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Read Something New! – Day Four

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Children's imaginations are simply wonderful. Today, I met - a porcupine who dreamed of being a pillow - a hen that had three wings and could not fly - a snail that ran marathons - a dinosaur with twenty legs - a mouse that went to school and many more. Two by two, these animals had conversations. Another wonderful reading workshop at the British Library is over. I can't wait for the next. … [Read more...]

The Memory Cage

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A truly wonderful book. What can a boy do when his grandfather has Alzheimer's and everyone else in his family wants him to go to a home? How can he convince his family that it's cruel? The Memory Cage is a stark depiction of war and loneliness. War is not about bravery and courage. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. Everyone knows that's  a lie. But what happens if no one wants to know the truth? What happens when people want to look away from the truth that is staring them in the face? Memories of sadness, grief and loss cannot be put in a box and hidden under the bed. If you try to do that, the repercussions will be violent. And that is what a young boy discovers - for himself and his grandfather. … [Read more...]

Street of Tall People

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I was intrigued by the title; who wouldn't be? The World War has not yet begun, but anti-Jewish sentiments run high. I know nothing of this time. Street of Tall People is set in East London, about which, also, I know nothing. Yet, the story reached out to me. Awkwardness and friendship. Loyalty, trust and betrayal. Loneliness and the quest for someone who understands. Idealism and cynicism. Street of Tall People is one of those books that shows you that even in a cruel, heartless mob is someone who is not tied to you by blood or religion, but is still family. That person there is still part of your idealistic brotherhood, however cynical other people may be. … [Read more...]

Ten Book Challenge

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The ten book challenge has been doing the rounds for a bit, and I thought I'd write a bit more than the names of the books here. I think I owe the books that much. I'm taking the challenge literally and naming books, not series. 1) The Mystery of the Missing Necklace - Enid Blyton I've read this one more than any other book of hers, I think, which is saying a lot. If I mention Enid Blyton as a whole, I know the Faraway Tree series and the Famous Five series have to feature, but as a book in itself, this one won me over many times. It mixed cleverness and humour with a magical formula I loved! 2) A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett This was one of the first books to make my heart ache. I cried with both joy and happiness. When I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again, and I never wanted to read it again because of how sad it made me. 3) George's Marvellous Medicine - … [Read more...]

Read Something New!

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Holiday over; I am back to work. Sometimes, I wonder which I enjoy more - the holiday or the work! Session 3 of my reading workshop Read Something New! at the British Library Pune is tomorrow. We are going to be talking about Michael Morpurgo, and I am excited. Read Something New! - Session 3 Venue: British Library, Pune Age-group: 9-12 Time: 3-5 pm Dates: 17th & 24th August and 7th & 14th September … [Read more...]

Goodbye, Gangtok …

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We woke up at 4:30 this morning. This far east, it is not as early as it sounds to my Western Ghat friends. The sun rose soon after, and we stood at the window and watched the clouds. We saw the Khangchendzonga. She played with us, hiding in the clouds and peeking out again. We saw the other stunning mountains. Those picturesque peaks played with us too. The sun glinted off the snowy slopes, almost blinding in its brightness. We said goodbye to the mountains, and before we left, the mountains said goodbye to us. By six o clock, all we could see was the cloud cover. No mountains, no snow, no blinding light. Au revoir, Gangtok. I will come back. My head is full of happy memories; how can I not? … [Read more...]

The Story-Catcher in Gangtok

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Ebbani from Rey Valley International School was the first to arrive. "Thirteen more children are coming," she informed me. I was anxious, anxious enough to have considered (night before last) cancelling the whole thing. I had never dealt with such young children before, and the children from Rey Valley who were coming to Rachna Books were children from LKG, UKG, and Grade I. Finally, I loved how everything turned out. There were thirteen children in all, not the 14 that Ebbani expected, and each of them was special. I feel like such a foreigner; I remember so few of the names! Even so, I see their bright faces, looking up at me. I see how they respond to the cover of The Story-Catcher. I can see them imagining with me, contributing to my stories. And my heart warms. The entire concept of bringing children to a bookstore is charming. Every year, Rey Valley brings its children to the … [Read more...]

Beautiful Gangtok – Day Two

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When I was a child, my parents and I went to Darjeeling. We did a very touristy thing - went on a 'Fun Ten' tour of ten points in Darjeeling that visitors must see. This included a ride in a cable car and a visit to the zoo that housed a red panda. When we got back to the hotel, the diligent diary-writer that I was, I asked my parents and sister to rate what they liked the most. Today, I realise how unfair that was on my parents. I was able to choose my favourites quite easily as a child, but at Gangtok today ... I look out of the hotel window. To my right are snow-capped mountains. To my left are snow-capped mountains in the distance. Everywhere, leading to those beautiful mountains are mountains covered with trees. We went to Rumtek Monastery. Waterfalls everywhere. We even went especially to see one. The smell of bamboos in the rain. The spray from the waterfall. We went to … [Read more...]