “C’mon, guys,” she said to her cousins. “We’ll have a picnic and watch cartoons.”

• • •

After breakfast, as mourners paraded through the house, Maya’s youngest aunt, Sofia Khala, finally arrived from Little Rock, Arkansas, with her husband, Uncle Jad. Zara and Maya were tasked with keeping the boys busy upstairs in the television lounge while the adults ­huddled over stacks of papers and made phone calls. Zara had finally stumbled downstairs at noon and now sat nursing a cup of milky tea, laboriously taking notes from a thick biology book to keep up with classwork.

“I’m hungry,” complained Ali, looking up from his coloring book.

“Me too,” Zaki chimed in.

“Can you get them something?” mumbled Zara, waving her pen in Maya’s direction.

Maya’s nose flared at her sister’s bossiness, but she held her tongue. She was kind of thirsty herself. Shutting her journal with a snap, she rose.

“Oh, I’ll come down too,” said Zara, taking her cup. “I need more sugar in my tea.”

As they approached the kitchen door, the echo of strained voices floated toward them. Zara slowed, grabbing Maya’s arm.

“What?” grumbled Maya in irritation, as her sister put her finger to her lips.

Zara stepped into the kitchen and pulled Maya into a hiding spot beside the bulky refrigerator.

“Alia Bhabi,” said Great-Uncle Ahmed to ­Naniamma, his voice gravelly, “I know it’s hard, but you must sell the house and take care of financial matters before your daughters leave.”

“But this is all too soon,” said Naniamma. “There is so much to do. . . .”

“Ammi,” said Maya’s mom soothingly, “we’ll help you sort everything out. If things are left, Uncle Ahmed will take care of it.”

“It’s overwhelming for all of us,” whispered Sofia Khala, “but you and Abbu had already started planning your move to the United States to retire. ­Unfortunately, we just have to speed things up.”

Maya crouched down to peer around the metal edge of the fridge and saw Uncle Jad gently patting his mother-in-law on the back.

“There was a fair offer on the villa from one of the neighbors,” said Great-Uncle Ahmed, running a weary hand over his balding head. “Alia Bhabi, you should take it.”

“He’s right,” said Sofia Khala. “Once news is out that Abbu is gone, crooks are going to come out of the woodwork to try and swindle you out of your home and possessions. The lawlessness in Karachi is increasing day by day and the political situation is very unstable, especially with elections around the corner.”

“Yes,” echoed Syeda Khala. “The cars will be easily sold, and we’ll all help you get packed up.”

“But what about our trip to India?” said Naniamma, out of the blue. “We were all going together in December, in less than three months.”

A hush fell over the kitchen table. “Ammi, I don’t think we can go,” said Dalia.

“But you don’t understand,” said Naniamma, her voice strained. “I must go to India.”

Maya stared at her grandmother, surprised that she still wanted to go to India, so soon after her grand­father’s death.

“We’ve been trying to go to India for over forty years but the Indian government wouldn’t give us visas!” cried Naniamma. “You know how difficult they make things for Pakistanis, especially those who’ve served in the military, like your father. We had to file special papers to get the right approvals and clearances. Finally we got our visas, and only after that could we purchase our tickets.”

“Yes, Ammi, we know all the trouble he went through,” said Sofia Khala, her voice breaking. “And we know what the trip means to you, but this is not a time to go looking for—”

“Ammi, they’re right,” interrupted Dalia. “We all got our passports stamped with Indian visas and bought our tickets too, but it’s just not possible to go now. We have to leave for San Francisco in a week—Abbu needs to be buried. Already we are breaking tradition by not burying him within twenty-four hours of his death.”

What does Naniamma want to look for in India? Maya wondered as her grandmother continued.

“Your father promised me. . . . It’s been my dream since I was a little girl,” insisted Naniamma, sadness settling over her fine features as Syeda Khala tried to dab her tearstained cheeks with a crumpled tissue. “Once my visa expires, you know it will be impos­sible to get another one.”

Hearing the desperation in her grandmother’s voice, Maya felt her heart grow heavy. This trip is really, really important to her.

“I know, Ammi,” said Dalia. “We were all looking forward to going, but we’ll find another way to go, I promise.”

