Childrens

Thirst

Thirst

  • Downloads：6663
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-06 10:51:49
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Varsha Bajaj
  • ISBN：0593354397
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone。

Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai， where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines。 Lately， though， even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity—an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night。 Meanwhile， in the high-rise building where she just started to work， she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there’s even a rooftop swimming pool。 What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses。 Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life。 How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated？

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Reviews

Alicia ，

I wanted a little more intensity to the water crisis throughout the story because it was there floating in the background but never omnipresent to the story as a whole which features the classicism of India。 Minni has to take over her mother's duties working for a wealthy family while she heals （and you learn what she's sick from） while trying to still do well at school and take care of her father who has a tea stall because the women and girls are in charge of that realm though Minni's father t I wanted a little more intensity to the water crisis throughout the story because it was there floating in the background but never omnipresent to the story as a whole which features the classicism of India。 Minni has to take over her mother's duties working for a wealthy family while she heals （and you learn what she's sick from） while trying to still do well at school and take care of her father who has a tea stall because the women and girls are in charge of that realm though Minni's father tries where/when he can。 It was a pitch-perfect delivery of a story that has endearing characters we want to root for， a gentle way of unfolding the pressure and discrimination Minni felt， and the divide in opportunities like education。 And not everyone can be trusted-- you have to fight for the good against the evil and whether it happened because of Minni or was already in the works， good triumphs。 。。。more

Katie Reilley ，

Minni and her family live in the poorest part of Mumbai where access to water is limited， and the water her family can access needs to be boiled before any use。 Often waiting for hours for her family’s turn at the communal tap， Minni often witnesses shortages， arguments that sometimes lead to violence， and thieves who steal this precious resource to make money。 When Minni’s older brother is sent to live in the country （after witnessing water thieves at work） and her mother becomes ill， Minni mus Minni and her family live in the poorest part of Mumbai where access to water is limited， and the water her family can access needs to be boiled before any use。 Often waiting for hours for her family’s turn at the communal tap， Minni often witnesses shortages， arguments that sometimes lead to violence， and thieves who steal this precious resource to make money。 When Minni’s older brother is sent to live in the country （after witnessing water thieves at work） and her mother becomes ill， Minni must manage the water collection for her family， take on her mom’s cleaning job for a wealthy family where water flows freely from the tap， and try to attend school and study for her yearly exam。 The title “Thirst” accurately describes both Minni’s actual need for usable water as well as her desire to reach her future dreams。 There is lots to unpack with student readers in this one: the inequalities surrounding access to water and education; poverty; theft and corruption。 Highly recommend， and it’s a Global Read Aloud selection for 2022！ 。。。more

Jgramley ，

Minni Meow as her brother nicknames her is the heroine of this story。 She is an intelligent student， loving sister， helpful daughter and so much more。 In a world where water is life， Minni thirsts for more and you will root for her every step of the way！

Margaret ，

A powerful story about water and the lack of water for too many people。 This would be an excellent read-aloud especially given the climate conditions around the world。 People in our western states are feeling and adjusting their lives to the lack of water。 https://www。bloomberg。com/graphics/20。。。Minni's family， as do all her neighbors， struggle to survive but their courage and ingenuity make them daily heroes。 At twelve-years-old， Minni spends her year as a seventh grade student shouldering adul A powerful story about water and the lack of water for too many people。 This would be an excellent read-aloud especially given the climate conditions around the world。 People in our western states are feeling and adjusting their lives to the lack of water。 https://www。bloomberg。com/graphics/20。。。Minni's family， as do all her neighbors， struggle to survive but their courage and ingenuity make them daily heroes。 At twelve-years-old， Minni spends her year as a seventh grade student shouldering adult decisions involving what she， friends， and a sibling witness one night。 Tension mounts as a water thief， a mafia boss's identity is revealed to her。 Poverty， equality， and health care inequity are addressed。 Heartbreaking and uplifting。 。。。more

