After reading this story on my own, I decided to share with my students as a read aloud. Many said it was one of their favorites. Thirst made my students think deeply about privilege, social justice, and the environment. The conversations we had together while reading were priceless. I highly recommend this book for all middle grade readers.

Absolutely 5 stars and an awesome global read aloud 2022 pick! I would consider this book a “window" book for
my students considering they just turn on the faucet and out flows water without a thought to where it comes from or its availability. Minni is an extremely heroic main character who goes through trials and triumphs throughout the text. She overcomes obstacles to achieve her dreams. What a beautiful, memorable novel appropriate for upper elementary students and middle school students.

For such a short book, this really touched on a lot of topics. I especially loved the focus on the world water crisis. Sometimes it can be easy for me to forget, as clean water is so readily available- just a twist of a tap away. However, that is not the case for many people, and this book did a great job of providing windows. The writing was wonderful and the characters were fairly well developed. I felt that the end tied up a bit too quickly and perfectly, but otherwise this was an outstanding book.

Varsha Bajaj does a great job of weaving climate change, poverty, classism, family and friendship into a story that will captivate most readers. Strong main and secondary characters and a tight plot.

A powerful novel with some important themes for middle grade readers. A powerful look into a different culture and worldview than most American-based readers will be familiar with. These books that offer windows to other ways of life are important and imperative for the future of our society.

Minni's story is heartbreaking, and yet uplifting. She is a strong girl who struggles with her many responsibilities and they just seem to keep piling on. This will be eye-opening for most Western readers. A wonderful story of friendship, family, and perseverance.

Engrossing storytelling brings readers across the world to tell them a very realistic story about water shortages.

I loved having an opportunity to read this Global Read Aloud book! It was an excellent read that belongs in any middle grade library or collection and will make readers think long after they've finished.

Far too few middle grade books center Indian characters and culture, and I was glad to discover this one is aiming to change that. Readers get to see a side of India that is not normally portrayed in children's books. My 5th grade son, who has been to India, felt the topic and message were so important, he recommended his teacher get it to read to the class. The author's voice brought these characters to life and brought the unpleasant topic of water inequality to center stage. The message to readers is clear: you're not too young to make an impact and change your community for the better.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author, and publisher for sharing this ARC.

Loved this book! I used this book as a read aloud opportunity with supplemental activities with a 5th grade class and we had a lot of fun reading this. The students got so invested and that's often hard to do with this age group. We give it 5 stars!

This was a quick read and a compelling story that sheds light on a problem far from many American readers.

This book not only showed the strength of a young girl, but also promoted the issue that not all people have access to clean water. Minni is a girl out to save the world, starting in her own neighborhood. Her family is going through a tough time, but she perseveres and not only tries to make her own life better, but the lives of everyone in her community.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Thirst by Varsha Bajaj.
A story of a child growing up in Mumbai, India. Living in a poor area, clean water is a resource that is difficult to obtain. Minni works hard at school, hoping that her education will help her secure a better future. When her mother gets sick, Minni must take her mother's job and balance chores, work, and school. This is a great story that teaches empathy for others and will help children understand the difficulties of the world around them.

Minni has grown up in the poor area of Mumbai and is well aware that her family's sacrifices to send her to school may be the only chance she has to access a more prosperous way of life. She and her neighbors wait in long lines for water each day, sometimes only to find that the water has run out when it is their turn.

They realize the problem is getting worse as there are a ring of thieves stealing water in the middle of the night. One night, she and her brother and friends witness these thieves a bit too close. Her brother and his friend must go live in the country for their own safety for a while. Closely after, her mother becomes sick and must take a break from her job working as a housekeeper in the wealthy district. Minni finds herself suddenly taking on new responsibilities at home and at her mother's job filling in as cook and housekeeper. She must work hard to juggle these new responsibilities along with her school work. She sees how quickly dreams of a better life can be moved to the back burner.

This is a story of resilience, hard work, and opportunity. Students reading this will gain a better perspective of gratitude and hard work. The story itself is well balance with action and introspection. This would make a great addition to a unit with books like A Long Walk to Water, The Rent Collector, and When Stars are Scattered.

Very good analysis of poverty vs riches, haves and have nots, with parallels to any country, not just India. See my full review here. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55586848

While parts of the mysteries resolution seem implausible and over-simplified, this book will expose students (and teachers) to the realities of water insecurity in India and the effects, even now, of caste in that country. The book keeps you wanting to read on and the characters are engaging and likable (except where they were not meant to be likable!).

This is an eye-opening book that will help students learn about another way of life and build empathy for those who do not have the privilege that we have here in the USA.

Many of us turn on the tap, and expect the water to flow freely. In Mumbai, India, this is not always the case. Minni lives in the poorest part of the city, and she and her family have to walk to the neighborhood tap. Sometimes the water flows, sometimes it trickles and sometimes it comes not at all. One night, Minni and her brothers and friends witness the water thieves at work, diverting the water to other areas of Mumbai. Her brother, in order to stay safe, leaves for the country to live with a relative. Minni's mother becomes ill, and while Minni is a student trying to excel enough to get into high school, she is forced to take over her mother's job with a rich Indian family. Attending school, working and caring for her family leaves Minni with no time and no energy for anything.

Minni is a resourceful young woman, and how she solves some of the problems in her life make for a good story. This would make an excellent middle school read, an easy way to expose students to other cultures and problems that might be encountered.

I love when I find a book that educates children on other cultures and countries and the challenges children in those countries face, and does so in a thoughtful and age appropriate way. I learned so much and it made me realize how good we have it in America with our easy access to clean water. Children who read this book can learn much from the struggles of the main character. She was an admirable little girl who also learned gratitude for the people in her life during her trials. Such characters are hard to find in books these days. I would recommend this book to any middle grade student. It was well worth reading.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a great look into how something as simple as water is taken for granted in many parts of the world. I loved the mystery of the water mafia and how they were tied into our protagonists life. I enjoyed how hard our main character fought to stay in school despite the odds and all her previous family members dropping out of school early. There were so many beautiful messages and layers to this story, yet it was told in a fashion that middle school student could follow and enjoy. Great Great book!

I loved Meena and her family - their experience is so different from my own, but her concerns were universal. Every child (and their parents) should read this book for a look at how water affects each of us, how access to clean drinking and bathing water is so fundamental and important to our society. More can always be done to inform our citizens of important issues, and I believe this book is a great first step in that education.

ARC Copy - p 64 at the end of Chapter 15 - "Amit says he never wants to live anywhere else, even when he's [a] star." is missing a word. Otherwise, no errors.