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Sanjay and Amit escape the men and make it across the train tracks

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Sanjay and Amit escape the men and make it across the train tracks

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Amit's Uncle holds up newspaper with headline: "MUMBAI RULED BY WATER MAFIA"

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Amit's Uncle holds up newspaper with headline: "MUMBAI RULED BY WATER MAFIA"

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FLYER: "WATER IS LIFE. STEALING WATER IS A CRIME"

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FLYER: "WATER IS LIFE. STEALING WATER IS A CRIME"

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Sanjay told Minni there is a river nearby the farm, one UNLIKE the Mithi River near their home in Mumbai

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Minni prays to Lord Ganesh to help protect them

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Minni prays to Lord Ganesh to help protect them

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kebabs - Faiza brings Minni food in Chap 22

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kebabs - Faiza brings Minni food in Chap 22

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Mumbai, India

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Naan Aunty - makes the best Naan, Ma's best friend

Moti - neighbourhood dog

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meek pg 13. Uncle is such a meek man, I can't imagine him fighting

carrom pg 13. "Older folks playing carrom in the middle of the road"

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After dinner, Minni is sitting on her stoop.

Men playing cards tell Minni that Naan Aunty is at the clinic with Uncle. "He was hurt in a fight at the water line"

Minni tells her parents. They see Naan Aunty and Uncle walking back. Uncle has a bandage on his head. A stone came flying at him.

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Minni (Hindu) and main character

Sanjay - Minni's brother

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monsoon pg 1. Lately the monsoon season comes later and later, which means less and less water

slums pg 2. People whizzed past in their air-conditioned cars on the bridge didn't want to see the decaying 'slums'

desalination pg 4. "It's called desalination. But it's expensive, and you need a huge factory to strain the salt out"

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The water reaches out to the horizon,
as far as my eyes can see.
Sometimes the sea gently rolls,
rocking the fishing boats.
Other days it whirls and rises up,
smashing against the rocks.
They say water is life.
Does it know the trouble it causes?
The fights?
The lines?
The heartache?
Today, though, it's calm.
Beautiful, like yards and yards of a blue sari
woven with threads of silver.
But what will tomorrow bring?

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Shanti - friend, teacher, neighbourhood storyteller, volunteers at community centre

Faiza (Muslim) - Minni's (Hindu) best friend
likes to dance

Reva - neighbour

Amit - Sanjay's friend
likes to rap. His uncle drives a new Mercedes car.

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canopy pg 17. We race over and find Shanti sitting under the tree's canopy

dowry  pg 17. "Were the people who lived on the islands part of the dowry?" Faiza asks.

chauffer pg 19. Amit's Uncle is a chauffer, and his employers travel a lot and are always needing to be dropped off or picked up at the airport

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Minni and Faiza walk home from school. They hear Shanti's conch shell (story time!)

Shanti tells the story of a long-ago royal wedding and most interesting dowry. The King of Portugal's daughter was to be married to Charles II of England. The King promised Bombay (at the time was 7 disconnected islands floating in one big swamp) to the British as a part of his daughter's dowry.

Minni, Faiza, and Sanjay walk home. Amit comes running, excited to tell them about his Uncle Ram's new car. His Uncle is a chauffeur. Amit promises to let Sanjay, Minni, and Faiza go for a ride.

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- Ma / Rohini (hard worker, cooks/cleans for her family AND for a rich family in one of the high-rise buildings)

- Baba (runs a tea shop called Jai Ho which means 'victory')

- Pinky (the daughter of the family Ma works for)
- Anita Ma'am (Ma's boss/Pinky's mom) --> payed Minni's school fees this year. Otherwise she would have to go to a government-run school

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daal pg 6. Ma makes the most delicious daal in the world

pakodas pg 6. "I might make the best tea and pakodas, but your ma is the greatest at everything else"

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The family eats dinner together on the floor in the living space.

Baba talks about the fight that broke out because of low water pressure.

Ma went to the clinic for a sore tummy. "Remember the doctor said we should always boil our water"

Ma wants Sanjay to get a job with computers. She doesn't believe in Sanjay's dream of becoming a chef.

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Minni and Sanjay (15) sit on top of the hill and stare out at the Arabian sea in Mumbai.
Minni describes her neighbourhood (a slum): houses are small, crammed on top of each other, they face the sea. Rich people live in skyscrapers and have rooftop pools.

