With gorgeous, atmospheric writing, M.T. Khan tells a bold tale that challenges greed and inequality as the tough and clever Nura fights the odds from the mica mines of rural Pakistan to a realm of jinn and magic. - Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Widow and Zachary Ying series I loved that child labor and exploitation was explained in an accessible way! Of course it was a heavy subject matter and such matters should be published for every age group. That being said I truly believe middle grade authors have some sort of secret power in how they write their novels. They truly can write anything and it just turns out to make perfect sense and is done so well. Sparkling with magic, Nura whisks you from the mica mines of Pakistan to the dreamy and dangerous realm of the Jinn. A twisty, atmospheric tale with a fierce protagonist, whose voice lingered in my mind long after I'd finished reading. -- Jennifer Bell - author of Wonderscape But sometimes,” he sighs, ruffling my hair, “if you dig hard enough, you can find sparkles in the dirt, can’t you?”

Nura and the Immortal Palace | M. T. Khan | 9781529503494 Nura and the Immortal Palace | M. T. Khan | 9781529503494

I really admire how a Middle Grade fantasy manages to include important topics of the vicious cycle of exploitation as well as prevalent child labour practices in parts of the world. Without is seeming heavy on the readers. It shows how carefully crafted this story is! There’s a smooth blend of the shining world in the story with insights into how mere kids are exploited and how the rich turn the poor against each other for their benefit. So while we’re lost in an adventurous tale, it doesn’t fail to shatter the truth about the illusions.Nura has worked all her life in the mica mines, earning just enough to keep her family afloat – and to enjoy the odd delicious gulab jamun from the market. Some day she’s going to find the Demon’s Tongue, a legendary treasure buried deep in the mines, and she’ll never have to worry about money again. In a Nutshell: A children’s fantasy from the Indian subcontinent – what a welcome change and a novel experience! History repeats itself. Once again, we fall to chaos… but we’ll rise again. And again. An once more.” I really liked how the Sijj palace mirrored our own world. I won’t get into spoilers so the only thing I will say is that a lot of the circumstances are very similar to our world.

Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan | Goodreads

My thanks to Walker Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Nura and the Immortal Palace”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. What I Liked: The plot was fantastic! It was fast paced, there was never a dull moment. I was at the edge of my bed anticipating all the high stakes. It was a delight to adventure with Nura into the magical and luminous world of the jinn. -- Jasbinder Bilan - author of Asha and the Spirit Bird Nura longs to wear a beautiful red dupatta or to bite into a sweet gulab. But with her mom hard at work in a run-down sweatshop and three younger siblings to feed, Nura must spend her days earning money by mica mining. But it’s not just the extra rupees Nura is after. Local rumor says there’s buried treasure in the mine, and Nura knows that finding it could change the course of her family’s life forever. The time and effort the author spent are directly reflected within the world. Throughout the world, there is Desi culture sprinkled in through the clothing, food, and childhood stories of the Jinn. It’s a celebration of M.T Khan’s culture and allows those who aren’t of the same to feel a connection to it. It creates a truly memorizing world for the reader to engross themselves in.Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments overall, it was incredibly entertaining. something is always happening and i’m always finding out new things about the realm. in nura and the immortal palace, the author emphasised on child labor and education. nura and the rest of the kids in the mica mines risk their lives everyday to earn a little bit so that they can provide extra for the family. because of this, they aren’t attending school and are exploited instead.

Nura and the Immortal Palace - LoveReading4Kids

But when a terrible accident buries her best friend below ground, Nura goes in search of him and passes over into the magical and terrible world of the jinn. Across a pink sea and under a purple sky, she finds her way to a palace, where great riches and a whole new life are on offer. Aru Shah and the End of Time meets Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away in this mesmerizing portal fantasy that takes readers into the little-known world of Jinn. Nura and the Immortal Palace follows Nura, a 12 year old girl who is one of countless children working in the mica mines of Meera Bagh to help her single mother support their family. Whispers of the Demon’s Tongue, a priceless treasure that would solve anyone’s money problems have been circulating for some time and when Nura’s mother tells her to stop working, it only heightens her ambitions to find it.

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The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have...

Nura and the Immortal Palace — Your Tita Kate Book Review: Nura and the Immortal Palace — Your Tita Kate

The way the author stresses education in this book was so powerful! The author’s note really had me thinking about how many children in the world don’t have access to education and that’s just heartbreaking. Nura was the kind of character who entirely gives up on knowledge because she just can’t afford it. But her experiences in the djinn realms made her think otherwise and I’m very sure everyone reading this book would be so proud of her once the reach the end. But sometimes,” he sighs, ruffling my hair, “if you dig hard enough, you can find sparkles in the dirt, can’t you?“ A character I liked: Nura. She is witty and so I liked how perceptive she was, despite never having been to school. Nura is such a delightful voice to read through the book! I was impressed with how determined she was to earn for her family even if it meant grappling with the mica mining. And later on, I appreciated how she absorbed the lessons from different encounters, she always has her family as her priority. She’s a protective elder sister and daughter but also a caring friend.

The story was so beautiful and sad at the time. I wasn't expecting a middle grade to touch on so many sensitive and important topics. This book advocates the importance of education at every chance it gets along with the opposition to child labor. The world-building of the palace was magical and can easily transport a reader, on the other hand, the way Meera bagh was portrayed transported me to a calm and small village in Pakistan. It made me think that sometimes simple is enough if done brilliantly. But there’s a dark truth lurking beneath all that glitter and gold, and when Nura crosses the owner’s son and is banished to the working quarters, she realizes she isn’t the only human who’s ended up in the hotel’s clutches. Faisal and the other missing children are there, too, and if Nura can’t find a way to help them all escape, they’ll be bound to work for the hotel forever. Set in a rural industrial town in Pakistan and full of hope, heart, and humor, Nura and the Immortal Palace is inspired by M.T. Khan’s own Pakistani Muslim heritage. Aru Shah and the End of Time meets Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away in this mesmerizing portal fantasy that takes readers into the little-known world of Jinn.