Stephanie Affinito ，

One of the reasons I read is to broaden my understanding of the world and how it works。 I want to learn， to grow and allow reading to change me for the better。 This book was the perfect catalyst for this。 In it， we meet Minni， a 12-year old girl who lives in the poorest part of India where water is scarce and her family must go to great lengths to access it。 When Minni and her brother witness the mafia stealing their water， their lives completely change。 Her brother is sent away to live with fam One of the reasons I read is to broaden my understanding of the world and how it works。 I want to learn， to grow and allow reading to change me for the better。 This book was the perfect catalyst for this。 In it， we meet Minni， a 12-year old girl who lives in the poorest part of India where water is scarce and her family must go to great lengths to access it。 When Minni and her brother witness the mafia stealing their water， their lives completely change。 Her brother is sent away to live with family to ensure his safety and when her mother becomes ill again， Minni is left to work in her place while still maintaining her schoolwork。 Through it all， Minni learns of the power of family， friendship and community…and the small acts of courage that can change a community。 This book is an eye-opener for many， including myself， who take free access to clean water for granted。 。。。more

Lauren P。 ，

In the author’s note， Bajaj writes， “Many of us don’t think about water on a daily basis。 We are privileged。” This is not the case for Minni and her neighborhood who struggle daily with access to clean water （like 1 in 10 of the world’s population） and the story brings awareness to those who live in Minni’s world。 While Thirst ends up being a feel-good story， （which wraps up a little too neatly， in my opinion） but is an excellent teaching opportunity for students with many opportunities for cult In the author’s note， Bajaj writes， “Many of us don’t think about water on a daily basis。 We are privileged。” This is not the case for Minni and her neighborhood who struggle daily with access to clean water （like 1 in 10 of the world’s population） and the story brings awareness to those who live in Minni’s world。 While Thirst ends up being a feel-good story， （which wraps up a little too neatly， in my opinion） but is an excellent teaching opportunity for students with many opportunities for cultural awareness and informational connections about water access across the world and the water mafia， a concept I knew nothing about prior to reading。 。。。more

Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens ，

Minni investigates water stolen from her Mumbai neighborhood in this clear look at resource access and wealth disparity。

Susan McGilvray ，

Excellent middle grade global fiction - Minni is a great girl power character！

Julie Basinger Basinger ，

YA literature

Andrea Lorenz ，

Very good middle grade audiobook。 I loved learning about how Minnie lived and what her every day life was like。 A great window for many kids。

Anna Hargett ，

I didn’t expect this book to be as good as it was！ It was a really fun， cute， and interestingly enough， a thought provoking read in a very simple way for children to understand。 Through Minni （also known as Meena by some and Minni Meow by her brother）， we are able to see life through the eyes of a child not only growing up， but growing up on the streets of Mumbai， India。 In this book， the reader is able to see the wealth disparity gap if the residents who live there。 This is told through the sto I didn’t expect this book to be as good as it was！ It was a really fun， cute， and interestingly enough， a thought provoking read in a very simple way for children to understand。 Through Minni （also known as Meena by some and Minni Meow by her brother）， we are able to see life through the eyes of a child not only growing up， but growing up on the streets of Mumbai， India。 In this book， the reader is able to see the wealth disparity gap if the residents who live there。 This is told through the story of the water system of the “slums” vs。 the expensive high rises in the rich part of the city。 Minni quickly learns that the small percentage of rich live in one world， while the masses live in another。 Minni also discovers the dark side of human nature with those individuals who always exploit the plight of those less fortunate in order to enrich themselves， and then do everything in their power to hide their crimes when they get caught。 We see Minni rise above her perceived limitations， and look for innovative ways to come up with solutions to problems that seem too big to handle。 Through her story， we learn that we can do much good in the world， if we have the courage to at least try。 。。。more

Ashhad Syed ，

THIRST has the ability to empower any child into believing he/she can make a difference in the world。The tale masterfully takes us through a serious problem in India- water shortages and the water mafia。 Anyone of any culture is quickly immersed into Minni's difficult but happy life in India。 The details are spot on and the disparity between castes is blatantly obvious through the subtle language。 In addition， Varsha does an amazing job of connecting Hindus and Muslims together in a positive lig THIRST has the ability to empower any child into believing he/she can make a difference in the world。The tale masterfully takes us through a serious problem in India- water shortages and the water mafia。 Anyone of any culture is quickly immersed into Minni's difficult but happy life in India。 The details are spot on and the disparity between castes is blatantly obvious through the subtle language。 In addition， Varsha does an amazing job of connecting Hindus and Muslims together in a positive light。 Minni and her friends are very likable and will leave a positive imprint in any reader's mind。 I highly recommend this book to everyone！ 。。。more

