“Ajay Anthonipillai has just won $1 million–and he’s in huge trouble… The novel’s plot twists will especially entrance and surprise younger audiences and those able to suspend disbelief and go with the flow of this completely age-appropriate and appealing story. Utter fun.”–Kirkus (starred review) – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A wonderful -middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“Marianayagam meditates on powerful messages surrounding family, identity, and finding friends in unlikely places.”–Publishers Weekly – Publishers Weekly

“A warm and thought-provoking tale that explores thorny ethical issues and the pressures of belonging to a strict immigrant family belonging to a strict immigrant family, otherwise… The author rolls generous quantities of Sri Lankan food and customs into a story that is… centered on the virtues of honesty, and adds an array of spicy side dishes ranging from sweet budding romance and a dollop of redemption for the bully.” – Booklist (starred review)

“An entertaining thought-provoking read rife with suspenseful twists and turns and well-drawn characters, and enlivened by the witty, appealing voice of its protagonist”– (starred review} – BookPage

Maria Marianayagam is a Tamil Sri Lankan Canadian children’s book author, engineer, and wannabe-cool nerd. She was born in India and grew up across Canada. Maria fell in love with children’s books (again!) after becoming an amma and now enjoys writing stories that draw on her identities and their intersections. When Maria is not writing, she can be found traveling the world, devouring books, and spending time with her wonderful family. She resides in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two daughters.