Greatest Host of All Time

October 1, 2024
Malar can't wait for her visiting American cousins to arrive. It's almost Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, and this year, 10-year-old Malar is especially excited. Her cousins Priya, 11, and Kamal, 6, are traveling all the way from their home in Seattle to Pori, the coastal Indian village where Malar and her family live. Although Malar is determined to be a "super-host," her cousins don't make it easy. Kamal ruins the lotus kolam design that Malar draws outside their house, and Priya condescendingly calls Malar's house "tiny" before proclaiming that she's counting the days until she can return to "civilization." On top of all this, Malar has trouble understanding Kamal's and Priya's accents and feels left out of their secret-swapping. It's only after Priya admits to Malar that she is homesick that Malar begins to empathize with her cousins. As the trio celebrate Pongal with henna, bonfires, and sweets, this understanding grows until the cousins are closer than ever. Malar's honest, insightful narratorial voice deftly guides readers through rural Indian life, Pongal traditions, and the experience of hosting Western visitors in the global South. While the cousins' reconciliation feels a bit abrupt, overall, the layered characters and authentic conflict will resonate with a wide range of readers. Final art not seen. A heartening tale of cultural clashes, family drama, and, ultimately, forged bonds.(Fiction. 7-10)

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November 1, 2024
Grades 2-4 Malar is excited but worried about her cousins' visit from Seattle to her family's little village house in India. She knows them from video messages, but having them share her bedroom is another matter. Moreover, her mother has instructed her to treat them with generosity and patience, as is South Indian custom. Priya and Kamal prove to be challenging guests, always comparing India to Seattle and turning up their noses at parts of the village that make Malar proud. The families have come together to celebrate Pongal, the national harvest holiday, and there is much to be done over the four days of the celebration. As readers follow the characters through all the preparations, festivities, and mishaps, they will find lots to like in this fast-paced, energetic novel, including all the cultural details, Tamil words, emotional roller coaster of three spunky children, and line drawings that accentuate the narrative. Ultimately, all is resolved satisfactorily, as the characters find that friendships take time to form, misunderstandings are inevitable, and patience is a venerable teacher.

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Starred review from September 2, 2024
Culture clash propels this spirited series starter by Subramaniam (My Name Is Long as a River). In the tiny coastal Indian village of Pori, 10-year-old Malar is excited that her Seattle relatives are visiting her family’s farm during Pongal, the harvest festival. Amma says to treat the guests “like gods, no matter what.” This comes as a challenge, however, as Malar struggles to understand and communicate with her cousins Priya, 11, and Kamal, six, who both express open disdain for farm life. When Priya unpacks multiple pairs of jeans, Malar is stunned—no one can afford denim in Pori. She also wears “really short shorts,” a contrast to Malar’s traditional long skirt. Undeterred, Malar attempts to be a great host, and shared observance of the multiday festival soon brings everyone together. Flipping the outsider script by centering the Indian host immediately establishes empathy for Malar, whose enthusiasm for family, farm animals, and village life suffuses this infectious narrative. Animated b&w illustrations by Sreenivasan (My Saree) depict Malar, Priya, and Kamal with verve and individuality, adding giddy energy to a story that encourages gracious hospitality and open-mindedness. A glossary and author’s note conclude. Ages 7–10.

January 10, 2025

Gr 2-5-This chapter book for readers who love stories of family and friendship focuses on the harvest festival Pongal. V. Malar lives in a small farming town in India. Her cousins are coming from Seattle to visit for the first time. She is excited, but does not know what to expect. Pongal is approaching, and Malar wants to be a great host to her visiting family. Right from the start, the cousins see they are very different, but as their story progresses, they find common ground. This realistic story speaks to sharing and showing others how we care about them: Malar has to overcome disagreements and changes to her daily life with the introduction of her cousins. This would be a great model for showing students how to solve their own disagreements. A glossary of Indian terms and an author's note add to the story and give readers the opportunity to go deeper into their understanding of Pongal. VERDICT A strong title for holiday early chapter book collections. This is a great purchase for elementary school libraries where Subramaniam's other books, such as My Name Is Long as a River, are popular.-Elizabeth Libberton

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