Maria Marianayagam

FOUR STARRED REVIEWS The wannabe-cool, Tamil-nerd vibes of Never Have I Ever meet the hidden life of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim in this funny, poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut from Maria Marianayagam. A Sri Lankan boy’s life spirals out of control when he wins a prize in a stolen candy bar, pushing him to navigate his identity amid his ever-watchful family. Now in paperback! A School Library Journal 2025 Stars So Far list pick! Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents. Rule #3: Straight As only Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day. Rule #10: Never watch scary movies. However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson’s good side. When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al’s convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally “get cool” and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize…one million dollars. Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his morality in deciding whether to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever. No Purchase Necessary has four starred reviews! "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 Reviews (starred review) "A wonderful ­middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path." —School Library Journal (starred review) "A warm and thought-provoking tale that explores thorny ethical issues and the pressures of belonging to a strict immigrant family." —ALA 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." —BookPage (starred review}

Introduce little ones to faith-affirming virtues with this accessible and engaging board book series for children ages birth to three. The Baby Virtues series introduces babies and toddlers to the fundamentals of Christian faith and biblical virtues. Each book in the series personifies a virtue as a lovable character and uses action-oriented language and recognizable settings to explore the importance of the virtue in a manner appropriate for the youngest child. Set includes:Baby Hope-Baby Hope believes good things can happen. He understands that things take time. He trusts God will answer his prayers in just the right way. Baby Courage-Baby Courage is bold and unstoppable. She works for good even when it's hard to do. She stands up for what she believes in. She trusts God will protect her when she is feeling afraid. Baby Faith-Baby Faith believes God loves him. He prays and feels certain God will answer him. He learns ways to become closer to God. Baby Love-Baby Love knows God and her friends and family love her, and she wants to share that love with others. She uses kind words, gives warm hugs, and watches over her baby brother. She knows love is saying and doing.

When Shirin’s friend Charlotte asks what curry is, Shirin realises she’s not sure—she’s tried many curries and they’re all so different. So Shirin’s mom invites them to explore the fragrant world of curry by helping her cook a curry dish. Together, the two girls sniff tangy curry leaves, roll mustard seeds like tiny pearls in their palms, and watch with wonder as Shirin’s mom measures ingredients with heart and hand. Over the course of the afternoon, the girls discover that the dish isn’t just a form of sustenance—it’s the scent of home, a piece of wisdom shared between generations, an art open to invention, and it’s flavoured with love. With delicious writing and imaginative illustrations, Curry Means More showcases the simple yet transformative magic of a home-cooked meal. Back matter includes a history of curries, an introduction to a wide variety of spices, and a family recipe.

A heartwarming picture book teaching children patience and to live in the moment. Reha despises the present, all because her brother says he won't let her play with his dinosaur toys until she's older. To solve this problem, she decides to build a time machine. But even though she does everything her time travel book says, she can't seem to get it right. Then in her last attempt to find what she needs, her brother asks if he can help. Perhaps the present could be okay after all?

Even the youngest child experiences faith-in his parents' promises, that wind will lift a kite, that the sun will rise each morning. With this sweet and engaging board book, little ones will begin to understand how faith in God can be an important part of their lives. "Baby Faith" believes God loves him. He prays and feels certain God will answer him. He learns ways to become closer to God. The Baby Virtues series introduces babies and toddlers to the fundamentals of Christian faith and biblical virtues. Each book in the series personifies a virtue as a lovable character and uses action-oriented language and recognizable settings to explore the importance of the virtue in an accessible manner appropriate for the youngest child.

The wannabe-cool, Tamil-nerd vibes of Never Have I Ever meet the hidden life of Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim in this funny, poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut from Maria Marianayagam. A Sri Lankan boy's life spirals out of control when he wins a prize in a stolen candy bar, pushing him to navigate his identity amid his ever-watchful family. Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents. Rule #3: Straight As onlyRule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day. Rule #10: Never watch scary movies. However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson's good side. When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally "get cool" and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury's Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize...one million dollars. Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his morality in deciding whether to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever. No Purchase Necessary has four starred reviews "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 Reviews (starred review)"A wonderful -middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path." --School Library Journal (starred review)"A warm and thought-provoking tale that explores thorny ethical issues and the pressures of belonging to a strict immigrant family." --ALA 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." --BookPage (starred review}

Even the youngest children recognize that love makes them feel safe and happy. With this sweet and engaging board book, little ones will begin to understand how they can show love too. "Baby Love" knows God and her friends and family love her, and she wants to share that love with others. She uses kind words, gives warm hugs, and watches over her baby brother. She knows love is saying and doing. The Baby Virtues series introduces babies and toddlers to the fundamentals of Christian faith and biblical virtues. Each book in the series personifies a virtue as a lovable character and uses action-oriented language and recognizable settings to explore the importance of the virtue in an accessible manner appropriate for the youngest child.

An accessible and beautiful picture book about our universe's most powerful and invisible forces: girls. Light-hearted, I go with the flow. Feel weighed down? Just let it go. Scientific forces are part of your everyday life, but you can't see them! How do you know they are there? Follow seven girls in this unique spin on introductions to STEM, as they personify and explain each force in their own words, bringing science to life. This exciting and beautiful girl-powered, STEM-focused picture book celebrates the strength of girls and their importance to science. The Amazing Power of Girls is perfect for teachers and parents looking for:Girls in STEM booksIntroductory kid STEM booksFeminist picture books about STEM, and daring books for girls

Introduce little ones to the faith-affirming virtue of courage with this accessible and engaging board book. Even the youngest child experiences fear-fear in the face of new things, new people, and new situations. With this sweet and engaging board book, little ones will begin to understand how courage can become an important part of their lives and lead them to act bravely in the face of fear. "Baby Courage" works for good even when it's hard to do. She stands up for what she believes in. She trusts God will protect her when she is feeling afraid. Baby Courage is bold and unstoppable. The Baby Virtues series introduces babies and toddlers to the fundamentals of Christian faith and biblical virtues. Each book in the series personifies a virtue as a lovable character and uses action-oriented language and recognizable settings to explore the importance of the virtue in an accessible manner appropriate for the youngest child.

Introduce little ones to the faith-affirming virtue of hope with this accessible and engaging board book for children ages birth to three. Even the youngest child experiences uncertainty that things will turn out the way he wants. With this sweet and engaging board book, little ones will begin to understand how hope can lead them to a brighter outlook and become an important part of their lives. "Baby Hope" believes good things can happen. He understands that things take time. He trusts God will answer his prayers in just the right way. Baby Hope is excited for what tomorrow will bring. The Baby Virtues series introduces babies and toddlers to the fundamentals of Christian faith and biblical virtues. Each book in the series personifies a virtue as a lovable character and uses action-oriented language and recognizable settings to explore the importance of the virtue in an accessible manner appropriate for the youngest child.