Alyxandra Bryndzia ，

Quick read。 It ends kind of fast considering the rest of the book。 A lot to discuss and makes you feel grateful for the things we're lucky to have。 Quick read。 It ends kind of fast considering the rest of the book。 A lot to discuss and makes you feel grateful for the things we're lucky to have。 。。。more

Carmela Simmons ，

THIRST is sure to enthrall readers of all ages with its heart-stopping action， tender portrayal of characters， and sweeping scope。 A must-read for middle-schoolers as teachers prepare them to confront the environmental crises facing our world and to empower them with determination and hope。The author first captivates us with Minni， a charming main character any middle-schooler in the US can identify with， then deftly leads us into a world far from our own where family， school， and home seem both THIRST is sure to enthrall readers of all ages with its heart-stopping action， tender portrayal of characters， and sweeping scope。 A must-read for middle-schoolers as teachers prepare them to confront the environmental crises facing our world and to empower them with determination and hope。The author first captivates us with Minni， a charming main character any middle-schooler in the US can identify with， then deftly leads us into a world far from our own where family， school， and home seem both familiar and comforting to us and yet unique and life-threatening in their challenges。 Told from the perspective of the heroic young main character， the story begins close to home and pans out toward the Indian Ocean from her humble dwelling in the slums of Mumbai where life revolves around hauling water across the luxurious apartments in skyscrapers with rooftop pools。 The stark contrast forces the reader to come face to face with the realities of extreme economic inequities， health challenges， water scarcity， and the dark Mafia of water trafficking and shows young readers the power they can wield against them。 。。。more

elise （the petite punk） ，

4。5 starsFantastic。 This hard-hitting middle grade novel is great for an older audience too。 I loved the writing and the plot held my interest。 I also recommend the audiobook！✧ ✧ ✧≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫╰┈➤ 1。 intimacies by katie kitamura╰┈➤ 2。 convenience store woman by sayaka murata╰┈➤ 3。 shout by laurie halse anderson╰┈➤ 4。 lemon by kwon yeo-sun╰┈➤ 5。 here the whole time by vitor martins╰┈➤ 6。 i’m still here: black dignity in a world made for whiteness by austin channing brown╰ 4。5 starsFantastic。 This hard-hitting middle grade novel is great for an older audience too。 I loved the writing and the plot held my interest。 I also recommend the audiobook！✧ ✧ ✧≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫╰┈➤ 1。 intimacies by katie kitamura╰┈➤ 2。 convenience store woman by sayaka murata╰┈➤ 3。 shout by laurie halse anderson╰┈➤ 4。 lemon by kwon yeo-sun╰┈➤ 5。 here the whole time by vitor martins╰┈➤ 6。 i’m still here: black dignity in a world made for whiteness by austin channing brown╰┈➤ 7。 the worst kind of want by liska jacobs╰┈➤ 8。 come as you are by emily nagoski╰┈➤ 9。 the swimmers by julie otsuka╰┈➤ 10。 fables: book one by bill willingham╰┈➤ 11。 the wild robot by peter brown╰┈➤ 12。 red to the bone by jacqueline woodson╰┈➤ 13。 afterlife by julia alvarez╰┈➤ 14。 no one is too small to make a difference by greta thunberg╰┈➤ 15。 ring shout by p。 djèlí clark╰┈➤ 16。 a psalm for the wild-built by becky chambers╰┈➤ 17。 reasons to stay alive by matt haig╰┈➤ 18。 reminders of him by colleen hoover╰┈➤ 19。 binti by nnedi okorafor╰┈➤ 20。 the everything i have lost by sylvia zéleny╰┈➤ 21。 blackwater by jeannette arroyo and ren graham╰┈➤ 22。 thirst by varsha bajaj 。。。more

