I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve written about Julia Golding’s books – the Cat Royal series, the Peril trilogy, the Dragonfly trilogy, the Darcie Lock series … And now, The Tigers in the Tower. I would not say it is my favourite work by Julia Golding – not even close – but […]
Mirror, Mirror
Fat shaming. It’s so rooted in society and family that it often goes unnoticed. Sometimes, it wears the garb of concern – oh, you’ve put on so much weight; is everything okay? At other times, it’s downright cruel. Ananya, the protagonist of Mirror, Mirror, faces the second kind. The words she hears echo through her […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Maya Saves the Day
Earlier this month, we read Maya in a Mess at my reading programme, and one child volunteered, “I’ve read the book that comes before Maya in a Mess.”“Did you like it?” I asked.She nodded. “I read it four times.”Now, if that isn’t endorsement, I don’t know what is! I enjoyed Maya Saves the Day thoroughly […]
Books and Important Conversations
No, I don’t believe that every book needs to teach us something. Absolutely not. I read to laugh, have fun and unwind. Yet, every so often, I come across a book that invites discussion and makes me think. At my reading programme for ages 9 and 10, we’re reading Flying with Grandpa. Yesterday, we were to […]
The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop
A fully trained ten-year-old witch chooses to live with regular human beings. The premise itself is delightful. Sure, you want to be a witch or a wizard. You want to do magic. But have you ever thought about the other side of the story? The magical creatures who want to be part of a regular […]
Once Upon an Alphabet
Stories are made of words and words are made of the alphabet. What if there was a special story for each letter of the alphabet?That’s the premise of this zany, wonderful book, Once Upon an Alphabet, by Oliver Jeffers. My father bought the book for me some three years ago, or so I understand. And […]
When the World Went Dark
I was fortunate that I didn’t have to deal with death when I was a child. Yet, I was terrified of people dying. My father remembers a day when I stood on the terrace, watching for my mother who was to return from work. My fear – when I was about ten years old – […]
Book Uncle and Me
I discovered verse novels quite recently. I began by reading a few for young adults and then I slowly went down the age ladder. I love them. I love how much they say with such few words. Would I have enjoyed verse novels as a child? I have no way of telling, for I was […]
Wisha Wozzariter
Wisha Wozzariter. Say it aloud. Wisha Wozzariter was what pushed me to launch this reading programme! Several parents have called to ask if my online creative writing programme is suited to children who want to begin the process of writing. The answer is ‘no’ because, for the most part, the children who enroll already enjoy […]
The Absent Author
The Absent Author. The Bald Bandit. The Haunted Hotel. The Zombie Zone. Isn’t this the kind of series you could see any child longing to collect? Book series are special and that’s why, for each reading programme, I try to introduce at least one. They’re sure shot ways of getting children hooked to reading! During […]
The Clockwala’s Clues – The Story Behind the Story
When I wrote of how Sisters at New Dawn and Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells came into being, I had every intention of documenting the journey of each published book. So much for that. It’s been three months since The Clockwala’s Clues was published, and I kept postponing writing the story behind the story. Yesterday, however, I visited […]
Nimmi’s Dreadtastic Detective Days
Dreadtastic. What could dreadtastic be? A little imagination led me to the right answer – dreadful + fantastic. Aha! I love books that play with words, as well as books that feature characters that enjoy words. I recently read (and wrote about) Friends Behind Walls, and the word games we played when we read it […]
Flying with Grandpa
I read Flying with Grandpa some time ago and enjoyed it. I wanted to read it with children, but had not yet figured out how. The book is slightly difficult for ages seven and eight, the age-group I was working with. When parents started asking me about writing programmes for readers who are reluctant writers, the […]