At that moment, the cook came in from the market through the side door where the grown-ups sat, ­carrying a plastic bag from the butcher. With so many people in the house, he had been cooking nonstop. As he crossed the room, a line of blood trickled down along the tiled floor. Glimpsing the crimson puddle, Naniamma paled. She rose abruptly and turned to leave.

“Ammi,” called out Sofia Khala, about to go after her, but Maya’s mom grabbed her arm.

“This has all been a lot for her. Let her be.”

Zara emerged from the hiding spot beside the fridge, about to say something, but their grandmother hurried past. Shoulders slumped, Zara joined the adults, but Maya inched toward the kitchen door, watching Naniamma grab her purse and head toward the garden. Gray clouds were building in the distance, a signal of an approaching monsoon shower.

Where is she going? Maya wondered. She followed, pausing at the door and watching as ­Naniamma rounded the fountain and hurried deeper into the garden, which was a riot of colorful blooms. All shades of the rainbow except for red, Maya thought. Once she’d disappeared behind the jasmine bushes, Maya slipped out the door and traced her footsteps, pausing on the opposite side of the foliage, breathing in the heady scent of the small white flowers. Through the foliage, she heard her grandmother unzip her purse and rummage inside. Maya’s toes sank into the warm, moist soil as she leaned forward, catching a glimpse of ­silver—a cell phone.

“Muhi, it’s me, Alia Auntie,” said Naniamma, her voice tight with urgency. “I need you to do something for me . . . but please keep it strictly between us. . . .”

Reading Group Guide

A Reading Group Guide to

Ticket to India

By N. H. Senzai

About the Book

As Maya sits in a plane flying to Pakistan, she has no idea that the trip will change her life forever. She is headed to her grandparents’ home in Pakistan due to her grandfather’s death. As she watches her grandmother grieve, Maya realizes she must help her through this difficult time. Before she knows it, she is on another plane, this time headed to India with her grandmother and sister. There, they plan to retrieve her grandmother’s family’s treasure chest that includes a ring for her husband, and has been lost to her for more than half a century. But soon Maya is separated from her grandmother and sister and she faces kidnapping, thievery, street children, and corrupt police. She uses her quick wit and available resources to find the treasure that’s so important.

This coming-of-age story incorporates cultural and historical information about Pakistan and India. It is a great introduction and explanation of the cultural differences between the two countries and why some of these differences exist.

Prereading Question

Before reading and discussing Ticket to India, write down and/or discuss any information you know about India and Pakistan. Where did you learn this information? After reading the book, was the information and/or your impression of the two countries the same or different as before you read the book? Provide examples to support your answer.

Discussion Questions

1. People react differently to death. How did each family member react to Nanabba’s death? Was Naniamma’s desire to go to India immediately one of her ways of dealing with her husband’s death? Did her reaction change the way others responded to his death?

2. Memories are important in Ticket to India. Discuss why it’s important to the family to remember Nanabba. How do sounds, smells, and places affect memories? What did Maya mean when she was comforted by the words that were bringing her grandfather back to life, even if just for a moment? Discuss Naniamma’s memory map and the importance of the accuracy of the map in their quest. When Maya was kidnapped, what memories did she have to help her plan her escape? Over time what happened to Naniamma’s memories of her parents?

3. When Maya left San Francisco to go to Karachi, Pakistan, she had an assignment from her teacher to keep a journal. What were Maya’s thoughts about this assignment? In Maya’s journal she described India as a land of contradictions: extreme poverty and wealth, charity and greed, beauty and ugliness, prejudice and tolerance. What did she mean by these descriptions? Could these descriptions also be attributed to other countries such as the United States? Why or why not?

4. Discuss the sibling rivalry between Zara and Maya. Who has the strongest personality and why? What changes, if any, happened between the sisters?

5. What do you believe the rose symbolizes? How does the color of the rose change what it represents? What did Naniabba tell Maya the rose signifies?

6. What is your impression of the living conditions of the people in India as described in this book? Are they similar to or different from what you are used to seeing? Consider the shanty towns, street children, elegant boutiques, trendy restaurants, renovated colonial buildings, etc.

7. What is in a name? Maya was constantly being reminded of the meanings of her name. Discuss Maya’s name and its many meanings. How did the author use these meanings to help Maya during her quest?

