Broken Glass by Sally Grindley

Age 9-12

This novel makes you feel as though you have been somewhere far from home and lived a strange and different existence. It is the story of two Indian brothers driven to run away from their once-comfortable life in a rural town, to struggle to survive on city streets. Narrated by the elder boy, 12-year-old Suresh, and reminiscent of Elizabeth Laird's Carnegie- shortlisted The Garbage King (set in Addis Ababa), it makes clear how little can separate children who are secure, fed and cared for, from those who are hungry, in danger and have nothing. Persuasive and particular about the food, scenery and habits of the country in which it is set, the book illuminates everyday details of homelessness: long days of rubbish-picking to earn a pittance (in this case searching for broken glass), the simple joys of comradeship, including impromptu cricket matches and parties, and the temptations that can trap the vulnerable. Stories of survival always have a fascination for youngsters, and this one involves us irresistibly in the fate of the two memorable heroes, who do their best, with good-hearted Suresh protective of his nine-year-old brother. You cannot read it and afterwards dismiss destitute children because, as Suresh says, "everybody thinks street kids are bad" . And it reminds us of the difference that acts of kindness can make.