Aru Shah lives with her mother in a museum. Oftentimes, she is left on her own while her mother goes in search of artifacts to add to the new museum. When Aru is challenged by three school bullies to light a magical lamp, Aru succumbs to the pressure and lights the lamp. Her actions have consequences that she never dreamed or imagined possible. Unwittingly, Aru lighting the lamp has released a demon into the world and frozen her mother and the bullies who tempted her to light the lamp in time.
With the help of a sidekick named Boo, who is connected to her past life, Aru sets off to find her soul sister. Aru is a reincarnation of the famous mythical heroes in Hindu mythology who go by the name Pandava Brothers. Aru meets one of her soul sisters, a nerdy girl called Mini, and together they set off to unfreeze those who are affected due to the release of the demon who is also known as the Sleeper.
Next, we will look at why stories about mythology are important and why we should encourage children to read them and perhaps pick up some mythology-based fiction to read including those of us who have left behind their middle school years but not their love for middle grade fiction.
Why Are Stories About Mythology Important?
Stories about mythology are connected to the very heart of human civilization, which means that they are deeply connected with our ancestors and roots. There are several common universal traits when it comes to mythology. Some of these include the existence of gods and goddesses, divine heroes and fantastic creatures. Having a clear understanding about the origin stories of humanity from the past will help children and adults develop key skills needed to navigate current situations through the wisdom gained by learning through mythologically inspired stories. While most of the events if mythology and stories inspired by these tales are largely fantastic, they portray very real human emotions and dilemmas. While the setting might be magical and beyond reality, the situations the characters of these tales find themselves in are quite realistic, including their thoughts, feelings and goals.
Important Lessons for Middle Graders
This book was packed with life lessons for middle graders and those beyond that age who enjoy reading middle grade fiction, without being preachy. The story was filled with many moments of great heart and humor.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
One moment that stood out was Aru defeating the first demon they encountered in their quest to stop the main villain of the story, the Sleeper. The first demon they face goes by the name Miss B Asura, who insists on giving the girls Aru and Mini a haircut. Aru and Mini must recover three magical objects in their quest and Miss Asura has the first of them. Aru uses her imagination and observation skills to notice the first magical object on the top of the demon’s head. She also observes how Mini’s magical gift from her divine father works and uses her quick thinking to defeat the demon.
Be Strategic When Needed
Aru and Mini come face to face with six seasons, only four are present in this story (there are six seasons because this book is based on Hindu Mythology), and they treat Aru and Mini poorly, without knowing that they are the reincarnations of the Pandava brothers. When the seasons get to know this, they treat Aru and Mini well, because Aru strategically handles the situation by putting the seasons in their place in the most artful manner. Aru’s strategic thinking gets the magical gifts they were after, to help them on their quest.
Sometimes, a Change in Perspective is Effective
Sometimes looking at things in a different way can help you learn more about others, and most importantly, more about yourself. While everyone calls Aru a liar, Aru reframes it as the result of having a great imagination. This shift helps her become a better person and to use her gift of imagination for better things (than trying to impress her friends by lying). I believe this is an important message for middle graders, sometimes, reframing our weaknesses can help us transform them into valuable skills and assets, even. One thing is for sure, blaming oneself never helps. It only makes things worse, as demonstrated in this story.
Worrying About Things in Not Bad Thing Sometimes
Aru and Mini find themselves in a situation where Mini gets caught in quicksand. Aru worries about Mini and proactively does something to help her. This situation goes on to show that worrying about something is not necessarily the issue but sometimes, it can be the catalyst that prompts action. Your action matters and doing something about a problem always beats just worrying about it and doing nothing about it. This is an invaluable lesson for middle graders and those who have left these golden days behind.
Everybody has Their Own Version of the Same Story
When Aru finally decides that her gift is not in the ability to be a convincing liar but is to use her imagination wisely to do the right and the most suitable thing as needed depending on the situation. Aru realizes that through the stories about her past self (as she has the soul of Arjuna the famous hero from Hindu Mythology) an important universal truth that the truth of something is often colored by the person who is telling the story. For example, she reasons that if she were telling the story of her life, Aru would most likely leave out the bad parts and only include the good parts. She concludes that ‘the truth of a story depends on who is telling it.’
