I read and loved so many middle-grade books in 2022! While some of these are early middle-grade books (I've read four of them with my book club for ages nine and ten), others are for ages ten and above. When I review a book, I usually indicate what age-group I think it is suited to, but do remember that reading levels vary widely! Secret Friends Secret Friends is heartbreaking, and that's the only reason I haven't introduced it to my book club. I meet children just twice a week, and online at that, so it's tough to see how affected a child is by a book. With my regulars, I know I can introduce a book like this as long as I include a trigger-warning. With newcomers, not really.Secret Friends is about the need to fit in, and about how we are willing to go to any lengths to belong. The problem is - how far can a child go? Read a … [Read more...]
My Favourite Chapter Books from 2022
Each year, I read dozens of chapter books for my book clubs. Despite that--or perhaps because of that--there were just three that I fell in love with in 2022. That is not to say I didn't like the books I read; I did. I enjoyed most of them thoroughly. Yet, as I looked back at all the books I read, three stand out. They're books I would read and reread even without a book club around the corner. Malhar in the MiddleMalhar in the Middle is a treat! For one, it's utterly relatable. For another, it's sweet without being cute. I love it so much that time and time again, I've referred to it during teacher training workshops, especially as art integration is a crucial part of teaching methodology. I like the names - Kedar and Malhar, I like the ideas, and I love the style of writing.Book activitiesPaati vs UNCLE Paati vs UNCLE is one book that I think I enjoyed even … [Read more...]
My Favourite Picture Books and Early Chapter Books from 2022
I love this exercise - of looking back at all the books I read and loved in the year that went by. This year, I found it even more difficult to distinguish between various age-groups. Longer picture books are like early chapter books; late middle-grade books are like early young adult books. And so, this year, I begin with two disclaimers.The first is my annual disclaimer: not all these books were published in 2022. Several were published earlier; I just read them in 2022.And the second: reading levels differ widely, so children read different books at different ages. Some of these books can be read by ages five and above. Others might be better for slightly older children. The Manic Panic I read The Manic Panic less than a month ago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There's so much to love about this book - the story, the very-responsible-protagonist, … [Read more...]
Ramanujan
What did I like most about Ramanujan?The chapter numbers! Each one is a mathematical problem that uses the chapter number and mathematical operators in such a way that the solution to the problem is, again, the chapter number. That sounds much more complicated than it is, but take a look:Do you see what I mean? Isn't it fun?I love maths. And clever mathematical ideas? I'm always in awe. When I solve a mathematical or logical problem, there's a sense of glee that is unlike anything else, and so, Ramanujan is exactly my kind of book. A cross between a collection of short stories and a full-length novel, the structure appeals to me too, with problems for Ramanujan and his friends to solve chapter after chapter.I also enjoyed how the problems are presented. In the year that the story is set, there's no maths teacher in Ramanujan's school. The substitute teachers make the class … [Read more...]
The Manic Panic
I love Richa Jha's books. I don't know how many I've read, but each one has been special - Love Like That, Boo! When My Sister Died, Machher Jhol ... I didn't know Richa would be at Neev Literature Festival, or I would have carried my copy of Giggi and Daddy for her to sign for me, but as it turned out, it was a good thing I didn't carry the book. I ended up picking up The Manic Panic!The Manic Panic is an adorable book. When I was a child, I remember learning the song "Be kind to your parents", and I enjoyed it almost as much as my mother did. And The Manic Panic reminded me of that song - the irreverent, yet wholesome humour, and the sense of madness that inspires an idea like this.What happens to all the grown-ups when there's no internet? We all know the answer to that one, don't we? The important question is: what are you going to do about it?As I read The Manic … [Read more...]
A Chera Adventure
I've been intrigued by the Girls of India series for a while, but I hadn't read any of the books in the series until Penguin sent me A Chera Adventure to review. I enjoy historical fiction. And middle-grade historical fiction set in south India? I can't think of a single example of a book that fits the category, so I was more than a little excited to read this one.With a spunky protagonist at the centre, A Chera Adventure explores the diversity of medieval Kerala. Sharadha, who comes from a family of healers, knows little beyond her matriarchal family and her rule-bound world. Her strict grandmother, though affectionate, insists on decorum and discipline, neither of which sits well with Sharadha. How can a young girl fired by the spirit of adventure put curiosity aside? Inquisitiveness and good old rule-breaking lead her away from her sheltered life and family. Stowing away … [Read more...]
Building Dramatic Characters
What fun we had at 'Building Dramatic Characters' - a guest session conducted by Neha Singh for my creative writing programme!To quote Neha, anything can be a character. Maybe even a chair talking to the moon! The strength of a character simply depends on how much you have invested in the character to make it full-fledged and believable.Step by step, she led us through the process of creating dramatic characters of our own, and before we were even halfway through, here are the characters we met:Bland - a lonely blade of grass Orange - a carrot with no friendsSlippmery Slippers - an unwanted pair of slippers Mr Squeak - a mouse who loves to build thingsMadame Gabriella the Fifth - the poltergeist who simply cannot do something mischievousGray - a sidewalk that's about to be dug upAlexandra or Alex - half a personality in search of a human homeSix-Face - a Rubik's cube whose … [Read more...]
Flipped – Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories
With Flipped - Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories, we have another first at my book club - an anthology! Full disclosure - I have a story in Flipped too, but we won't be reading that one.I love the idea of the Flipped books. You read a few stories, then decide you want another kind of story, so you just flip the book over and discover another genre. Short stories work well at my book club too, so there's a lot we can do as we read this anthology. Sci-Fi Stories A couple of years ago, I invited a friend and NASA scientist, Dr Sreeja Nag, to conduct a session for my writing programme on science stories. Like every other guest session I've organised, I learned a lot from the session. What is science fiction anyway? What kinds of stories make for believable science fiction? Taking an idea from another session Sreeja conducted, we'll explore a few writing … [Read more...]
Crenshaw
I read Crenshaw over two years ago. In fact, it was one of my top reads of 2020, and it's a story that has stayed with me since then, a story I think about often because of its portrayal of friendship, loneliness and vulnerability.Crenshaw is the story of a boy, Jackson, and a giant cat. What role can a giant cat have in the life of a boy who loves facts? How can Jackson reconcile his need for truth with the ... fact ... that he has an imaginary friend? I'm waiting to share this beautiful story with my book club! Book Discussion - Imaginary Friends Do you have an imaginary friend? Have you ever had an imaginary friend? Children make up all kinds of companions; after all, that's what dolls and toys are for. I'd love to know what characteristics they give either temporary or more permanent imaginary creatures in their lives. Words, Books, and … [Read more...]
Gulgul in Jungalu
It's time to introduce another series to my book club - the Gulgul series! I wonder if the book is targeted at slightly younger readers than my book clubbers, but the number of things we can do with Gulgul in Jungalu prompted me to select it.Gulgul is mischievous, resourceful and friendly, the perfect protagonist of an adventure story. She must befriend not just elephant-like creatures, but also flippots, bluglugs and longfellows in order to help her mother Megha build a zingjuck that will shoot them into space where they will have phone coverage to call a spacecab!Full of wacky words and even wackier animals, Gulgul in Jungalu promises to keep my book clubbers giggling as we read. Space Travel Imagine you're travelling through space. What planet are you from? How do you travel? How old do you have to be to drive a space vehicle? What are your … [Read more...]