Yesterday's guest session was full of stories! While we are familiar with Long John Silver and Davy Jones's locker, how many of us are equally familiar with Kanhoji Angre and the pirates of the Malabar?We began with a discussion of myths, legends, and historical fiction, and this, I think, is an important idea that is well worth repeating. A myth is not history or historical fiction. It is a story created by human beings in an attempt to make sense of the world. Even if a myth helps us understand something about the time when it was created, it isn't a true tale.A legend is not true either! My mother, Dr Radhika Seshan, told us the story of the emperor Jahangir and his bells of justice. Legend says that a donkey rang one of the bells one day, and Jahangir proclaimed that a donkey deserves justice too. Is the story true? We have no idea, but legends are often built around people … [Read more...]
The Playwriting Module – Reflections and Resources
And just like that, the playwriting module of my creative writing programme is also over! We read two plays, played with props, explored dialogue, imagined the stage, examined the differences between writing scripts for stage and for screen ... And I'm exhilarated. As always, the generosity of the community of teachers and writers online is astounding. Some resources work for me; some don't, but each one I come across is useful.So, it's my turn. Here are a few activities I used successfully in class this time. Writing Natural Dialogue Writing dialogue that reads naturally is challenging. Even though I have been writing for so long, I sometimes find myself using long, winding sentences in dialogue and have to remind myself that we don't regularly use long sentences beginning with 'although' or 'despite'. And can you imagine using them when you're … [Read more...]
Queen of Fire
When I started reading Queen of Fire, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it. I expected to read something new and captivating, even though I knew that the protagonist was the rani of Jhansi. But all the opening scenes were familiar to me. We've studied the history of the independence movement in India in such excruciating detail that there is no way I can forget about the revolt of 1857, the story of Mangal Pandey, the Doctrine of Lapse, or the tale of the cartridges greased with the fat of cows and pigs.This made Queen of Fire completely different from the other two books in this series. I knew nothing about Didda before reading Queen of Ice, and I had not heard of Queen Prithvimahadevi until I read Queen of Earth. Would Queen of Fire be completely familiar?The answer was no. If anything, I think Queen of Fire is the most powerful of the three books. Once I got sucked into … [Read more...]
On Reading a Series, Reading Snobbery and Binge Reading
I often come across parents who complain that their children read only Geronimo Stilton, or only Wimpy Kid. Or only Dork Diaries, or ... what else? If social media had existed when I was a child, parents would probably have been fretting about children reading only Enid Blyton--except for the fact that snobbery around the act of reading is a real thing. It is considered far more acceptable to read Enid Blyton (never mind the gender stereotypes and racism--we turned out okay, right?) than to read Geronimo Stilton. Here's why I think that's so.Enid Blyton was British. On the whole, there was (is?) derision of everything but the Queen's English. Only proper English, thank you very much, no Americanisms, and definitely no slang.Morals. Yes, parents are obsessed with reading being educational. (I know, not all parents. I know. My parents, for instance, weren't.) Good girls and boys do … [Read more...]
At Least a Fish
I love Anushka Ravishankar's books. Whether it's Moin and the Monster or Captain Coconut or At Least a Fish, I find myself chuckling as I read, shaking my head at her wacky humour.Ana, the protagonist of At Least a Fish, wants a dog. She really wants a dog. But her parents go and get her fish instead - not one, but three! Ana's friend Zain would call them Fishyone, Fishytwo and Fishythree, but Ana being Ana calls them Socrates, Aristotle (Totty for short) and Plato.That's just one of the dozens of crazy things in the story. From a dragon in a filthy pool to a dog who thinks he's a fish, At Least a Fish brims over with humour and madness. I can't wait to read it at my reading programme! Differences At Least a Fish is such a wonderful book to talk about differences - both obvious ones and not-so-obvious ones. There's one hilarious page in the book where … [Read more...]
Creative Writing Workshops – Reflections and Resources
I spend hours scouring the internet for creative writing resources. I love those hours, even though sometimes I find myself panicking. There are so many wonderful ideas out there! What can I use? I want to use them all! At those times, I need to step away from my laptop and remind myself that I cannot do everything in twelve weeks. The weeks always fly by once I start a writing programme. I'm more than halfway through. Here are a handful of activities I used successfully this time! Rhyming Opposites This seems like an overly simplistic activity, but it works with people (I won't even say just children) of all ages. It is based on something I came across in the book Writing with Children, by Jackie Reilly and Vanessa Reilly and serves as a great way to begin a session on rhyme! How would you fill in the blanks? Musical Writing I have no idea … [Read more...]
Esio Trot
Who doesn't love Esio Trot? Teg reggib, esio trot, teg reggib!There was a time when I knew the book so well that I could say the whole chant that Mr Hoppy tells Mrs Silver to deliver to little Alfie. Have you come across the tweet about how children's books should not be given star ratings but 'again' ratings based on how many times a child asks to read the book?By that reckoning, Esio Trot is very high up on my list!It's one of those perfect transition books - neither a short story nor a chapter book. Neither a picture book nor a book with just words. That makes it ideal for my reading programme for seven and eight-year-olds! Backward Games A book club is all about having fun with books. It's about celebrating the joy of reading. And that's why one of the things we're going to do is talk backwards, just for a bit. Plan what you want to say and write … [Read more...]
Looking Back at Another Reading Programme
I love sharing stories with children, and this time's batch of seven and eight-year-olds was even more fun than most. With each workshop I conduct, I treasure the stories we create together. The little anecdotes, the bubbles of laughter, the wide-eyed astonishment - these make workshops special! I wrote about a class where we spoke about monitors and Maya in a Mess; that was just the first of four books we read together, and each one brought joy. One of the activities we did with the book was to try to keep something safe for six weeks. Maya loses the cupboard key. How about the children at my workshop?During the first class, I asked them to find something smaller than the hole in the hOle book, wrap it in paper and keep it safe. I did it too, as you can see, and the paper has my name and the date on it.During the last class, I asked them to show their … [Read more...]
Fantastic Mr Fox
Fantastic Mr Fox is a classic. And the combination of Roald Dahl and Sir Quentin Blake is magic.I've never yet chosen a Roald Dahl for my reading programme because I reckoned that most children would already have been exposed to his books, and a book club is about discovering books you haven't read before. Yet, as I mulled over what to include this time, I asked myself, again, what the purpose of a reading programme is. Often, I use the tagline 'Celebrate the joy of reading'. If it's about the joy of reading, how can I not include books I've adored and devoured as a child?Rereading Fantastic Mr Fox now, I'm astounded at how much I liked it when I was younger. I was never one to like disgusting humour. I didn't like toilet jokes. I didn't like anything that was yucky. What made Dahl different?I think, possibly, it was the fact that the disgust was not the point of the story. Also, when Mr … [Read more...]
Workshops Launching in May and June 2021
I've received an overwhelming number of queries this time around, and I'm not surprised. Summer holidays! Registrations are now open for two reading programmes beginning on the 1st of June.Do note that with lockdowns in several places, book deliveries are experiencing delays. I will try to get the books to you in time for the programme, but the sooner you register, the easier it will be for me. Online Reading Programme (Ages 7 to 8) We're on the fourth edition of this programme, and the four books we will read this time are The Monster Hunters by Parinita Shetty, Bookasura by Arundhati Venkatesh, Esio Trot by Roald Dahl and At Least a Fish (Zain & Ana Book 1) by Anushka Ravishankar. On popular demand, I have also launched a weekend batch of the same online reading programme! Details Dates: 1st June to 9th July 2021Dates for the weekend … [Read more...]