Sometimes We are Blind to Our Strengths
When Mini figures out how to get the third key required in their quest to reach the kingdom of death as part of their larger mission to stop the evil demon, the Sleeper, Mini uses logic to solve a problem where magic becomes ineffective. Mini is a critical and analytical thinker compared to Aru who is a more impulsive and creative thinker. Mini uses her talent for thinking scientifically and logically to retrieve the third key which is the sip of old age, and Aru is highly impressed by Mini’s problems solving. Aru remembers what Lord Hanuman had told them earlier that ‘sometimes you needed someone to remind you of how powerful you were – then you would surprise even yourself.’
Often, Ambition Comes at a Price
Living means that we are constantly making choices, sometimes we make choices we regret and sometimes we make choices that need us to sacrifice something good for something we think is better. But life is not always clear cut, and feelings are murky at best. In the battle between choosing what is right and wrong can be a difficult one, especially when we have limited choices. Aru decides to use one of the gifts given by the seasons, specifically by Monsoon. She remembers the warning of the Monsoon. For sometimes, when we take the deadliest aim, we are nothing if not reckless.
Why I Loved This Book?
There were many reasons to love this story. As an avid reader of middle grade, specifically middle grade fantasy, there was a lot to love about this story. Though this story was about Aru, who is of Indian origin, as a Sri Lankan female, and someone way past their middle grade years I related to Aru’s struggles. Aru deals with many modern problems including trying to fit in when she is very different from the majority. Her attempts to make friends and come out as an acceptable individual among her peers due to peer pressure resonated deeply with me. I watched Aru going from a people-pleasing tween to a responsible girl in this story, which was an amazing fete of character development. The bullies who threatened Aru are revealed for who they are, nothing but cowards. Often individuals who are trying to bring someone down who they think is better than them band up together to achieve this. The story clearly demonstrates that sometimes bad company can lead to catastrophe. I think it is an important lesson to learn as a middle grader and an important lesson to be reminded of as an adult.
Main Characters of the Story
Some of the key characters of this story were highly relatable, especially Aru who struggles to fit in with her peers. I believe this is something that most children and adults can relate to, especially those who are different in terms of their appearance, thoughts and beliefs.
Aru
Aru is the protagonist of the story. She struggles to fit in, both in terms of appearance and the way she thinks and behaves. But like most children, she longs to be a part of her peer group. This pushes her to do things that she later regrets, which is an all too familiar situation that most children and students experience in middle grade and beyond. But Aru takes responsibility and does what needs to be done to set things right. While making wrong decisions might be inevitable, she does everything that she can to put things right. Aru’s story shows that regret backed by strategic action can restore order back into our lives and the lives of those around us. I believe this is an important lesson for middle graders to learn and that it will lay strong foundations in later life when they come to face more challenging situations.
Mini
When Mini embarks on the adventure of saving the world from doom with Aru, it is apparent that she is not quite a natural as Aru is when it comes to dealing with the supernatural or the magical. Mini soon lives up to the role of technically being the daughter of death and uses her wit to solve magical problems. Unlike Aru, who is unaware of her divine and supernatural affinities, Mini knows who she is from the very beginning. Mini is also more tactful and rational when it comes to solving problems and isn’t as rash and impulsive as Aru. Compared to Aru’s imaginative nature, Mini has a more laid-back character (most of the time). She thinks things through without jumping right into action, which also creates a distinct contrast in the way Aru (Mini’s soul sister) approaches a problem.
Boo
Initially appearing as a divine sidekick, there is a whole backstory to this interesting and intriguing character. In a past life, he was the enemy of the Pandava brothers (who are now reincarnated as Aru and Mini and some others). Boo is tasked with helping the heroines which he does faithfully and dutifully, encouraging and supporting them in their quest in ways that a magical pigeon can. Boo’s sarcastic comments and remarks add humor to the story, which gives the story a different flavor, in contrast to some of the heavy themes it tackles like death and reincarnation.
The Sleeper
The Sleeper is the villain of the story, and you will be surprised to learn of the back story of how he came to be the antagonist of the tale. The sleeper is awakened when Aru lights the lamp that binds him, which sets him free to awaken the god that will destroy all life and realms in existence.
Overall, the story of Aru Shah was packed with magic and wisdom that made it a compelling read. The characters were quite relatable. The way Aru reshapes how she sees the world and herself through the lessons she learns as she progresses in her quest are not just important life lessons for tweens, but they stand valid for those who have surpassed those years too. If you love exploring new cultures and mythologies, this book is a must read that you might want to consider adding to your collection of items to consider gifting to any middle grader who might enjoy reading this book.