Sanjay dreams of being a chef. Minni wants to be a builder.

A fight breaks out at the water tap.

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- If Amit's uncle has a new car and there's no room for roads to drive in the slums, how are they going to go for a ride?
- Maybe Amit's uncle will pick them up closer to the rich neighbourhood and take them to a party?
- Where do Faiza, Minni, Sanjay, and Amit like to go for fun?
- I wonder where they go to school?
- What if Amit's uncle is part of the water mafia?
- Is there a physical border separating the two neighbourhoods (rich vs poor)?
- I think Pinky's father is going to be the leader of the water mafia because in the preview Minni is going to be working for some family

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Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

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Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

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The man with the scar who shone a flashlight near the bushes

Ravi (coworker of man with scar) - works for the government, good guy (according to Sanjay)

Uncle Ram - Amit's uncle

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scrambles pg. 22 Once Uncle leaves, Sanjay scrambles into the front seat with Amit.

yelps pg. 24 The man yelps in pain.

mafia (mentioned in the preview)

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Amit's uncle reluctantly takes Minni, Faiza and Sanjay on a ride at night.

Uncle stops the car somewhere and says..."Stay in the car".
Where does he go? What is he doing?

The boys get out of the car, cross the tracks and are hiding in the bushes.

It looks like someone is stealing water from a tanker truck.

A man with a scar on his cheek is angry.  He grabs Sanjay but Amit kicks the man and the boys run away.
Who is this man ?  Will we see him again?

The train is moving toward them looking like a racing dragon with its glaring headlights.

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Where did the water in the water truck come from? What is it for? (to drink?, pools?)

Maybe Uncle Ram is a part of the water mafia and that is where he got the money for the Mercedes.

Maybe the mafia is stealing the water to sell for money.

What are some reasons why people may join a gang or mafia?  Are they always bad reasons?

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Sanjay and Minni share secrets in their notebook

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Sanjay and Minni share secrets in their notebook

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handkerchief pg. 28 I wash the dirt off Sanjay with my damp handkerchief.

loft pg. 28 We climb the ladder into our loft and spread out our bedrolls as quietly as possible.

okra pg. 28 Ma knew that I was angry with her when she made me eat okra.

Ganesh pg. 29 I begin asking the Lord Ganesh to help and protect us.

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Sanjay and Amit escape the train just in time!

Uncle Ram is angry at the boys for disobeying his order to stay in the car.

Uncle Ram says "don't mention this to anyone!"

Sanjay and Minni walk home and creep into the house.

They pass each other a notebook to communicate.

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Miss Shah - Minni and Faiza's teacher

Uncle's brother - lives near New Delhi, works on a farm

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roti pg. 30
ghee pg. 30
I eat my roti with ghee and jam as ma braids my hair.

marigold pg. 31
garlands pg. 31
The elephant head is draped in marigold garlands.

streaked pg. 31 Ma's face is streaked with tears.

profit pg. 33 They sell the water they steal for a big profit.

bribe pg. 33  The water mafia has been known to bribe the police.

bluster pg. 34 All his boldness and bluster have gone.

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- The next morning, Sanjay and Minni try to act normal.

- Minni and Faiza walk to school.

- Minni stops by a makeshift temple under a tree to pray to Ganesh. Minni says: "I pray that the man forgets about Sanjay and Amit."

- When the girls get home from school, Uncle Ram is at Minni's house.

- He talks about how dangerous the water mafia is and says they need to send the boys away to his brother's farm near New Delhi.

- Uncle Ram says "the man with the scar thinks you boys are spies for the newspapers or part of a rival gang."

- We know that the men are selling water for $

- Minni suggests they go to the police.

- Baba says: "We are considered uneducated slum dwellers. We don't speak English. And the water mafia's been known to BRIBE the police."

- Amit and Sanjay get dropped off at the train station by Uncle Ram.

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rakhi bracelet pg 38. A picture of me tying a bracelet on Sanjay's wrist to protect him from harm. I had made the rakhi bracelet myself.

churn pg 39. My brain won't stop spinning. It churns like the sea during a storm.

