I remember meeting Harshikaa Udasi, author of Kittu’s Terrible Horrible No Good Very Mad Day at a lit fest several years ago. I had read her book already, but unfortunately, I had a Kindle edition, so I couldn't go up to her and get my copy signed. I told her that, and then, casually, a few days later, she texted me and asked me for my address. I sent it to her, and in a few days, I had a parcel at my door--my very own signed copy of the book!It's time to introduce this zany book to my book clubbers. Kittu is a more difficult read than the others in this time's selection, but I'm quite certain that won't make it any less enjoyable. Being Lost In the opening scene of Kittu’s Terrible Horrible No Good Very Mad, Kittu is lost. Unlike most other children who are lost, however, he seems to think of it as some sort of adventure. This is the perfect … [Read more...]
Unfair
I read Unfair quite some time ago, and what I loved most about it is how pacy it is. One chapter just rolls into the next, making it the perfect read for my book club. From discussing themes to exploring narrative voices and structure, there's so much I can do with a book like Unfair! Discrimination What does discrimination mean?At my writing programme last year, we worked on writing persuasive speeches, and I was stunned by the kinds of things children write. Two children - one boy and one girl - chose to write about gender equality, and both speeches were powerful in their own ways.Especially as my reading programme for ages nine and ten has an important creative writing element, we will begin with a discussion on discrimination, and move on to writing persuasive texts on the subject. Narrative Voices Unfair employs two narrative voices … [Read more...]
Earwig and the Witch
When I learned that Earwig and the Witch is a movie too, I debated a long time over whether to read it with my book club or not. Finally, I decided that whether the children I meet have watched the movie or not, we can read and enjoy the book together. In fact, those who've watched the movie will be able to compare book and movie, which is always an interesting exercise! Vocabulary Brainstorm Before we start reading Earwig and the Witch, we'll do a quick written activity on word association. What words come to mind when you think of the word 'orphanage'? How about 'adopted'? 'Witch'? 'Spells'? Once we have a few ideas, we'll get reading! Horror and Fantasy Horror is not a genre I work with often at my book club. In fact, it was after much hesitation that I introduced The School is Alive, and I've set aside several books that I know I would … [Read more...]
Kolam Kanna
October 2023 sees us reading another brand-new book, hot off the press! I read Kolam Kanna just about a month ago, and I loved it. What's not to love about a kolam-drawing child with friends who stand up for him? Here's what we'll do as we read this book. Kolam Have you read Susheela's Kolams? If we can, we will read the story together. But whether we can or not, we will try to make a kolam in class. I remember being fascinated by kolams because of the geometry and patterns. I was never good at drawing, but I loved the idea of creating a simple but quite fancy-looking kolam all based on a framework of dots.I've written about art integration before. It's an important part of learning! Themes All too often, book club discussions follow the … [Read more...]
Gathering Blue
Gathering Blue opens with an unknown character in an unknown world. Sure, it is a dystopian world, but I found myself wondering, isn't this the second book in The Giver quartet? I even went back to check that I hadn't started reading the wrong book by mistake. I hadn't. Yet, there were no overlapping characters that I could find.Soon enough, however, one similarity between the two books stood out: the utter isolation of the community in which Kira, the protagonist of Gathering Blue, lives. Like Jonas, Kira has no knowledge of the world outside. She has heard of beasts that will drag you away, and she has even heard them growl, but she has never seen a beast. She has never ventured off the beaten path, and has never dared to go beyond the Field.Where Jonas's world is too perfect, Kira's is cutthroat. When her mother dies, the other women, led by the scarred Vandara, want to take … [Read more...]
The Giver
Teaching creative writing is always eye-opening. Over time, we've worked with mythopoeia, dystopia, fantasy, adventure, and mystery, requiring us to come up with all kinds of mentor texts and examples. During the April to June 2023 edition of the programme, somehow, we kept coming back to The Giver by Lois Lowry, a book I had not read. I finally remedied that!The Giver is a powerful dystopian story, one that fills the reader with yearning. Jonas lives in the perfect community. Every morning, each family unit discusses dreams. Every night, family units discuss feelings. There is no loss, there's no needless pain, and there's no suffering. The community functions like a well-oiled machine. Each individual has a clear role to play, and when it is time, they are released from the community.Even as we read about this perfect, comfortable life, we have a niggling sense of … [Read more...]
The Wild Robot
Reading The Wild Robot with one of my book clubbers was quite the experience.'Do you think a robot can experience emotions?' I asked.'Yes,' came the confident reply, which took me by surprise.'Why would you say that?''Because it's artificial intelligence, which learns. If it can learn other things, why can't it learn to experience emotion?'And with this conversation, we started reading The Wild Robot, the story of Roz the robot, who hatches out of a crate that is washed up on the shore of a wild island. A group of curious otters turns her on with a click, and Roz springs to life--artificial life.Through Roz, author Peter Brown forces us to be curious and ask questions that have no single correct answer. For instance, how does a robot with Survival Instincts differ from an animal? Can robots experience guilt? As a student of philosophy, I remember studying several theories … [Read more...]
Dum Dum to the Rescue & Yet More Adventures of Little Shambu
I just finished reading book 3 of the Little Shambu series, and it's just as enjoyable as the others! We meet all the familiar characters--Little Shambu and family, the dog Dum Dum, Little Shambu's neighbour Shanti, the class bully JJ--as well as several new characters with names that made me chuckle. The drama teacher, for instance, is called Miss Mithi Sharbat, but more fun are the biology teacher Professor Y. Russ and the P.E. teacher, Stan D'tease!Just like the other collections of stories, Dum Dum to the Rescue & Yet More Adventures of Little Shambu comprises believable tales of an urban boy's encounters with animals. A monkey enters Little Shambu's house, Mama Shambu keeps a fox and chickens, and JJ plays a prank that involves four tame mice. Of course, Dum Dum is part of several adventures too. At the very end of the book is a lovely little backstory showing us how … [Read more...]
Five Fictional Friendships I Loved Writing
Three years ago, to celebrate Friendship Day, I wrote about five times fictional friendships won my heart. For Friendship Day 2023, here's a post about five fictional friendships I enjoyed writing. And because I can't choose which one to write about first, I've put them down in the reverse order of publication. Dhara's Revolution "I wish for you a best friend as special as Carol. Equally, I wish that each of you can be like Carol for someone in your life"That's from the acknowledgments page of Dhara's Revolution, a book that's hot off the press and will be released at the end of this month. Carol and Dhara have a very special kind of friendship. They make charts together, even if they're competing. They learn each other's speeches.Until one day, the don't.A book about friendship and rivalry, I loved writing about Carol and Dhara and what makes them the friends they … [Read more...]
Kolam Kanna
I've read two books by Vibha Batra in less than a month, and I've loved them both! So many things about Kolam Kanna were utterly delightful that this review deserves to be in bullet points, highlighting everything I loved about it.The name Bharathi! The moment I learned that Bharathi is a boy's name in the story, I could not help thinking of a little boy I met in Perani (near Puducherry) ten years ago. He won't be so little anymore, but I remember his bright eyes and his curiosity. His name? Tamilbarathi.( I liked him so much that he features in my story "Dragonflies and Tablets" in Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells.) Vibha's descriptions and Jemma Jose's illustrations made me imagine Bharathi, the kolam kanna of the story, in the same way.Breaking Stereotypes A boy who likes drawing kolams? Yes, please. A girl who likes to play cricket? Yes, please. And ideas brought together in … [Read more...]