The Grand Plan to Fix Everything [Hardcover]

Uma Krishnaswami (Author), Abigail Halpin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: May 24, 2011 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 770L (What's this?)

Eleven-year old Dini loves movies—watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own—especially Bollywood movies. But when her mother tells her some big news, it does not at all jive with the script of her life she has in mind. Her family is moving to India…and, not even to Bombay, which is the center of the Bollywood universe and home to Dini’s all-time most favorite star, Dolly. No, Dini is moving to a teeny, tiny village she can’t even find on a map. Swapnagiri. It means Dream Mountain and it only looks like a word that’s hard to pronounce. But to that open-minded person who sounds the name out, one letter at a time, it falls quite handily into place: S-w-a-p-n-a-g-i-r-i. An honest sort of name, with no surprise letters waiting to leap out and ambush the unwary. That doesn’t mean there aren’t surprises in Swapnagiri like mischievous monkeys and a girl who chirps like a bird—and the biggest surprise of all: Dolly.

So now, Dini is hard at work on a new script, the script in which she gets to meet the amazing Dolly. But, life is often more unpredictable than the movies and when Dini starts plotting her story things get a little out of control.

This is a joyful, lively Bollywood inspired story is full of colorful details, delicious confections and the wondrous, magical powers of coincidence. Uma Krisnaswami will have you smiling from ear to ear.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hooray for Bollywood. Eleven-year-old Dini is not pleased at all at the prospect of leaving Takoma Park, Md., and her best friend Maddie to live in a small town in southern India for two years. But though she knows it’s ridiculous, bakvaas, as Indians say, she wonders if she might get to meet her idol, Dolly Singh, Bollywood film star. Dini and Maddie are devoted Dolly fans. And, in a series of events as wonderfully convoluted and satisfyingly resolved as any movie plot could be, she does. The fast-paced tale introduces and manages to connect an Indian-American family, a postal worker from Mumbai, a movie producer and his erratic star, a car mechanic, a tea plantation owner, a local baker and assorted monkeys—all coming together for a grand finale party and dance. Set in imagined Swapnagiri (which means Dream Mountain), this high-energy concoction is thoroughly believable and entertaining. The story is told in a third-person present-tense voice that rings true to its protagonist, who sees her life as a movie script. Though Dini and Maddie are halfway around the world from each other, they communicate through cell phones and computer chat, keeping up their friendship while making new ones. Full of references to Bollywood movie traditions and local customs, this is a delightful romp with a fresh setting and a distinctive and appealing main character. - KIRKUS, April 1, 2011, *STAR

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything

Written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Abigail Halpin

(Atheneum, ISBN: 9781416995890; May 2011; Summer catalog p. 53)

Krishnaswami perfectly captures movie-star infatuation, best-friendship, geographical displacement, and youthful determination in this exuberant blend of American tween life and Indian village culture. When 11-year-old Dini's physician mother gets a grant to work at a clinic in the tiny village of Swapnagiri in India, Dini is plucked out of her contented life in suburban Maryland. Distraught about abandoning her BFF Maddie--who truly understands Dini's passion for Indian movie-star Dolly Singh--and their plans to attend Bollywood dance camp, she nevertheless remains optimistic as she tries to plot her new life, and those of the people she meets, as a screenplay. Krishnaswami (Naming Maya) interlaces Dini's story with lighthearted portrayals of the Indian film industry and postal system; she neatly and satisfactorily resolves every dilemma, suggesting elements of magic ("[W]hen you are moving... to a place whose name means ‘dream mountain,' your mind begins to open up in strange ways") while remaining firmly grounded in reality. An out-of-the-ordinary setting, a distinctive middle-grade character with an unusual passion, and the pace of a lively Bollywood "fillum" make this novel a delight.

--Publishers Weekly, April 4, 2011, *STAR

Told with wit, whimsy, and much heart, this engaging story features a charming protagonist; colorfully drawn side characters; and a lively, vibrant narrative that descriptively details Indian culture, settings, daily life, and Bollywood movies.

--Booklist, September 1, 2011

About the Author

Uma Krishnaswami is the author of several books for children. She was born in New Delhi, India, and now lives in Aztec, New Mexico.