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- Minni is feeling lonely without Sanjay

- Minni is worried about failing her exams in April, because when students fail they stop going to school and have to take a job, some girls get married

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I didn't say Namaste
or smile at Trouble
or invite it home.
I didn't recognize it.
Like Red Riding Hood
didn't recognize the wolf

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- Minni tells Faiza: "if anyone asks, we say Sanjay went to the village to help our grandparents"

On their walk to school, they see a flyer on a lamppost:
WATER IS LIFE. STEALING WATER IS A CRIME. There is a picture of the world held in human hands. Half the earth is green and half is dry/dying.

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bazaar pg 44. "We grow vegetables that get sold in the bazaar."

contaminated pg 48. The doctor examines Ma and says she probably picked up the virus from contaminated food

memsahib pg 54. "I've never done a job in a memsahib's house."

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Roti (Ma teaches Minni how to make roti before she leaves)

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Roti (Ma teaches Minni how to make roti before she leaves)

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Chap 10
- Minni is adjusting to Sanjay being away (it's been a week)
- She has to do all the chores by herself (collecting water)
- Sanjay is liking the farm (fresh air, vegetables - tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, okra)

Chap 11
- Minni gets home from school, Ma is home sick
- They go to clinic
- Doctor says Ma needs to rest

Chap 12
- Minni wakes up to find Ma wobbly
- Minni goes get water from the tap
- She boils the water
- She strains it
- Minni tries to study for her exam at home while taking care of Ma
- Ma wants to show Minni how to make ROTI
- Ma announces she will be leaving tomorrow and going to the village where her sister and mother can care for her
- Minni will have to take over Ma's job at Anita Ma'am's

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Chap 13
- Ma trains Minni how to behave as a servant
- Ma leaves

Chap 14
- Baba and Minni return home
- Minni climbs the ladder to her roof
- Minni visits Shanti (we learn her husband and daughter died in an accident many years ago)
- Minni shows Shanti the newspaper with the water mafia story. They talk about the 7 islands of Mumbai and the 7 sources of water --> biggest lake is the Vihar and near it is Tulsi Lake

Chapter 15
- dirty laundry is piling up at home
- Sanjay calls and Minni tells him how she conquered her fear and climbed the ladder
- Sanjay says Amit is a city boy and

Chapter 16
- Today is the first day Minni will go work for Anita Ma'am
-  Faiza joins her on the bus to work

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threshold pg 56. "when you cross the threshold and enter Anita Ma'am's house, you are a servant"

roti pg 56. "They have a cook, so I'm usually only asked to make rotis, since Anita Ma'am likes my flatbread so much."

quarreling pg 56. She's insulted and treated like a doormat, and then comes home to me and Sanjay quarrelling.

weary pg 56. No wonder she comes home so weary.

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squabble pg 63

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- ornate pg 69. An ornate swing with brass chains hangs in front of one of them.
- gawk pg 69. It turns out the kitchen is full of stuff to gawk at
- rupee pg 91. They say they saved a rupee a day for a year.

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Pinky and Minni play a game of UNO before Grandma interrupts

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Pinky and Minni play a game of UNO before Grandma interrupts

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Chap 17
- Minni (Meena) meets Anita Ma'am and steps into a 'new world'
- Minni is not allowed in Anita Ma'am's mother-in-law's room
- Minni meets Pinky
- Minni attempts to make rotis, but has to keep restarting

- Naan Aunty brings Minni some naan and cauliflower sabzi because she wasn't fed while at her job

- "In this neighbourhood, we are here for each other"

Chap 18
- Next day, Baba leaves for work earlier than usual because he has to do all the prep that Ma used to do (clean, peel, chop vegetables for pakodas)
- Minni and Faiza are late for school
- Faiza's mom packed enough lunch for her and Minni (jeera aloo)

Chap 19
- Anita Ma'am is going out today, so no cleaning!
- Minni and Pinky play UNO
- Pinky does not have friends because she's not allowed to go anywhere on her own
- Pinky's grandmother interrupts game, insults Minni and calls Pinky a stupid girl
- on her way home, Minni stops at Baba's tea shop where she feels loved

Chap 20
- Minni does her water chores on Sunday
- Shanti (who volunteers at the community centre) tells Minni she got the computer scholarship!
- the news spreads through the neighbourhood
- the class is on Sunday mornings

Chap 21
- Minni goes to computer class
- Minni meets Priya (the computer teacher)