Amy ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group （Nancy Paulsen Books） for the review copy of Thirst by Varsha Bajaj。 This book is absolutely BEAUTIFUL！ I was intrigued by this book because it has a setting that will allow my understanding of a different culture to expand， and the premise sounds fascinating。 The thought that water could be such a rare commodity feels so strange to me - access to water is definitely something that I （as well as many of my students） take for granted every da Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group （Nancy Paulsen Books） for the review copy of Thirst by Varsha Bajaj。 This book is absolutely BEAUTIFUL！ I was intrigued by this book because it has a setting that will allow my understanding of a different culture to expand， and the premise sounds fascinating。 The thought that water could be such a rare commodity feels so strange to me - access to water is definitely something that I （as well as many of my students） take for granted every day。 Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai， where access to water is limited to a few hours a day。 Minni must wait in line at communal taps for a long time in order to get get water。 One night， Minni， her brother， and a few friends witness water thieves， which catapults Minni to have to make decisions that could have dire consequences for her family no matter what。 MInni is a wonderful character， and the surrounding characters are amazing。 If you enjoyed the book Amal Unbound， this would be a wonderful book to pick up。 I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book to share with my students as soon as possible。 。。。more

Selena ，

I was pulled into this story from the very beginning。 I know there are water shortages around the world and the separation of classes in some countries， more pronounced than the US， but this Minni's narration really brought this to light。 Minni lives in Mumbai with her brother， Sanjay， mother and father。 Her story gives her daily trip to the only supply of water in her village， it is very limited and if she arrives too late will not be able to get water for the day。 When her mother falls ill and I was pulled into this story from the very beginning。 I know there are water shortages around the world and the separation of classes in some countries， more pronounced than the US， but this Minni's narration really brought this to light。 Minni lives in Mumbai with her brother， Sanjay， mother and father。 Her story gives her daily trip to the only supply of water in her village， it is very limited and if she arrives too late will not be able to get water for the day。 When her mother falls ill and goes to stay with her sister in a different village， it is up to Minnie to get up every morning and boil the water to kill off the contaminants so her family can drink and cook with the water safely。 Her mother has already been sick due to the contaminated water before they began boiling it。 Minni and Sanjay， and their friends， accidentally come upon the Water Mafia stealing their limited water and he is sent to a farm in the country to hide after he was spotted by one of the Mafia。 Minni is caught between trying to go to school， take care of her father and trying to help bring Sanjay back home。 I enjoyed the writing of the story。 I related to Minni due to the well-crafted narrative and pulled for her and her family while hoping they could find a way to better water resources。 I will be sharing this book with my students when school resumes。 I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Mrs Heidrich ，

4。5 rounded up to 5Important story about the struggle for water that so many face。 Also deals with the struggle for education。 Great story that also leaves room for activism and hope。

Lori Emilson ，

Great middle grade story of overcoming obstacles， fighting for a cause and the importance of water equity。 Would spark great conversations！

Judi Valentine ，

Listen to Thirst by Varsha Bajaj on Audible。 https://www。audible。com/pd？asin=B09LK。。。 Listen to Thirst by Varsha Bajaj on Audible。 https://www。audible。com/pd？asin=B09LK。。。 。。。more

Melodie Pennington ，

What a wonderful， heart wrenching， accessible book。 I can't wait to share this with my 5th grade students in the Global Read Aloud。 This middle grade story shares a real problem actively impacting a large part of humanity， treating the crisis and the reader with respect。 It's realistic fiction that will earnestly inspire young people to take a stand。 What a wonderful， heart wrenching， accessible book。 I can't wait to share this with my 5th grade students in the Global Read Aloud。 This middle grade story shares a real problem actively impacting a large part of humanity， treating the crisis and the reader with respect。 It's realistic fiction that will earnestly inspire young people to take a stand。 。。。more

