Even when I read and reviewed Trunk Call for Ajju in June 2023, I knew it would be one of my book club reads soon enough. A book about children and animals always holds a special place in my heart, and elephants are extra special. It worked perfectly with my book club the first time I read it--over two years ago. I'm looking forward to reading it again! Here's what we'll do as we read. Money-Making Ideas Children's business ideas are fascinating! If you had to raise money for a cause you believed in, what would you do? How do you think you could make money?Just like Making Millions and Amelia Bedelia Means Business, Trunk Call for Ajju is the perfect book to explore entrepreneurship! Talent Show Ajju and his best friend Karthik take part in a talent competition that they're determined to win. What would you do to win a talent … [Read more...]
Moin and the Monkey Monster
Moin is back at my book club! More importantly, the monster is back at my book club! We've read Moin and the Monster twice, and I can't wait to read Moin 3 with a new batch of book clubbers. Here's what we'll do as we read. Caution: Do not eat while reading this book. Why do you think the blurb would say this? What kind of book is it likely to be? What other notes of caution would you add to different books and why? Comparing Characters Compare yourself to a character in the story! In what ways are you similar to the character? What makes you different? I'm looking forward to seeing what the children think of! Creating a Monster Let's create a monster together! If you see something that looks like an eye under your bed, what could it be? We'll work with rhyme, figures of speech and a wacky imagination to create … [Read more...]
Dory Fantasmagory – The Real True Friend
I love hugely imaginative children, who are utterly serious about their wackiness. From a monster under her bed to a fairy godmother (called Mr. Nuggy), Dory Fantasmagory is an utterly delightful character who makes wild and wonderful things happen in her life.Here's what we'll do as we read the book! Imagine! With Dory Fantasmagory, the possibilities are limitless! What do you imagine lemon juice could do for you? What do you think would be fun to pack in your bag on the first day of school? If you had an imaginary best friend, how would they look?For this exercise, I'll give each of my book clubbers a different imaginative question. I'm sure the results will be wacky! Banana Phone Dory speaks to her fairy godmother using a banana phone. It's your turn! Pick up something perfectly ordinary and pretend that it is something else. … [Read more...]
No Talking
No Talking is such a fun book! I'm often wary of 'Boys vs. Girls' stories because I don't like books that reinforce stereotypes. No Talking does the opposite; in fact, rather too explicitly so, for me. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved how a contest between the boys and the girls in a class slowly morphs into a team game, where the students overcome their differences and come together. What emerges is a school story that is utterly believable and good fun! Three Words at a Time I've lost count of the number of times I've played the one-word story and the one-phrase story. In No Talking, Mr Burton introduces the three-word story, and I love it! It's perfect for my book club too. Can we create a story together, three words at a time? I'm sure we can! Three Word Debate Mr Burton takes the three-word challenge … [Read more...]
The Egghead Detective Agency
What child has never dreamed of being a detective?The Egghead Detective Agency is perfect for my book club in so many ways. For one, there are clues to solve within each story. For another, the characters are young children, accompanied by a friendly ghost, making the book fun to read. I enjoyed the cases too - raining cupcakes, a missing chicken, a pink pool and more!Here's what we'll do as we read the book together. Solve It Yourself! Can we all become detectives? We'll begin by trying to solve the clues in the stories, but we'll move on to observing the world around us. What unusual things do we notice the moment we pay attention? A mark on the wall? A strange smell? Good detectives are, first, good observers! Magical Chairs Many children are familiar with Enid Blyton's wishing chair. Here, in The Egghead Detective Agency, we … [Read more...]
Beautiful Leela
How many children grow up conscious of how they look? From colourism to fatphobia and gender stereotyping, social conditioning takes its toll in children in different ways. Some time ago, I read Unfair with my book club, which addresses the same theme as Beautiful Leela. For older readers, another book on the same theme is No. 9 on the Shade Card. Even as I get set to read this one with ages 9 and 10, I wonder--will we ever reach a stage when the book is no longer relevant? I certainly hope so!Meanwhile, here's what we will do as we read. Book Discussion Before we begin, let's look at the cover. What do we notice about it? What do we think about the name?When we move into the book, we'll talk about it again. What kinds of discrimination do you know about? How does discrimination take place? Uncomfortable conversations often spark … [Read more...]
Think Big!
I love the hOle books, and it's a joy to have two books of my own in the series--The Clockwala's Clues and Think Big! We read The Clockwala's Clues at my book club some time ago, and I'm all set to read this one! Here's what we'll do as we read. The October Bazaar We're reading this in October, so let's recreate an October Bazaar! Imagine that you have to set up a stall in your school. What would you do? How would you go about setting up a stall that is creative and attractive? Yucky Recipes Poetry Pastries, Puzzle Pizzas and Sudoku Snacks ... What could these be? Use your imagination to come up with new and innovative kinds of food. For instance, what would you put together to create the most disgusting juice, sandwich or cake in the world? A Recipe for a Best Friend Geet and Rima try all kinds of wacky, imaginative … [Read more...]
The State League
I don't play football; I don't even watch football. Despite that, I was sucked into yet another brilliant book by Mallika Ravikumar - The State League. To be fair, considering how much I have enjoyed nearly everything she's written, I expected to enjoy this one too. What I didn't bargain for was how unputdownable the book would be, drawing me into its drama, emotion and layering.Prithvi from The District Cup is back. He's now being trained at Elite Sports F.C. in football-crazy Goa. He's talented, ambitious and hardworking--all characteristics that ought to stand him in good stead as the world of football rolls open before him.But bring in age-cheating and match fixing, and the picture grows ugly. First with bewilderment and then with utter shock, Prithvi discovers how murky the world of betting is, and how far-reaching. Match fixing isn't restricted to huge matches with big … [Read more...]
Off with Their Heads
Dystopia and murder. Both genres I typically avoid. Yet, the moment I started reading Off with Their Heads, I was hooked. Chapter after pacy chapter drew me into a world where a group of rebellious youngsters must make a big decision. Do they dare go against their school's decision to upgrade their ThoughtWeavers--the AI device every student uses? And what would the cost of going against their school be?Neil, Sameer, Pariza and Elle are all free thinkers in their own way, though they don't necessarily know it yet. While Sameer manages to cheat the system to get parathas instead of gloop, Neil's trigger is his crush on Elle. Their motivations might be different, but with an AI upgrade just around the corner, they must step back and think, moving beyond the "critical thinking" jargon their school throws at them.At their school, Anadi Academy, AI decides how much each student … [Read more...]
A Revolution in the Valley
Protest. Isn't that what is on everyone's mind now? How does one protest? How does one agitate, educate and organise? Where do we find the courage to stand up for what we know is right?The Chronicles of Courage series reminds us that it's been done in the past and that we can do it again. And Bijal Vachharajani's epistolary novel, A Revolution in the Valley, is a moving, hopeful, triumphant part of the series.A Revolution in the Valley is told primarily through letters exchanged by Jenny, who lives in Kerala, and Teesta, who lives in Bombay. There's a lot happening in the country at this time: 1973-1984. The Emergency. The proposed Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project. And of course, the cricket World Cup. In the midst of all this, Jenny must write to a pen-pal because her handwriting is 'untidy'.It's with her pen-pal Teesta that Jenny's world begins to widen. Through … [Read more...]