Sayantani DasGupta (The Serpent's Secret; The Chaos Monster) takes readers on a riveting, wild excursion through New York City as three seventh graders race to return an iconic jewel to its rightful home while eluding an onslaught of nefarious villains.
Twelve-year-old Ria Bailey is furious when her art historian mom is mysteriously fired from her job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ria will be leaving friends, school, and her diverse Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York City to live in some "dinky butt town" in Germany. Her mom has gone ahead to start her new museum job, while Indian British American Ria and her dida wait in the city. Then, a mysterious package addressed to Ria's mom arrives. Thieves recently attempted to steal the Met's "fancy, jeweled" Lotus Sword, but only managed to take the Heart of the Lotus, the brilliant ruby set in its hilt. In the box is the (possibly?) real Heart of the Lotus! Ria, along with besties Miracle Owusu and Annie Hernandez, must skirt "danger and death" to protect the gem. On their grand expedition through the streets of Ria's beloved New York City, the trio encounters a mysterious boy who makes Ria's chest feel "oozy-woozy," a potentially zombie "all-woman art thief gang," and a billionaire tech bro who is inordinately interested in museum artifacts.
Theft of the Ruby Lotus is a twisty-turny middle-grade caper with plenty of peril that is balanced by ample doses of pitch-perfect humor. Ria's bright, snappy dialogue pegs her as the sassy heroine she is, and her well-defined supporting cast nicely balances the dynamic. DasGupta gives middle-grade readers an exciting action-adventure-mystery that provides plenty to ponder. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author