The Writers' Club at St. Mary's School has been running for three years now! The third year ended on a high, with children (and me on the inside) running, shouting and celebrating. All through the year, we played games around writing, kept inspiring one another, wrote and rewrote - and this was the result. In 2016, the children had their work published in a collection called Flickering Flames. This year, a fourth standard child suggested the title that we finally chose - The Book that Speaks. To add to the excitement, the children took part in a competition that was judged by two ex-students of the Writers' Club, and we announced the results during the last session. Here's the winner of the first prize. Thanks to all the poetry we read together, many children played with style and form. Here's a poem that received a special mention from the judges. The … [Read more...]
Unbroken
I would be lying if I said that I read award-winning books objectively. Sometimes, my reading is tinged by, Oh, it won this award; I'm sure it'll be great! And sometimes, by Okay, let me read this book and see what's so great about is. Especially when I approach a book with the latter, I find myself overly critical. I recognise that and apologise for it. Yet, Unbroken affected me enough to write about it, and I rarely, if ever, write about books I don't like much. The first thing that annoyed me about the book (I read the Kindle edition, so I don't know about the others) was the number of typos. I cringe at typos. So when Ranjith suddenly becomes Ranjit and Preethi suddenly becomes Preeti, there's a shifting of gears in my head. Oh, s/he's temporarily North Indian! The worst of all is one of the pivotal lines in the book - where Akriti reveals … [Read more...]
Charmed Life
I remember reading something by Diana Wynne-Jones a few years ago and not particularly enjoying it. I can't even remember which book it was. I don't know what made me pick up Charmed Life, but I'm so glad I did! Not only did I find a wonderful book, but I also found a list of books waiting to be read! Gwendolen is a witch, and her younger brother Cat knows that. In fact, he thinks the only reason he is alive is that she is a witch who saved his life when he was drowning. Gwendolen is talented and ambitious, determined to rule the world. No one can stand in her way, not even the most powerful enchanter in her world. On an aside, you could blame it on Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, but from the very beginning, I disliked Gwendolen. I hope that if I ever meet someone called Gwendolen, my impressions aren't as tinged with prejudice as they were when I started reading this book! Coming … [Read more...]
The Wolf Wilder
The Girl Savage. Rooftoppers. And now, The Wolf Wilder. How can one person write three such wonderful, and wonderfully different books? I started reading The Wolf Wilder with unfairly high expectations. For one, I've read and loved Katherine Rundell's other books. For another, the cover of The Wolf Wilder has a quote from Philip Pullman saying it is a triumph. What more validation does a book need? Yet, about halfway through the book, I was conscious of disappointment. Sure, it was a nice book. But it wasn't great. It wasn't the kind of book that forced me to keep reading. I could not gasp at Rundell's imagination, somehow. It wasn't a story that I'd find myself reliving and telling people about. It did not have the punch of things I love in stories - friendship, loyalty, bravery ... And then, as I continued to turn the pages, the narrative shifted again, and … [Read more...]
Planetarium and Science Park, Bengaluru
Every year since I was born, I've visited Bangalore, or Bengaluru, if you prefer. Yet, I've barely done any touristy things there. Last year, I went to Cubbon Park, which was lovely. That opened my eyes to everything else I could do in the city! So, this year, we went beyond Corner House and all the other usual eating things, and visited the planetarium and Science Park. I didn't even know Bangalore had a planetarium! It does, with shows right through the day in English and Kannada. It is nice and easy to access by metro - the closest metro station is Vidhan Soudha. Entry to the planetarium is 60 rupees per adult, and the Science Park, which is just outside, is free and very well worth a visit. My first visit to the planetarium was when I was ten. If I remember right, the tickets were about 20 rupees each, maybe even less. I wrote a story for Kid-Day, the children's … [Read more...]
Perijee and Me
Caitlin is sure her disguise will work. She will escape from the camp that is supposed to keep her safe from the monster that is taking over the world. She will save her friend. Caitlin dons a chef hat, and even writes 'chef' on it. If that's not convincing, what is? Unfortunately, she looks like a ten-year-old. Also, she has always found reading and writing difficult, so she's spelt 'chef' with an 's', and she's put the 'e' the wrong way around. Somehow, the guard is not convinced that she's a chef. Caitlin is an absolutely charming character. Lonely and friendless, she has no idea what she's going to do during her summer holidays, especially since her mother refuses to let her adopt animals and bring them home. When Caitlin finds a little creature that looks like a prawn, everything changes. Before she knows it, the creature begins to grow. It can control its shape and as it begins … [Read more...]
Sophie Someone
When I started reading Sophie Someone, I simply could not figure it out. I was also a little put off by the idea that the whole story was told from the point of view of a pigeon. I have no love for pigeons. But then, something made me frown and say, 'Let's give this another shot.' I turned to the back of the book and saw a little pie-chart put there by the publisher. The pie-chart said the book was mainly about secrets. A small part of the book would deal with pigeons. And a bigger part would deal with word play. Eyes a little wider, I began reading the book again--and could not stop until I had finished. And finally, when the last page was over, I found myself thinking, 'Oh, my God! That was such an incredible book! Are there really people in the world apart from me who understand it?' Sophie Someone is an unusual book, to say the least. Sophie has a secret and she … [Read more...]
So Many Books, So Little Time!
I've been reading so many lovely books that I think it's finally time to write about them. When I am on a train with co-passengers I don't want to talk to (which is 99.999% of the time), I end up reading almost throughout the journey. And when it's a 20-hour journey ... Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is what I would call an important book. Whenever I'm choosing a book to recommend to a child, I want to choose the right book. And sometimes, the 'right' book is not one that I personally enjoy. I recommend Agatha Christie, though I don't like mysteries much. I recommend Percy Jackson, though I didn't enjoy the stories I read much. Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is like that. A child's take on depression, it speaks of simplicity and the importance of being non-judgmental. What would you do if your father suddenly became depressed? Would you think that the terrible yoot has got … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge Workshops at MIT Gurukul
Six workshops with six different batches. Six hours of workshopping, one session after another. And it was so much fun! MIT Gurukul is using a mixed bunch of reading challenge books this year. Some children are reading Space Hop, some Creepy House, and some The Big Friendly Read. So, beginning with Grade V, I decided to move away from all the stories they've been reading, and I read out Bholu and the Thief, followed by a word puzzle. The children read, participated ... And absolutely loved the Word Search! With Prep-II, I read out a delightful book by Sir Quentin Blake - The Five of Us. Angie can see very well even from a distance. Ollie, who wears round dark glasses, can hear very well. Simona and Mario (who happens to be in a wheelchair) can lift ridiculously heavy things. And Eric ... I won't tell you what makes him amazing! Participative, enthusiastic children … [Read more...]
The Joys of Conducting Workshops
There are so many things I love about conducting workshops! I just finished a five-day creative writing workshop at Baner, and it was, as always, good fun. We began with limericks, which are always exciting. Sometimes, they're funny; sometimes, just fun. Here are a few the children came up with during the session. Day two introduced the children to the wonderful Shel Silverstein. Every time I introduce his poetry to children, I fall in love with it all over again! I used his poetry workshop kit, and here's an epigram that one of the children wrote. And that leads me to what always makes me laugh with delight during each writing workshop I conduct - imaginative spelling! Here's some more: Surprises. Workshops are full of surprises. This creative writing workshop led me to a comic inspired by Monty Python! And the sense of satisfaction at the end when you realise that ten hours … [Read more...]
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