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An Indigo’s and LitHub’s Most Anticipated Book
Starred reviews: Kirkus, SLJ, ALA Book List, Book Page, Redeemed Reader, CCBC
2026 ALA Notable Middle Grade Book
2026 TLA Lone Star Reading List
2026 Alberta Literary Awards R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature Finalist
2025 Northern Lights Best Humor Book Award
2026 Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Finalist
2026 Sakura Meda Finalist
2026 Snow Willow Award Finalist
2026 High Plains International Book Award Finalist
2026-27 Hackmatack Award Book Finalist
2026 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year list
BookPage Best Middle Grade Book 2025
Redeemed Reader Top 10 Best Book 2025
Read Aloud Revival Book of the Week
2026 Everyday Reading Book Club Pick
Reading Middle Grade Summer Book Club Pick
Imagination Soup Best Middle Grade Book 2025

Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem.

Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his hyper-strict Tamil parents:

Rule #3: Straight A’s only.
Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.
Rule #15: Never owe anyone anything.

However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: get on eight grade’s most popular kid, Jacob Underson’s good side.

When Jacob asks him to do the unthinkable and steal a chocolate bar from Scary Al’s convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally “get cool” and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects his theft, leaving Ajay to discover that it contains more than he ever thought a stolen candy bar could—a wrapper with a million-dollar prize.

Faced with an extreme dilemma that sends his life spiraling out of control, Ajay, with the help of a new friend and his little sister Aarthi, will have to navigate his identity and morality in deciding whether or not to claim the one thing that could change his family’s life forever.

This poignant, funny, coming-of-age novel from author Maria Marianayagam has humor, heart, authoritarian parents, and a wannabe-cool Tamil-nerd hero you can’t help but root for.

Also available in Audiobook. Listen to sample here:

★ “Utter fun.” —Kirkus Review (starred)

★ “A wonderful middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path. A must-purchase for all libraries.” —School Library Journal (starred)

★ “The author rolls generous quantities of Sri Lankan food and customs into a story that is blessedly free of moralistic lectures…adds an array of spicy side dishes ranging from sweet budding romance and a dollop of redemption for the bully to sharp insights into Robert Frost’s poetry.” —Booklist (starred)

★ “Entertaining, thought-provoking read rife with suspenseful twists and turns and well-drawn characters, and enlivened by the witty, appealing voice of its protagonist.” —BookPage (starred)

“Marianayagam meditates on powerful messages surrounding family, identity, and finding friends in unlikely places in this bittersweet debut.” —Publisher’s Weekly

“The plot never falters, and surprising twists make for a refreshing coming-of-age story.” —The Horn Book

“It’s not every day that a novel holds out the possibility of authentic endings that are so satisfying. This one does.” —Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery-Honor and Prinz-Honor Winning Author

“An important story about truth, family, and morality. Marianayagam shows how wisdom can come from many sources: friends, family, faith, poetry, and even karate philosophy. This book will strike a chord with anyone facing competing pressures—which is to say, all of us.” —Andrea Wang, Newbery Honor–winning author

“A beautiful and relatable coming-of-age story, rich with emotion and humor, about the meaning of family, learning to be yourself against all odds, and the courage it takes to make things right.” —Ellen Oh, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor–winning author

“A fun middle grade debut with all my favorite things—friendship, family, food—and feels like a big hug.” —Debbi Michiko Florence, award-winning author

“Through deft storytelling, my heart soared with each triumph of Ajay Anthonipillai. I didn’t just fall for Ajay; I fell for his entire Sri Lankan family. A delightful debut full of humor and heart!”—Reem Faruqi, award-winning author

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