The Sunshine Project
From the book
What? Impossible. How can this be? What about the Green Cities push? The Green Power Award. Green is everywhere, and Shankar and his friends can’t find jobs?
MY THOUGHTS
Yasmin, Reeni, Anil, and Book Uncle are back! They were last seen in Birds on the Brain, where Reeni, an avid birder, needs to convince the grown-ups around her to just wait patiently as a bird builds a nest in a spot that stands in the way of an entire building getting solar power.
Now, Uma Krishnaswami is back with The Sunshine Project. Anil, a karate-loving, vocal champion of solar power for his community, is thrilled to hear the city is following his lead to build a new solar panel factory. But to his dismay, he learns from his friends that the corporation is planning to build on mangrove forests, endangering delicate species and the livelihood of fisherfolk.
Anil and his friends decide to bring this matter to the authorities’ notice by working on it as part of their school journalism project. They brainstorm questions, possible solutions, and even conduct interviews with the affected parties. Anil has to work alongside his nemesis, Mohan, who may have a connection to the solar panel factory. Can Anil use principles he has learnt in his karate class to team up with Mohan and complete the project? Or have things progressed too far to turn back the decision to plough through the mangroves?
Uma Krishnaswami’s characters are a huge part of why I love the book. From endearing Book Uncle to Mohan, who concocts an image of himself to fit in at school, each one of them is memorable because they remind you of people you meet in your own life. The characters are real and relatable, and stay with you.
Like Birds on the Brain, Krishnaswami does an amazing job of drawing the attention of the reader to the macro picture. Sure, solar power is much needed, but what are the consequences of setting up factories in environmentally sensitive areas? Is it fine to build factories that guarantee employment while sacrificing the livelihood of those who depend on the land for food? The book raises pertinent questions that make for interesting discussions with young readers. The story is fresh, relevant, and already a part of many things kids study at school these days, making this a must-read book for them.
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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