I love inviting people to talk to my Writers’ Club – I think a new person brings a new kind of energy. With this being my fifth year with the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s, I’ve started planning my sessions better, and involving previous batches each time we do something new and different. Yesterday, I […]
Words and Worlds at the Vidya Valley Lit Fest 2019
I was unwell and could not stop coughing. Yet, armed with my enthusiasm (and a pill), I went for the Vidya Valley Lit Fest–and came back energised. The excitement pulsing through the school kept me going – and of course, the thoughtfulness of the team of parent volunteers in organising a mic helped! Every time […]
The One and Only Ivan
I just went onto Goodreads and saw that The One and Only Ivan has over 110,000 reviews. I’m not surprised, though. It’s exactly that kind of book, the kind that makes you want to tell everyone about it. It’s achingly sweet: a lovely story that leaves you sad, happy and everything else in between. Things aren’t perfect, but somehow, […]
Using StoryWeaver in Class
I’ve been resisting writing this post for ever so long because it sounds like some sort of advertising campaign. I promise it’s not. It’s just that I’ve used StoryWeaver so many times during workshops that I really wanted to share how easy it is to bring such wonderful resources into the classroom. Why StoryWeaver? The […]
The Mumbelievable Challenge
Isn’t the name itself delightful? Mumbelievable is such a fun word! The Mumbelievable Challenge, true to its name is a lovely read. It’s one of those rare books that is part of a series but does not require you to read the first one first! In fact, I didn’t even know that this was the second Dadventure […]
Lit Fests in Schools
Last year, St. Mary’s School had its first lit fest, and I was delighted to be part of it. Talking to starry-eyed children is an experience like no other, and that’s why lit fests in school are special. After addressing the children who were gathered together in the hall, we visited a few classrooms, met […]
Moin and the Monster
Moin and the Monster has been on my list of books to read for a long time, and I finally got around to reading it mainly because of the essay I did for The Curious Reader on “The Problem With Monster Stereotypes In Literature”. Of course, it was impossible to read every book on monsters for a 1000-word […]
Before We Were Free
All of us know stories of the Holocaust. Recently, I read something on social media that claimed that The Diary of a Young Girl is among the ten most widely read books in the world. Don’t get me wrong; stories of the Holocaust are crucial. They teach us lessons that are horrifyingly relevant today. Yet, when we read stories about […]
Monsters and Stereotypes
I’m so happy with all the lovely responses I’ve been getting to my essay, “The Problem With Monster Stereotypes In Literature”! Thank you for the love. It’s been ages since I wrote something remotely academic, so I was nervous about this piece. The writing of the essay started with all the monster posts I’ve been […]
Working with Poetry
Many children write poetry. Rhyme is fun, having your poem published in the school magazine is even more fun. Teachers and parents encourage children to write poetry, which is good. Of course there’s a ‘but’. People have been writing poetry forever. Forget the ancient languages, in English alone, even those who don’t opt to study […]
Working with Stories
Stories are magical; we all know that. What is even more magical is when you can feel creative energy pulsing all around you and then see those ideas transforming into stories. Creative Writing with Children Yesterday, at The Story Station, I met a group of enthusiastic young children, bursting with ideas. One boy had made […]
The 13-Storey Treehouse
Have you ever read a book that was not at all “your” kind of book, but you ended up enjoying it anyway? The 13-Storey Treehouse was exactly that, for me. It was a gentle reminder that I never know what my “kind” of book is until I read it. Why was it not my kind of book? […]
The Explorer
With some writers, I feel I just cannot go wrong. Katherine Rundell is one of them. Sure, I like some books more than others, but at the end of each one, I find myself smiling, deeply contented. I didn’t write about the first two books I read by Rundell (The Girl Savage and Rooftoppers), but I did […]
The Case of the Candy Bandit
There were so many things I liked about The Case of the Candy Bandit! For one, I enjoyed the fact that the Superlative Supersleuths were a pair of girls – aided (temporarily) by another girl. I liked the seriousness with which Rachita went about the business of being a detective, and I loved all the sprinklings of humour, particularly the […]
His Royal Whiskers
I giggled and gasped at how imaginative this crazy story is. Full of puns and clever humour, I chuckled at Empurrer Alexander, six-year-old prince who is turned into a cat by a young alchemist, Teresa. It could have been a CATastrophe; instead it was purrfect. I know lots of people would not recommend this book […]
Arangetram – Sakshi and Shivona
As I write this post, I look back at the number of times I’ve written about an Arangetram. Some are just posts sharing details of upcoming arangetrams, but others … The emotions after – in August 2013 A reflection on the idea of the Arangetram itself What I felt after an Arangetram in 2014 Our […]
Operation Eiffel Tower
Jack hates it when his parents row. He wants to hide away from all the shouting, crying and smashing of plates. It is no different for his little sister Ruby. When their parents fight downstairs, Ruby sneaks into Jack’s room, afraid and anxious. Jack knows that somehow, he has to get his parents together again. […]
Karma Fights a Monster
Karma Tandin is a monster hunter, and he is determined to capitalise on it. With his friend Chimmi’s help, he makes posters advertising his services. Among other things, he hopes to impress pretty Dawa, who, for whatever reason, continually seems disappointed in him. Unfortunately, the poster does not turn out very well; the photograph of […]
Catching Up – Reading
Picture books The thing about picture books is that I read so many delightful ones one after the other, particularly thanks to Storyweaver. I finish one, another is recommended to me and I read it … And so, I don’t end up writing about any of them! Here are a few that stayed with me. […]
Catching Up – Workshops
It’s always fun to do workshops when I don’t have to organise them! Last week, I conducted a fun workshop at The King’s School in Goa. We worked with critical thinking – something that is close to my heart also because I taught Theory of Knowledge and enjoyed it so much. Lots of people ask […]