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 such a mix. I liked things that were familiar, so it is possible that I would have rejected them out of hand as weird. On the other hand, I was never a fan of long paragraphs, so I don't know.I do know, though, that I want to introduce young readers to this form, and Book Uncle and Me is ideal.Yasmin has a mission. She wants to read a book a day for the rest of her life, and she has accomplished this for over a year thanks to Book Uncle, who not only runs a free lending library but also recommends the best books. One day, however, Yasmin discovers that Book Uncle is packing up. He's been told he needs a permit to … [Read more...]
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 writing. They write regularly and don't find written assignments a chore. For children who don't already write, the course could be daunting, and the last thing I want to do is to put children off writing altogether!So I wanted something that would introduce creative writing in smaller, more accessible chunks. And just as I was thinking about it, I came across Wisha Wozzariter.Wisha wants to be a writer. When she reads a book she loves - like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - she thinks, "Now that's a book I could have written."Enter Bookworm, who asks … [Read more...]
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 my first reading programme, I introduced the hOle books with Trouble with Magic. During the second, it was the Amelia Bedelia series. Now, it's the A to Z Mysteries.Dink invites his favourite author, Wallis Wallace, to Green Lawn, and joy of joys! He receives a note from the author accepting the invitation! Unless he's kidnapped, Wallis Wallace promises to come to the Book Nook and meet Dink and his friends. When he doesn't show up, Dink has a mystery on his hands - the mystery of the absent author!Meticulously, Dink, Josh and Ruth go through Wallis Wallace's itinerary, trying … [Read more...]
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 Kolsa Gully, which inspired my Tipu Gully, so I decided to take a few pictures and finally write Clockwala Uncle's story.Unlike my other books, The Clockwala's Clues is heavily inspired by Pune, the city in which I grew up. In particular, it's based loosely on what is popularly called the Camp area, with its bakeries, old shops and diverse population.Here's an excerpt from the book:And here's a picture of Kolsa Gully: No, the key shop is not the first shop in the street, and no, it is not … [Read more...]
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 at my reading programme. The first book I read by Shabnam Minwalla is about writing and words too - Lucky Girl. Even as I read it, I planned how I would use it for my reading programme. It produced giggles and fun, poems, new book covers and crazy recipes. I was all set to enjoy Nimmi's Dreadtastic Detective Days!Nimmi has an overactive imagination. When she is sick, overactive turns to hyperactive and she feels that the pineapples on her curtains have murderous intentions. The worst thing about being sick, however, is not malevolent pineapples; it's the fact that she isn't … [Read more...]
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 seed of an idea took root. A reading programme with smaller elements of creative writing would be perfect - and there! I had the perfect setup to read Flying with Grandpa!Xerxes wants to be like his grandfather, his beloved Mamavaji, but his mother has other plans for him. She wants him to be like JRD Tata. She is fierce and determined, pushing Xerxes to do things the correct way all the time.But his strict mother is just one of Xerxes's problems. His classmates tease him, calling him 'Xerox, Xerox'. When his Navjote approaches, they make up a rhyme about … [Read more...]
Reflecting on Reading on International Women’s Day
A few years ago, I was invited to judge a 'Come as a Character' competition at Symbiosis International School, and it was good fun. I encountered all kinds of characters, ranging from Matilda to Ebenezer Scrooge. I've now seen multiple schools that conduct similar activities; I've done so myself at my Writers' Club.Yet, for a while, I've been thinking about something that makes me rather uncomfortable. Dozens of girls dress up as Harry Potter, Geronimo Stilton or Charlie Bucket. But no boys dress up as Matilda or Thea Stilton or Katniss Everdeen.This was brought into sharp focus recently, when a parent asked me for recommendations for a character for her son to dress up as. The idea of dressing him up as a female character seemed absurd to her. I wonder, would it have been as absurd to dress a daughter as a male character?Today, on international women's day, I find myself … [Read more...]
Loki Takes Guard
What draws me into a story? What makes me long to know more? What keeps me reading?Character. Always, character. That's probably why I don't typically enjoy detective stories very much. Suspense isn't what drives me as a reader, and all too often, good detectives remain elusive. Their enigma is part of why people are drawn to them - and I'm not.I'm drawn to characters that show themselves at their ugliest, most vulnerable moments, as well as their silliest ones. I'm drawn to characters like Loki.Loki Takes Guard is the story of an 11-year-old who tells you straight off that her name is not as cool and fancy as it seems. It's not Loki, but Lokanayaki. Ugh. Who has a name like that?Just three chapters in, I got sucked into the story. It's beautiful and warm, full of moments of angst, embarrassment, love and humour. I chuckled at the serials the family watches; I loved the … [Read more...]
The Mystery of the Secret Hair Oil Formula
The first edition of my online reading programme for ages 9 and 10 is here! For a while, I've had queries from parents about children who love reading but don't know how to get started on their writing journeys. They want to write, but they don't know what to do or how to go about it. I began mulling over it. Would a writing workshop help? Perhaps it would, but I felt that beginning on familiar ground - reading - would work better. And so, here it is - my first reading programme for this age-group.What better way to begin than with a book by Asha Nehemiah? I began my first reading programme for younger children with her Trouble with Magic, and we loved it. The Mystery of the Secret Hair Oil Formula is similar in so many ways, but still entirely different.Someone is trying to steal Malu Paati's secret hair oil formula. It is a special formula indeed, one that requires … [Read more...]
Maya in a Mess
It seems to have become something of a tradition to begin each batch of my online reading programme with a hOle book. For the third edition of my programme, it's going to be Maya in a Mess, a delightful book that made me chuckle. Peopled with sparkling characters, this book is ideal for ages seven and eight, so how could I not include it in my programme?Maya is the cupboard monitor. The proudest moment of her life is when she is entrusted with the key to the class cupboard. The pride! The honour! The triumph!I remember the moment oh-so-clearly, and how could I not feel what Maya feels?Now, you can imagine what the mess is, can't you?Discussion Responsibility is serious business! What was the greatest thing you were entrusted with? What do you do when you make a mistake? How do you think people would react if you lost something precious? Activity What makes a reading programme … [Read more...]