It is the year 2028, and it hasn't rained for ten years. The last time it rained, Anoushqa was in her mother's womb. She kicked when it rained. That's her only experience of rain, an experience that she does not even remember. Sometimes, she wonders if rain is even real, or just part of one of her Grampa's stories.The Little Rainmaker is a heartwarming read. I was moved to tears on multiple occasions because it was impossible not to feel and live Anoushqa's passion.At ten, we're superheroes, aren't we? Self-doubt has not really begun to creep in yet. Even when it makes an appearance, we are confident that we can change the world. That's the joy of being ten!But when Anoushqa's Grampa dreams of seeing rain one last time, the ten-year-old does not know what to do. Enterprising as she is, can she really battle all the naysayers and make rain? Can she do the … [Read more...]
The Lies We Tell
I finished reading The Lies We Tell last night. I woke up this morning, still disturbed. For a moment, I just had a vague sense of unease that I could not place, but a few seconds later, I knew I was still in another place, in another character. I was still Irfan Ahmed.I read Talking of Muskaan two years ago, and it made such a powerful impression on me that I knew I had to read The Lies We Tell. Yet, halfway through the latter, I was frowning. I did not feel that the promise of the title was kept. Sure, all the tumultuous adolescent emotions felt authentic, but I did not want the book to be just another Young Adult novel that floats by, barely impacting me.I was disenchanted enough to look for reviews of the book, something I rarely do. Goodreads had one review; Amazon had one review, perhaps by the same person. Four stars.At that … [Read more...]
Bungee Cord Hair
Five months ago, an editor mentioned to me that publishers in India believe that Asian literature, apart from books written in the subcontinent, will not sell. I was taken aback by the idea, but I didn't know what to say. I had not thought about it at all, so I did not have an opinion.Naturally, the conversation got me thinking. What was the last book I read that was Asian, but not from the subcontinent?I thought of Chinese Cinderella and The Joy Luck Club. Both long ago.It was time to change that. I began with Pachinko and liked it a lot. I wanted to read more, particularly children's literature. The best place to begin, I thought, was the Scholastic Asian Book Award, so I began my research.I found only three books that were affordable, and wondered, would that be one of the reasons I haven't read much Asian literature that does not hail from the subcontinent?I began … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Young Adult Books in 2018
There's so much happening in the world of Young Adult books! Some people may classify a few of these books as MG rather than YA, but again, I put forth the usual disclaimer - associating an age with a reading level is impossible.Many of these books are crucial - they deal with ideas and issues that need to be addressed. Yet, when I read, the "issue" cannot ever be all-important. I cannot love a book simply because it is important. And that's why, even though I read books that are arguably more "important", my favourites remain ones that wring my heart.Boy 87Fourteen-year-old Shif is put into prison for something he has not even done yet. It is when he goes to jail that he discovers others who have been imprisoned for the kind of "something" which is actually nothing at all. Also, it is in Shif that every prisoner's hopes are vested, for Shif is young and can run away: his … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Middle-Grade Books in 2018
My list of favourite middle-grade books was the most difficult one to make! Until the second I hit 'Publish', I kept changing my mind about which books to include. I almost made this top fifteen - it is my blog after all, no one is dictating how many I should have here ... But I restricted myself. And yes, there are at least five more that I want to put here but didn't.The Girl Who Walked on AirThe Girl Who Walked on Air is the perfect combination of adventure, suspense and drama. Louie dreams of becoming the showstopper of the circus, but for some reason, Mr Chipchase never gives her the chance to demonstrate her talent. On the day he does, everything changes, and Louie must demonstrate her courage in more ways than one. From the details of a Victorian circus to the high drama of performance, I enjoyed everything about this book!Charmed Life (Chrestomanci … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Books for Young Readers in 2018
I know that 'books for young readers' is a very vague title, but these aren't all chapter books, though the age-group for all the books on the list is similar. I also don't read as many chapter books as I do other children's books, but as I was making this list, I realised that I probably should read more because I've enjoyed each and every one of these!The Last Tiger (Mark Greenwood)A work of non-fiction, The Last Tiger is exactly the kind of book I would have loved to read age eight. Even as a child, I was fascinated by the wild world, and aghast at what humans were doing to it. The Last Tiger is the perfect mixture of seriousness and hope, bringing home to me that nature is in danger, but all is not lost yet.Read a more detailed review here.Tilly and the Time Machine (Adrian Edmondson)I would imagine that writing a fresh story about a time machine is incredibly … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Picture Books in 2018
It's when I make lists like this that I realise how many books I read each year. It makes me deeply conscious of how privileged I am to be able to devote so much time each year to reading. Year after year, I read more books. More often than not, I don't buy them - it's impossible to buy every book I want to read - but libraries, online platforms like StoryWeaver, Kindle Unlimited ... These are a great source of stories. Many of these stories were not published in 2018; they're just books I read last year. It was difficult to make this list, but here goes, in no particular order ...Lion Goes for a HaircutAuthor: Swati ShomeIllustrator: Sayan MukherjeeWhen a lion walks into a salon for a haircut, what happens? Here's a story that shows you why lions don't go for haircuts! I enjoyed it tremendously.Ammachi's Amazing MachinesAuthor and illustrator: Rajiv EipeThis … [Read more...]
Invisible People
How does one begin to write about a book as powerful as Invisible People? Stories of hope and courage - that's what the cover promises, yet I did not expect to be moved as much as I was. I knew I would come across extraordinary stories because I have faith in the fact that there are extraordinary people in this world. But Invisible People? Each story moved me so much that I had to look away, swallow a gulp in my throat, and just feel all those thousands of emotions that make me human, before I could read on.In the preface, author Harsh Mander says that none of the stories in the book is fictionalised. At most, names have been changed to preserve confidentiality; other than that, the stories are true to reality.And every one of these stories shows us one thing: that when human beings are at their cruellest and most brutal, there emerge other human beings who redefine what … [Read more...]
Carthick’s Unfairy Tales
Have you ever thought of Cinderella from the point of view of the mouse? No, not one of the sweet singing mice in Disney's version. Instead, from the point of view of a hapless mouse who becomes a steed for one night. What happens to the mouse after Cinderella gets her 'happily ever after'? Does the mouse get its own happily ever after?Carthick's Unfairy Tales had me chuckling more than once. Full of wit, with surprises lurking at every corner, each story was thoroughly enjoyable.Yes, I did get annoyed in places because of Indianisms that, for me, jarred with the retelling of European fairy tales. Even so, the book was so much fun that I kept reading, curious to know what would happen next and what new turn a well-known story would take.From "Goldilocks" to "Jack and the Beanstalk", Carthick twists seven familiar tales into new stories that resonate with anyone who has … [Read more...]
Tilly and the Time Machine
Just thinking about Tilly and the Time Machine makes me chuckle, even though I finished reading it a couple of days ago. It's been a while since I read such a lovely book written for seven-year-olds.Tilly's father is a scientist who works for the government. Unfortunately, it seems as if his work is below expectations, so they have to let him go.The way Tilly sees it, letting him go seems to be a good thing. He has more time at home, he doesn't have to go to work, and Tilly can do lots of fun stuff with him (like jumping out of her window for him to catch her) - particularly important because Tilly's mother died not so long ago.When Tilly's father invents a time machine, of course Tilly knows how far back she wants to go. Sure, she is supposed to be presenting the Victorian age in her school project, but the Victorian age pales in comparison with what Tilly has in mind. … [Read more...]