8. Why did Zara and Maya decide to journey to Naniamma’s childhood home in India? What crisis happened on the first part of the trip to India? Who decided to continue the quest to Naniamma’s childhood home without her accompanying them? When starting on their journey, Maya and Zara overheard travelers talking about the need to be careful of the food and water they ate and drank. Was this important information for the girls? Why or why not? Does this information apply to countries other than India? How did Zara and Maya get separated at the train station? What did Maya learn about street children and policemen in India?

9. How did Jai feel leaving his sister behind with the kidnappers? Could he have done anything differently considering the circumstances? If you were Jai, would you trust Maya to help rescue Guddi after they reunite Maya with her mother?

10. Both Naniamma and Sir Arthur Cecil Labant lived through the same turbulent time in India. How did the history lesson on India as told by Sir Arthur Cecil Labant compare to Naniamma’s? Were they the same or different? If they were different, what would be the reason for the differences?

11. Would Jai and Maya have been safer staying with Sir Arthur Cecil Lebant than stealing his money and taking a bus to Maurya Hotel? Was it right to leave without letting him know they appreciated his hospitality and that they would repay him for the money they stole?

12. What was the Gulabi Gang, a.k.a. the Pink Rose Gang? Why were Babu, Ladu, and Pinto scared of this gang? How did this gang help Maya and Jai?

13. “Maya stared into Jai’s childish face, his eyes those of a man who’d seen too much.” What does this sentence tell you about Jai?

14. As Naniamma gave Maya and Zara each a gold bangle inlaid with emeralds, she told them they were her mother’s: “Whenever you look at them, remember that you are connected to her and our family.” How important is a family? Who or what constitutes a family? Do you have any heirlooms that connect you to past generations? How important are these items to you? Do you have any photographs of generations past? Do you or any of your family members resemble these people?

Extension Activities

1. Research the Partition of India in the library or online. How does your research compare to Naniamma’s description in the book?

2. It was a tradition in Naniamma’s family to have rings made for the daughters. They were betrothal rings. What were the stones Naniamma’s family used? Research this stone. Is it a rare/precious stone? What colors do these stones come in? Research the average price of this stone. Remember the rings were large enough to fit on a man’s finger and the ring was to be Naniamma’s dowry.

3. How much is 1,000 rupees? That’s the amount of money Jai stole from an old lady who was going to pay for her granddaughter’s medicine. It was also the amount of money Maya and Jai stole from Sir Arthur Cecil Labant. What would 1,000 rupees buy in your country?

4. At the end of the story it was learned that Naniamma’s doctor was on the board of Railway Children. Research this organization. Does it exist? What is its purpose? Is it the same as in the book?

5. Who was Mahatma Gandhi? Research what the connection was between Mahatma Gandhi and the Dandi March.

6. There are at least two sides to every story. What was the background story for Ladu, Pinto, and Babu? Choose one of these characters and write their story using first-person narrative.

7. How good is your memory? Draw your own memory map of a place that is significant to you. Be sure to add sights of interest and landmarks to ensure another person could follow it. The map does not have to be global or cross country, it could be local.

8. Maya noticed a difference between the writing on the billboards and signs that were written in Hindi and those written in Urdu. Hindi script is more square, different from the flowing letters of Urdu. Research the different styles of the scripts on the Internet. Try writing some of the letters from each style.

9. Naniamma found her family tree in her family’s Quran. What is a family tree? Make a family tree of your own family. How many generations can you document in your family tree?

Guide prepared by Lynn Dobson, librarian at East Brookfield Elementary School, East Brookfield, MA.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.

About The Author

Photograph © Sylvia Fife

N. H. Senzai is the author of the acclaimed Shooting Kabul, which was on numerous state award lists and an NPR Backseat Book Club Pick. Its companion, Saving Kabul Corner, was nominated for an Edgar Award. While her first two books are based in part on husband’s experience fleeing Soviet-controlled Afghanistan in the 1970s, her third, Ticket to India is based on her own family’s history. She is also the author of Escape from Aleppo. Ms. Senzai lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit her online at NHSenzai.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (November 15, 2016)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781481422598
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12
  • Lexile ® 900L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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