Nicholas wants to go for a masterclass, but his parents refuse to shell out the money he would need. What do real friends do when a friend is in need? Even though Cass thinks that yet another class is strange, this masterclass is what her friend Nicholas wants. So, of course, Cass and the Bubble Street Gang need to make money - and quickly. While they're at it, they decide to become millionaires - there's no need to keep their dreams small, is there? And so, that's the Bubble Street Gang's next project - making millions. Making millions is not the only project that Cass has on her hands. She has a mystery to solve. There is an invisible boy in her class, and no one seems to believe her when she says that. She must get Invisible Boy to reveal himself, and she's determined to do so. Making Millions is a hilarious, heart-warming story, and I loved everything about it. As a child, … [Read more...]
Radhika Takes the Plunge
A little over a year ago, I read the picture book Clumsy! by Ken Spillman and I enjoyed it. It is a sweet, heart-warming story about a girl who is often called 'clumsy', 'careless', 'butterfingers'. That becomes her identity until her grandmother gives her a box of paints. I loved the simplicity of the story; that's what made me pick up Radhika Takes the Plunge. Radhika has an over-protective mother, who refuses to let her go swimming. For as long as Radhika lived in Delhi, she did not mind very much. When she moves to Australia, she is mortified by the fact that she has never been to a swimming-pool when everyone else has, or as she puts it, everyone else seems to be 49% fish. When her mother finally lets Radhika go to the pool, the girl takes the plunge - in more ways than one. Once more, I liked the story because of the simplicity of the style. To say that the … [Read more...]
A Place Called Perfect
I was a bit apprehensive about reading a book that promised to be 'Perfectly Creepy'. I'm not a big fan of creepy stories. But I loved the cover and the title intrigued me, so I picked it up and started reading. And before I knew it, I had finished the book. A Place Called Perfect is the story of a perfect town with just one problem. Somehow, people at Perfect soon become blind and need special rose-tinted glasses to see. Violet hates the place before she even goes there. She did not want to move, and she hates the fact that her father decided to take a job there without even consulting her. At Perfect, though, things become stranger and stranger. Her mother becomes the stereotypical Perfect housewife. Violet herself is expected to behave perfectly all the time - even variations in games during playtime are heavily frowned upon. Worse, her father vanishes and she begins to hear … [Read more...]
The 1,000-Year-Old Boy
"References to historical dates, places and words in old languages are accurate only in the sense of being 'not very'.Ross Welford in his Author's Note to The 1,000-Year-Old Boy Isn't that a promising note to an imaginative story? The 1,000-Year-Old Boy is about Alfie Monk, who has been eleven years old for a thousand years. To some, this may sound fantastic. But Alfie now just wants to grow up. Thanks to two life-pearls, panic and an accident, his cat Buffa and he cannot die naturally. This does not mean that they're immortal; rather, they're biologically immortal, meaning they can be killed. But until then, they do not age unless they can successfully use a second life-pearl. When you live for a thousand years, can you make friends? What happens if you don't age in an era when witches are burnt at the stake? And what about in modern times when you need documents … [Read more...]
Using Pratham Books and StoryWeaver in School Libraries
This post first appeared on the StoryWeaver blog on 9 October 2019. As a British Council trainer, I’ve conducted numerous reading workshops and facilitated many interactive sessions for theme-based reading challenges. I’ve worked in schools as well as at the British Library itself, interacting with a range of children, from those who devour books to those who yawn at the sight of a library. So, when Anubhooti Learning Solutions (then ‘Experiential Learning Solutions’) asked me whether I would chalk out a reading programme to be administered by librarians at municipal schools in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, I was interested. The project was a CSR initiative by D-Mart and the crux of the idea was to support a few schools through a library programme. Excited, I drafted a detailed outline of what we could do. I devised a theme-based approach with detailed assessment criteria, for that … [Read more...]
Mockingbird
Several years ago, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. That was when I came across Asperger's Syndrome for the first time. I read up bits and pieces about it, and was overwhelmed by the power of the brain and the ways in which it processes information. I picked up Mockingbird without knowing that it was written from the point of view of a girl with Asperger's. Caitlin's world is confusing - why do people speak in riddles? Why do people say things they do not mean? A beautiful, heart-wrenching read, Mockingbird explores grief, loss and healing. How can Caitlin find closure when her brother Devon - who always helped her make sense of the world - is killed in a school shooting? And can she help others find closure too? Is that what empathy is about? Unsaid rules that govern the world make Caitlin retreat into herself … [Read more...]
Stargirl
Sweetness is such a wonderful ingredient, and so rare in a YA novel. When Stargirl joins regular school after having been homeschooled most of her life, she is something of a phenomenon. She dresses strangely and does odd things. She seems to know everybody's name and everyone's birthday. She strums her ukulele and sings 'Happy birthday' to each one. She is the weird girl at school, but diverting enough to become popular. The problem, though, is that Stargirl does not seem to see a difference between 'us' and 'them'. At basketball matches, she cheers equally for both teams - for don't you feel elated when a team scores? Apparently, the answer is 'no'. Cheering for the enemy is unheard of, unthinkable. Yet, Stargirl does not care - or even seem to notice - when classmates begin to shun her. She continues to burst with spontaneity and love. So, Leo, who loves her but seeks … [Read more...]
Diamonds and Daggers
When Piotr's father is suspected of having stolen celebrity actor Betty Massino's diamond necklace, the boy's world seems to fall apart. For Piotr, the UK is home, but his father is fed up of being treated with suspicion simply because he is Polish. He is suspended from his job as a security guard, though he has not officially been charged with the crime because no incriminating evidence has been found. Yet, Piotr's parents have made their minds up. They're going back 'home' to Poland. Piotr is horrified by the idea. When he tells his friends that he is moving to Poland forever, they know that the only way they can prevent Piotr's family from leaving is by proving conclusively that Piotr's father is innocent. And so, the Marsh Road investigators begin to look for clues. They interview suspects and take notes. With Piotr's tickets booked, solving the mystery of the diamond necklace … [Read more...]
Catching Up: Writing
On the writing front, things are moving slowly, as usual. I have lots of things in the air, waiting to become either concrete or virtual. In their own time. Older books continue to bring me joy, though, in their own ways. The Prophecy of Rasphora - A New Review Very few things make me happier than a review of one of my books. At the Writers' Club yesterday, one of the students from my previous batch handed me this - my first child-review of The Prophecy of Rasphora. WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS Transcription Title:- The Prophecy of RasphoraAuthor:- Varsha SeshanPublisher:- Mango DC BooksIllustrator:- Lavanya KarthikThe Main Characters:- Afreen, Tara, Vandana, Miss (a dog), Avamel, Efferin, Safir, Terrine, Coutim, Anita, AnandThe Story is Set in:- Monkey Hill and RasphoraSynopsis of the Story:- This story is about 3 girls named Afreen, Tara and Vandana and … [Read more...]
Catching Up: Workshops
The more workshops I conduct, the more I realise how much I learn from them and enjoy them. The last workshop post was about a guest at the Writers’ Club, but a lot has happened since then. Writers’ Club At the Writers’ Club, I am constantly struck by the role experience plays in the way I organise my sessions. For at least the last three years, in an attempt to get children to explore different genres of writing, I also push them to explore all kinds of stories when it comes to reading. To do that, I choose a theme for each month, and the theme for the first month was adventure. When I corrected their notebooks, look at the lovely surprise that awaited me! The girl who reviewed it picked up a copy from the library. Unfortunately, the book is currently unavailable, which is why I haven't linked it here. Omkar CBSE School A workshop on grammar can either be dull or great … [Read more...]
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