Artemisa Perucho-Green ，

Loved it！ Can’t wait to share it with my class this year。 ❤️

Russell J。 Sanders ，

I am a huge fan of the culture of India。 The colors， the fabrics， the foods， the sights， the people all fascinate me。 I was privileged to read a beautiful new novel featuring a young woman in Boston discovering her Indian culture recently。 On the heels of that， almost as I was turning the last page， Varsha Bajaj’s book Thirst arrived at my doorstep。 Like the book I’d just finished， a major theme of Bajaj’s lovely book is family， the family that is blood and the family that is friends。 In India， I am a huge fan of the culture of India。 The colors， the fabrics， the foods， the sights， the people all fascinate me。 I was privileged to read a beautiful new novel featuring a young woman in Boston discovering her Indian culture recently。 On the heels of that， almost as I was turning the last page， Varsha Bajaj’s book Thirst arrived at my doorstep。 Like the book I’d just finished， a major theme of Bajaj’s lovely book is family， the family that is blood and the family that is friends。 In India， I read， there is no word for cousin。 Everyone， whether blood related or not， is either a brother， a sister， an aunty， or an uncle。 In Thirst， twelve-year old Meena finds herself， for a time， without her mother or her brother， both of whom have left Mumbai temporarily。 Meena， taking on adult responsibilities while trying to maintain her school life and home life， discovers the value， worth， and love in all those who surround her。 Family is a gift， and we all are richer if we invite that gift。 But this middle-grade novel Bajaj has created is more than just a book about family and Meena’s growth。 It is also a tightly woven story about greed and its consequences that will appeal to its young readers。 Kids will undoubtedly admire Meena as she navigates her rocky life and heads toward solving a problem that affects her community。 Finally， I am always more than delighted to find fine writing in any story。 If a phrase or sentence stands out and speaks to me， then I’m a very happy reader indeed。 In Thirst， I was doubly delighted for I think young readers are enriched and instructed when they read truly fine， imaginative writing。 I was particularly struck by these three examples: “it felt like our promises were soaked in worry and longing，” “jagged words are flung at people like me all the time，” and “I drag the words Fail， Failed， Failure like a weight around my ankles。” With strong characters， a wealth of Indian culture， a great plot， and words like those， how can any reader not enjoy Thirst？ 。。。more

Alexis Doerr ，

Super easy read- would be great for struggling readers as well to follow along。 Love the inclusivity and diversity within this novel， it holds the reader to acknowledge and learn more about the impact water has on everyone。 Can’t wait to introduce this to kiddos。

Christine ，

Another great middle school novel by Varsha Bajaj。 Minni’s story captures the inequity of access to water in Mumbai。 Minni voices the potential and capacity of girls to make positive changes to the world。

Debbie Tanner ，

This wonderful story is about Minni who lives in Mumbai with her loving family。 They all work hard to try to make ends meet， and one of the things that makes it hard is having to go and get water everyday。 Things get harder when her mom and brother need to go and stay with relatives。 This would be a great story to compare to Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park。

Dana Pechacek ，

A nice quick read that makes you appreciate what you have。 I loved the main character

Marissa ，

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley。 As a middle school teacher， I am always on the lookout for books that teach while entertaining readers。 This book definitely fits that criteria。 The setting of the book is Mumbai， India and our main character is a young girl living in part of the poorest areas of that country。 The author does an excellent job of teaching about the culture and conflicts for the people of this area without coming on too strong。 The book teaches I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley。 As a middle school teacher， I am always on the lookout for books that teach while entertaining readers。 This book definitely fits that criteria。 The setting of the book is Mumbai， India and our main character is a young girl living in part of the poorest areas of that country。 The author does an excellent job of teaching about the culture and conflicts for the people of this area without coming on too strong。 The book teaches about something so many of us take for granted， water。 This book helps kids to understand what it is like living in this part of the world。 Minni， the main character， has to go through so many challenges but is able to overcome them with the support of her community， family， and friends。 This book opened my eyes as well to things that I may have taken for granted as well。 Lastly， I think this book would make an excellent companion novel to the book， The Bridge Home and Born Behind Bars， both by Padma Venkatraman。I plan on purchasing a copy for my classroom library and encouraging my students to read it。 。。。more

Jess ，

A great book to get kids thinking about water conservation and also inequality。 It has a mystery to it as well， so appealing to lots of kids！

Beth ，

Excellent！ Excellent writing， plot， characters - everything！ Cannot wait to share with my 7th graders！！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Thirst

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Thirst&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Thirst&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0