The wannabe-cool, Tamil-nerd vibes of Never Have I Ever meet the hidden life of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim in this funny, poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut from Maria Marianayagam. A Sri Lankan boy’s life spirals out of control when he wins a prize in a stolen candy bar, pushing him to navigate his identity amid his ever-watchful family.

?A School Library Journal 2025 Stars So Far list pick!

Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem.

Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents.

Rule #3: Straight As only

Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.

Rule #10: Never watch scary movies.

However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson’s good side.

When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al’s convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally “get cool” and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize…one million dollars.

Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his morality in deciding whether to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever.

No Purchase Necessary has four starred reviews!

"The novel’s plot twists will especially entrance and surprise younger audiences and those able to suspend disbelief and go with the flow of this completely age-appropriate and appealing story. Utter fun." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A wonderful middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path." —School Library Journal (starred review)

"A warm and thought-provoking tale that explores thorny ethical issues and the pressures of belonging to a strict immigrant family." —ALA Booklist (starred review)

"An entertaining thought-provoking read rife with suspenseful twists and turns and well-drawn characters, and enlivened by the witty, appealing voice of its protagonist." —BookPage (starred review}

He only wanted to follow the rules and fit in. So how did he end up with a million-dollar secret?

Bullying and Friendship: Ajay just wants to get on the good side of school all-star Jacob Underson. But making friends in middle school is way more complicated than he ever imagined. A Heartfelt Immigrant Family Story: From "Straight As only" to "no-homework days don’t exist," Ajay tries to live by his Sri Lankan family’s rules, but his new secret makes it almost impossible. A Funny and Relatable Main Character: Readers will root for Ajay as he hilariously and anxiously navigates the pressures of school, family expectations, and one very big, very illegal prize. A Coming-of-Age Story About Honesty: When a stolen candy bar holds the ticket to changing his family’s life forever, Ajay has to decide what doing the right thing really means.

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