Abigail Halpin is an illustrator/graphic designer living in New England who likes bright colors, all things retro, and sharp pencils.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416995897
• ISBN-13: 978-1416995890
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Middle East

More About the Author

Uma Krishnaswami is the author of many books for children. She is also on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute Read for Bollywood Afficianadoes! December 2, 2011

By M. Lee

Format:Hardcover

As a mother who screens everything her 12-year-old daughter reads, a lot of books make it to our must-read list because of what we're currently doing as a family. In the case of "The Grand Plan to Fix Everything," I knew said daughter would get a kick out of reading it because my husband had just got us all watching Bollywood movies as a family, so we knew exactly what the characters were about. This is not a book that needs to be read in context, however, although, of course, our current interest in Bollywood movies made it so much more fun to read. Any child who's experiencing a change of circumstance or environment would enjoy this book. It was a short read, but the laughs lasted quite a while longer after the book was closed. Said daughter's review follows:

"The book, `The Grand Plan to Fix Everything" by Uma Krishnaswami was a funny book.

"Eleven-year-old Dini loves movies: making movies, watching movies with her best friend Maggie and especially Dolly Singh movies. So when she finds out she is going to India in the middle of the school year, she thinks she will finally be able to meet Dolly. Then she finds out that she is moving into a teeny tiny village in India called `Dreamy Mountain' for two years. It is upsetting to say the least. But will Dini find a way to make her life better? From actually meet Dolly herself to close encounters with wild monkeys to curry puffs to singing cars and chirping girls, this is a book you will never forget.

"My favorite character was Dini. She is really funny and really cares about her friends. I also liked how Dini wrote her essay in school like a movie script and talked about how she wants to change the world.

"My favorite part of the book was when the news reporter took a picture of the monkeys posing with the cake at Dini's party. It was really funny!

"I also liked how the book had not only Dini's point of view but the view-points of Lal the mail man, the director and Dolly herself. It was a really cute book and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

"I would give the book five stars: two for the illustrations, two for the plot and one for the characters. It was a great book."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club. com June 3, 2011

By Cynthia Hudson

Format:Hardcover

Dini and her best friend Maddie love to watch movies from Bollywood. They memorize lines from songs and know all the situations that can be solved by their favorite actress, Dolly Singh. When Dini's mom gets a grant to study at a clinic in southern India for two years, Dini is both upset and excited. She's upset to leave Maddie and her home in Delaware. But she's also excited that she'll be closer to Bombay, as all the filmi people call Mumbai. Maybe she'll even have a chance to meet her screen idol, Dolly!

Meanwhile, Dolly is having her own relationship crisis. As coincidence has it, she flees to the small town of Swapnagiri, where Dini's family has moved, to take a break from her career. Can Dini find her and finally get to meet her?

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami is full of serendipitous connections. A dedicated postal worker, a diligent guard, a worried baker, a girl who can imitate all kinds of sounds, a noise-making electric car, and mischievous monkeys all weave into Dini's story. These colorful characters have roles that read like a Bollywood film, and soon Dini is trying to figure out how she can make a new friend while keeping her friendship with Maddie, solve Dolly's problems and learn to be comfortable in her new surroundings.

Dini is a delightful character, and by the time the book ends you'll want to orchestrate your own Bollywood film. I recommend The Grand Plan to Fix Everything for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Middlegrade goes Bollywood! December 15, 2011

By K. N. Tipper

Format:Hardcover

Author Uma Krishnaswami creates a fun, fanciful, Bollywood-style story about 11 yr-old Indian-American Dini, a girl passionate about two people: Bollywood star Dolly Singh and American best friend Maddie. When Dini finds out her family will move to a small village in India for a couple of years, trepidation flares--oh, how she'll miss Maddie. But wait! If meeting Dolly Singh is part of her India experience, well, then that would make life perfect. What follows is the story of Dini's quest to find Dolly, complete with all manner of Indian-flavored wackiness. Simply put, I loved this book. The writing is fun and fluid, the characters and situations made me laugh, AND the illustrations by artist Abigail Halpin are lovely. Check it out!