Kid Konnection: The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a cute middle grade book about a very memorable character!

Summary: Dini is back from India—with Bollywood star Dolly in tow! But life in the States isn’t all rose petal milk shakes… 

Dini and Maddie, very best friends, are back in the same country at the same time! Better still, Dolly Singh, the starriest star in all of Bollywood, is in America too. Dini’s only just returned from India, and already life is shaping up to be as delicious as a rose petal milk shake. Perfect. Then why can’t she untie the knot in her stomach? Because so much can go wrong when a big star like Dolly is in town. All Dini has to do is make sure Dolly has everything she needs, from a rose petal milk shake to her lost passport to…a parade? And an elephant?

Uh-oh… It’s time to think. What Would Dolly Do? If Dini can’t figure it out, Dolly might take matters into her own hands—and that will surely lead to the biggest mess of all! -- Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Yesterday, I reviewed THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Abigail Halpin; and I mentioned that I would be featuring the sequel called THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC today. I am so happy to say that the second book in this series lived up to the first. There is no sophomore slump here!

THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC picks up right where the first novel left off. Dini is now back in the Nation's capital and able to see her best friend Maddie. But even better, Dolly Singh, the famous Bollywood actress (and now a friend of Dini's) is visiting the U.S. too. Dini thinks her life is just about perfect, but things quickly begin to go wrong. First, Maddie has a new friend and Dini isn't quite sure what to think of her. And then, Dolly loses her passport and has some pretty hefty requests for her premiere. Can the always resourceful Dini save the day for herself and Dolly?

I really enjoyed THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC. It's no surprise since I liked the first book in the series, and this novel has the same look and feel as the first one. All of the major characters are back and as crazy as ever. There book is quick paced with lots of action; and once again, I think it has the makings of a fun Bollywood movie!

There were many things I liked about THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC -- and much of them are exactly the same as the first book. Dini is a strong female character who is smart and determined and willing to go the extra mile for her new friend Dolly. The supporting characters are hilarious and definitely add lightness and whimsy to the story. However, it was a more serious issue that made this book so special to me.

In THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC, Dini arrives back home to discover that her best friend Maddie has made friends with a new girl. Even though Dini has made a friend in India in the first novel, she isn't so sure that she likes Maddie's friend; and jealous seems to rear its ugly head. As a mom, I appreciated that this novel explored this friendship problem because I think it's one that will resonate with many young readers. I also liked the way Dini eventually worked through her issues and I think there are some good messages in the story.

Check out the book trailer for THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC. You can see just how adorable the illustrations are!

Follow all of the unforgettable characters from The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic on Uma Krishnaswami’s blog tour!

Aug 19 GreenBeanTeenQueen  Dini
Aug 20 There's a Book  Maddie
Aug 21 Once Upon a Story  Soli Dustup
Aug 22 The Compulsive Reader  Dini's father
Aug 23 Sharpread  Chickoo Uncle

Aug 26 Read Now, Sleep later  Mini
Aug 27 I Read Banned Books  Dolly
Aug 28 Through the Wardrobe  Chef Armend Latifi
Aug 29 The Book Monsters  Ollie
Aug 30 The Brain Lair  Alana
 
Overall, I am definitely a fan of Dini and her adventures. I highly recommend these books for elementary age girls!

Thanks to Blue Slip Media for providing a review copy of this novel.

I have a copy of THE PROBLEM WITH BEING SLIGHTLY HEROIC to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before September 5th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!