The Grand Plan to Fix Everything

Gr 4—6—Dini and her friend Maddie love the movies of Bollywood and especially the "filmis" featuring their favorite star—the beautiful singer/actress Dolly Singh. When Dini's mother announces that the family is moving to India for two years, the 11-year-old friends are stunned. At first they are sad that they will be apart but then they are cheered by the idea that Dini may get a chance to meet Dolly. However, the town to which Dini's family is moving is so small that it is not even on a map, much less near Bombay, which is the Bollywood universe. In a series of coincidences and rewriting of life scripts, Dini manages not only to meet her idol, but also to patch up the star's love life. The lilting text conveys the nature of the Hindi language and culture in a subtle yet effective style. The electricity goes on and off at odd times, monkeys wreak havoc in water tanks, and a certain flower blooms only once every 12 years. The story line is girly-girl yet the humor, characters, and kismet make this light novel an enjoyable read.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH