Maya Running

In my novel, MAYA RUNNING, Maya meets many relatives in India. These are my real aunts and great aunts in Kolkata. They are all accomplished scholars and teachers.

Maya Mukherjee, the only Bengali-Canadian girl in her Manitoba town, asks a small golden statue of the Hindu elephant god, Ganesh, to grant all her wishes…

• Download Audio Excerpts here:   Audio Clip
  
  
• Film rights sold to Intrepid Film Arts Inc. and MediaBrat Inc.
  
  
•   “ Eloquently composed…insightfully written…Banerjee’s is a promising new voice…compelling and imaginative.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
  
  
• “ Delightful…a wonderful story…Perfect for multicultural collections.” – KLIATT
  
  
• “ Details of the cultures and everyday life of both India and Canada are integrated seamlessly…readers will see themselves in the realistic characters.” – School Library Journal
  
  
• “ Terrific, funny and inventive.” – Paula Danziger, late author of over 25 books for children
  
  
• “ With its humor, magic, and realism I would recommend it to many students and teachers.” – Library Media Connections
  
  
• “Imaginative tale…an enjoyable read.” –VOYA
  
  
• “ Touching debut novel…featuring fantastic elements of Indian lore.” – Publishers Weekly
  
  
• Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best” list.
  
  
• New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list.
  
  
• Nominated for American Library Association’s “2007 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults” list.
  
  
• India Abroad Magazine featured MAYA RUNNING in a cover story.
  Download the Adobe Acrobat file (1.8 MB)  Reprinted with permission from India Abroad 
  
  
• Toronto Public Library recommended read for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
  
  
• Midwest Book Review recommended pick. 
  
  
• Chicago Public Schools recommended read for Women’s History Month (for grades 5-8).
  
  
• “Beautiful and complex.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
  
  
• “Positive, life-affirming, inspiring.” - The Indianapolis Star
  
  
• “Lush, delicious diction, surprising, delightful similes…also completely fresh and original.” Highly recommended/**** – Canadian Review of Materials
  
  
• “Captivating.” – BookPage
  
  
• “ A unique story with a dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.”
  — The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English (ALAN).
  
  
• “ Maya Mukherjee is that delightful rarity in literature, a character who leaps off the page and into your heart. She is every bit as fresh and funny, poignant and unforgettable as Harriet, Ramona and Eloise the first time you met them.” — Susan Wiggs, bestselling author of SNOWFALL AT WILLOW LAKE
  
  
• “An enchanting story…a book to read in one sitting and reflect upon.” — Lisa DuMond, SF Site
  
  
• “ Banerjee does a fine job of describing Maya’s life and the people who inhabit it.” – Booklist
  
  
• “ Banerjee’s novel effectively juxtaposes the cultural ins and outs of being Canadian of Indian origin, with the universality of teenage longings.” — Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)
  
  
• “ Maya’s primary dreams and heartaches are vividly drawn and should ring true for young adult readers.” —The Bremerton Sun, The Olympian
  
  
• “ A lively story…Maya reminds me of every girl in the world growing up into adolescence...Maya is everyone – you, me, the little girl at the bus stop, or the one sitting in the front of the class.” — Fife Free Press, Tacoma Weekly
  
  
• “A fascinating coming of age book filled with color, emotion, sassy observation, and enchanting characters. This book should delight both young and old.”— Sheila Rabe
  
  
• “ Sweet, funny, and smart, Maya’s voice and the lure of magic will transport readers quickly through this engaging read.” – Author Mitali Perkins.

Read the first chapter
Click here to read Chapter One of MAYA RUNNING.