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Pinky
- 12 years old (same as Minni)
- has curly dark hair that bounces around her face
- kind
- lonely/isolated

Lata
- Anita Ma'am's personal maid and family cook
- lives with them
- came to work for Pinky's family at THIRTEEN

Pinky's Grandma
- rude
- classist

Priya
- computer teacher
- looks Indian but has an American accent
- doesn't like to be called Ma'am

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- What will happen if Minni fails her real test?
- How long will the computer class take?
- When will Ma, Sanjay, and Amit come back?
- Will Minni have to stop taking the computer class due to school?
- I wonder if we'll get to meet Pinky's dad?
- I wonder how Pinky's dad got his face injured?
- What if there's something secret or valuable in Pinky's grandmother's room
- What will happen if Pinky has to leave her apartment?
- Will Minni get expelled for missing another day of school?
- What kind of work does Latika do?

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Chapter 22
- Minni now has a routine at work: dust, sweep, mop
- Pinky's grandmother asks Minni if her hands are clean as she changes Pinky's bedding
- Pinky tries to be nice to Minni, asking if she liked the card game. She asks if she can call her Minni instead of Meena
- Faiza is waiting for Minni on her stoop after work with kebabs
- Faiza offers to "punch her" (Pinky's Grandma)

Chapter 23
- Faiza and Minni walk around their neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon
- Minni begins to notice things she didn't before, like how her streets are more like alleys and how the electric wires aren't in neat rows but in clumps
- Sunday is Minni's favourite day because everyone has a little time for fun
- Kids are playing cricket
- women are gathered under banyan tree where Shanti tells stories
- Minni tells Faiza about Priya and computer class
- Faiza gets frustrated with Minni because she never asks how she is
- they discuss their exam (in 2 weeks)
- Shiva's had to let Minni in 3-4 times now

Chapter 24
- it is their practice exam
- they have to know Indian Independence, and the Salt March
- Minni thinks she has failed

Chapter 25
- Minni takes Pinky her snack --> Masala-flavoured two-minute noodles
- Pinky is also studying for her exam
- they are studying the same thing
- Pinky says her father "works all the time and has more business than he can handle. He doesn't like photos, he got injured at work a few years ago and hurt his face"

Chapter 26
- Minni gets in trouble at the principal's office, along with Ms. Shah and Shiva
- so much for sympathy

Chapter 27
- Minni writes in her journal how dry the taps are
- spits, sputter
- trickle (inconsistent flow)
- brown
- muddy

Chapter 28
- Mumbai's last two monsoon seasons didn't bring enough rain, so the water levels in the lakes are so LOW that now the water supply to the rich is reduced too
- Anita Ma'am had Lata hoard water in tubs
- Shanti says the slums get only 5% of the city's water supply, but the slums make up 40% of Mumbai population
- Minni misses a day of school because she was waiting in line for water
- neighbourhood aunties wonder if Minni dropped out of school, and said she doesn't need to be educated because she can marry young
- Sanjay's friend Latika joins Minni in line, and asks if she wants to join her for work today

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- Will Faiza be jealous of Pinky, because Minni now has a job and will be spending more time with Pinky?
- Will Pinky's dad be the leader or part of the water mafia?
- How would Pinky react if her dad is the leader of the water mafia?
- How big is the computer class (in terms of space)?
- Is Pinky's grandma also part of the mafia?
- Why are there no boys in computer class?
- When will Sanjay come back into the story?

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banyan tree that women gather under when Shanti tells her stories

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banyan tree that women gather under when Shanti tells her stories

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withered pg 114. The marigold garland draped around the tap is withered.

sputters pg 114. The stream of water sputters.

hoard pg 115. Even Anita Ma'am had her maid Late hoard water in the tubs in case they run out later in the day.

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Chap 29
- Latika and Minni sell magazines at the bottom of an overpass where cars must come to a stop
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Chap 30
- Minni and Latika are walking home, a friend of Latika's (Aisha) tells some bad news: Ravi was found in a ditch/gutter

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- did the man with the scar kill Ravi because he protected Sanjay and Amit?
- How did Ravi die?
- How did Ravi end up in the gutter?
- Will we see Amit and Sanjay's perspective while they're on the farm?
- Are Sanjay and Amit going to school while on the farm?