I wrote already about the three hOle books I read, as well as about The Lilliputians. But there’s so much more, as always, especially as I was travelling! Instead of doing one post per book, here’s a list of books I read and loved.
Neel on Wheels
Neel on Wheels is a lovely picture book written by Lavanya Karthik (who also created the cover of The Prophecy of Rasphora) and illustrated by Habib Ali. I love picture books that play with rhyme and rhythm! In this delightfully imaginative book, Neel’s wheelchair becomes his superpower. It can fight dragons and can scare monsters away!
| Title | Neel on Wheels |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Genre | Picture book |
Boo! When My Sister Died
Stories about dealing with grief are so important! I remember attending a session on death, divorce and other difficult subjects at the AFCC 2017 and thinking that we needed more books that address these for children, especially young children.
Boo! When My Sister Died by Richa Jha and Gautam Benegal is a beautiful book about loss and emptiness. To a child, a statement like ‘she is everywhere’ is just a platitude. It’s not even true. Yet, as little Noorie begins to come to terms with her sister Zoya’s death, she finds little reminders everywhere and begins to find sweetness where she earlier found only sorrow.
| Title | Boo! When My Sister Died |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Genre | Picture book |
Machher Jhol
I’ve written before about being underwhelmed by award-winning books. When Machher Jhol by Richa Jha and Sumanta Dey won the Crossword Book Award, I tried not to have high expectations, but the fact remains that I did – and I still loved the book.
A word of caution – don’t read much about it before you read the book, simply because I feel the magic lies in the discovery we make about Gopu towards the end of the book. The hints are everywhere – in the text and in the images – but when you come towards the end of the book, it’s wonderful to start over and marvel at all the details you missed. A visual treat and a lovely story, Maccher Jhol reminded me in some ways of Welcome to the Forest. They’re both books I hope to read again and again.
| Title | Machher Jhol |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Genre | Picture book |
Ninja Nani and the Bumbling Burglars
Another delightful book by Lavanya Karthik, I giggled my way through Ninja Nani and the Bumbling Burglars, rejoicing at the way the book plays with form. I loved so much about the book – the crazy illustrations, the dog Pongo (who stinks, of course), the mingling of adventure and fantasy. The dialogue is sparkling and the humour jumps out of each page as Deepu comes face to face with the fact that his mean and cranky Nani has transformed into something very much like the Ninja Dragon Morimori!
| Title | Ninja Nani & the Bumbling Burglars |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
| Genre | Chapter book |
Super Zero and the Grumpy Ghosts
What a mad book! I loved it!
I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I’m sure it will be as hilarious as this one. Every character in the book is wacky – from Blank, who disappears when he is stressed, to the Double-Headmistress (yes, she has two heads, and they argue with each other all the time). The mall in town is haunted, and Super Zero must get rid of the ghosts. With his grandfather’s glasses that allow him to see the ghosts, he can pretend to be bigger-stronger-braver than everyone else in town … until he makes a fool of himself.
I chuckled aloud as I read about everything Super Zero, Vamp Iyer, Anna Conda and all the others do to save their town from not just one, but two crises.
| Title | Super Zero and the Grumpy Ghosts |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4.5 |
| Genre | Fantasy (9+) |
Star Struck!
The second Foxy Four adventure, Star Struck! by Subhadra Sengupta (whom I share space with in the newly launched Oxford University Press textbook, Roots) is a story that takes you through the streets of Varanasi, chasing criminals who have stolen a valuable idol. I loved the range of characters, and the way in which each one stands out as a fleshed-out individual, and not just a sketchy figure. Also, I liked the fact that I didn’t need to have read the first Foxy Four adventure to enjoy this one.
Mandy, Padma, Jahan and Charu are off to Varanasi to take part in a a national quiz. They form a great team, practically unbeatable, because their interests are varied, allowing each one to focus on something different. One thing unites them, though – the love of adventure! When a mystery is around the corner, how can they resist investigating?
| Title | Star Struck! |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
| Genre | Adventure (10+) |
The Star of Kazan
I love Eva Ibbotson and I cannot believe I’ve written so little about her books! I’ve written about Not Just a Witch, The Haunting of Hiram and The Dragonfly Pool, but not about the wonderful Journey to the River Sea or the lovely Magic Flutes.
The Star of Kazan is beautiful. Annika, abandoned by her mother in a church, is discovered by a cook and a housemaid, who end up adopting her. Annika loves her adoptive mother, her adoptive aunt, and the three professors in whose house she lives. Yet, she dreams of her mother sweeping in someday and claiming her daughter … And her dream comes true.
Annika is forced to question what family means to her and how friends can become more than family. A gripping story, I was sucked into Annika’s world, hoping desperately that things would turn out all right.
| Title | The Star of Kazan |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Genre | Mystery (11+) |
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