‘Readers will end up being captivated by this wonderfully written novel about teenagers who must use their intuition and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching look into the fact an incredible number of homeless children live every day but also infuses her tale with hope and bravery which will inspire visitors and stay with them lengthy after turning the final page.’–Aisha Saeed, writer of the New York Situations Bestselling Amal Unbound

Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in about The Bridge House Padma Venkatraman’s stirring middle-grade debut.

Existence is harsh in Chennai’s teeming streets, thus when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Rapidly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are with this uncaring, harmful world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter–and friendship–on an empty bridge. With two homeless guys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city’s garbage heaps may be the pits, the kids discover plenty to have fun about and consider pride in too. In the end, they are now the bosses of themselves no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when disease hits, Viji must decide whether to risk looking for help from strangers or even to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.