{"id":8957884694765,"title":"The Golden Necklace","handle":"the-golden-necklace","description":"\u003ch6\u003eComing October 7, 2025. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/Kirkus_GNecklace_website_fnl.jpg?v=1753882723\" alt=\"Golden Necklace banner\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eThe Golden Necklace\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Darjeeling Tea Mystery\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/mitali-perkins\"\u003eMitali Perkins\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eFriends from two worlds. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s golden jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. \u003cem\u003eThe Golden Necklace\u003c\/em\u003e is National Book Award-nominated author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/wings-to-soar\"\u003eWings to Soar\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/tiger-boy\"\u003eTiger Boy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n[TABS] \n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/golden-necklace-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1740775998\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-golden-necklace-discussion-guide.pdf?v=1749737690\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Discussion Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMitali Perkins, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and has lived in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mexico, Thailand, Great Britain, and Austria. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eBamboo People, Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Summer, The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eSecret Keeper. \u003c\/em\u003eShe regularly blogs about life between cultures at www.mitaliblog.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/mitali-perkins\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Mitali.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe daughter of a Nepali tea plantation worker in Darjeeling solves a mystery at the behest of a family friend.\u003cbr\u003e\nTwelve-year-old Sona has plenty on her mind. As one of only three Nepali students with a shot at a scholarship to the prestigious Darjeeling International School, she must pass an English exam. Meanwhile, her older brother, Samiran, is struggling to find work after he’s falsely accused of stealing a neighbor’s motorcycle. On top of that, her 18-year-old Bengalese friend Tara is engaged to be married to a cruel man 10 years her senior; the match was arranged by Tara’s uncle, and she’s convinced he’s only after the gold jewelry her parents left her before they died. Sona stands guard as Tara sneaks into the kitchen to catch one last glimpse of her family gold. But that very day, the gold is stolen, and Sona worries that suspicion will fall onto Samiran. Can she solve the mystery? Featuring an endearing, resolute protagonist, this expertly plotted story will enthrall readers. Perkins deftly captures the details of life in Darjeeling, including the power dynamics responsible for the social and financial issues Sona and her family face. In showing the friendship between Sona and Tara, Perkins teases out the ways in which socioeconomics and gender affect the trajectory of both girls’ lives, from unequal access to water (those who can’t afford it must ration their supply) to the challenges of pursuing education.\u003cbr\u003e\nA page-turner that’s richly threaded with social conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl who lives in Darjeeling with her mother and brother, dreams of being a teacher and helping the village where she lives. She has the opportunity to win a scholarship to the Darjeeling International School but must first pass an English proficiency test. Life is hard for her small family; her mother spends long, hard days picking tea leaves, while her brother owes money to the despicable tea plantation manager. If Sona doesn’t pass this test, she will be doing that painful work, too. One thing that brightens her day is seeing her friend, 18-year-old Tara, the niece of the plantation manager. Unfortunately, he has promised her hand in marriage to an equally despicable man. Their goal is to seize the expensive golden jewelry Tara inherited from her parents. When the precious jewels go missing, Sona worries that the thief might have been her brother, so she gets to work helping Tara, while also making sure her brother’s name is cleared. This is a good book for older middle grade readers. Sona is a brave protagonist who uses her smart thinking to help others. The exciting story also gives readers a look into various cultures and the distinctions between social classes. Joshi’s black-and-white illustrations provide emotion and detail to supplement the text and are exceptionally adept at capturing the expressions of the characters. \u003cbr\u003eVERDICT This book about an ambitious Nepali girl detective will capture readers’ attention before the first chapter is done; recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-373-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 112\u003cbr\u003e6 x 8\u003csup\u003e3\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e4\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublication date: October 7, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2025-06-05T09:48:59-04:00","created_at":"2025-03-20T16:27:41-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Middle Grade","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Novel","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Diversity","Browse by Subject_History \u0026 Biography","Browse by Subject_Social Studies\/Cultures"],"price":1599,"price_min":1599,"price_max":1599,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":47873845068013,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"43730","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":43017925263597,"product_id":8957884694765,"position":1,"created_at":"2025-02-28T15:53:12-05:00","updated_at":"2025-02-28T15:53:13-05:00","alt":null,"width":600,"height":887,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993","variant_ids":[47873845068013]},"available":true,"name":"The Golden Necklace - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1599,"weight":567,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781623543730","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":35223933944045,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":887,"width":600,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993"],"featured_image":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":35223933944045,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":887,"width":600,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993"},"aspect_ratio":0.676,"height":887,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch6\u003eComing October 7, 2025. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/Kirkus_GNecklace_website_fnl.jpg?v=1753882723\" alt=\"Golden Necklace banner\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eThe Golden Necklace\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Darjeeling Tea Mystery\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/mitali-perkins\"\u003eMitali Perkins\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eFriends from two worlds. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s golden jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. \u003cem\u003eThe Golden Necklace\u003c\/em\u003e is National Book Award-nominated author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/wings-to-soar\"\u003eWings to Soar\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/tiger-boy\"\u003eTiger Boy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n[TABS] \n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/golden-necklace-cover.jpg?v=1740775993\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/golden-necklace-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1740775998\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/the-golden-necklace-discussion-guide.pdf?v=1749737690\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Discussion Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMitali Perkins, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and has lived in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mexico, Thailand, Great Britain, and Austria. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eBamboo People, Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Summer, The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eSecret Keeper. \u003c\/em\u003eShe regularly blogs about life between cultures at www.mitaliblog.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/mitali-perkins\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Mitali.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe daughter of a Nepali tea plantation worker in Darjeeling solves a mystery at the behest of a family friend.\u003cbr\u003e\nTwelve-year-old Sona has plenty on her mind. As one of only three Nepali students with a shot at a scholarship to the prestigious Darjeeling International School, she must pass an English exam. Meanwhile, her older brother, Samiran, is struggling to find work after he’s falsely accused of stealing a neighbor’s motorcycle. On top of that, her 18-year-old Bengalese friend Tara is engaged to be married to a cruel man 10 years her senior; the match was arranged by Tara’s uncle, and she’s convinced he’s only after the gold jewelry her parents left her before they died. Sona stands guard as Tara sneaks into the kitchen to catch one last glimpse of her family gold. But that very day, the gold is stolen, and Sona worries that suspicion will fall onto Samiran. Can she solve the mystery? Featuring an endearing, resolute protagonist, this expertly plotted story will enthrall readers. Perkins deftly captures the details of life in Darjeeling, including the power dynamics responsible for the social and financial issues Sona and her family face. In showing the friendship between Sona and Tara, Perkins teases out the ways in which socioeconomics and gender affect the trajectory of both girls’ lives, from unequal access to water (those who can’t afford it must ration their supply) to the challenges of pursuing education.\u003cbr\u003e\nA page-turner that’s richly threaded with social conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl who lives in Darjeeling with her mother and brother, dreams of being a teacher and helping the village where she lives. She has the opportunity to win a scholarship to the Darjeeling International School but must first pass an English proficiency test. Life is hard for her small family; her mother spends long, hard days picking tea leaves, while her brother owes money to the despicable tea plantation manager. If Sona doesn’t pass this test, she will be doing that painful work, too. One thing that brightens her day is seeing her friend, 18-year-old Tara, the niece of the plantation manager. Unfortunately, he has promised her hand in marriage to an equally despicable man. Their goal is to seize the expensive golden jewelry Tara inherited from her parents. When the precious jewels go missing, Sona worries that the thief might have been her brother, so she gets to work helping Tara, while also making sure her brother’s name is cleared. This is a good book for older middle grade readers. Sona is a brave protagonist who uses her smart thinking to help others. The exciting story also gives readers a look into various cultures and the distinctions between social classes. Joshi’s black-and-white illustrations provide emotion and detail to supplement the text and are exceptionally adept at capturing the expressions of the characters. \u003cbr\u003eVERDICT This book about an ambitious Nepali girl detective will capture readers’ attention before the first chapter is done; recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-373-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–10\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 112\u003cbr\u003e6 x 8\u003csup\u003e3\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e4\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublication date: October 7, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[\/TABS]\u003c\/p\u003e"}