I was introduced to Lari Don thanks to the Mythical Maze Reading Challenge, and if for nothing else, I'm glad of the challenge for that! Of the First Aid for Fairies series, I read the last one first, and then I had to read the others.Once again, I realised why children like series. A single book is not like a short story. A short story delivers what it promises to deliver - a picture. A book makes you want more - a sequel, a prequel, a continuation. If you fall in love with a book, you fall in love with the characters. When the characters are your friends, you want to spend more time with them and get to know them better.That's how it was with this series. Despite the fact that I did not read the series in order, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love brave, loyal Yann and Lee who cannot be trusted. Helen Strang with her violin - I could hear the melodies … [Read more...]
Mythical Maze
"Mythical Maze" - that's the theme for this years reading challenge at the British Library.What is a reading challenge all about? What does it achieve?Here's a bit about it. Children are divided into two age brackets - 5-7 and 8-13. Each age bracket has a select list of books that fit under the theme "Mythical Maze". These books are carefully selected, and are especially useful to parents who want to know what their children 'ought' to read. The main advantage here is that a whole group of children is reading the same books, a kind of temporary book club. This means that they have things in common to talk about and discuss - and the arena for this is the workshops conducted at the library. More than anything, the reading challenge achieves two things: 1) Getting over starting trouble: what to read, where to begin 2) Meeting children with common interests: Many children (and adults) … [Read more...]
Christmas Reading
Fills my heart with joy ... … [Read more...]
David
I rarely read something that is 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' and, to be honest, I did not notice that David had this warning. Yet (or maybe because of that) David struck a chord with me.In Florence in 1501, it was essential to know what your political inclinations were. Either you supported the republic, or you supported the de Medici. Yet, things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. Gabriele, drawn into politics against his will, found himself adhering by principles he did not entirely agree with. He found himself aligning himself with political ideologies that he did not quite endorse.More than anything else, what hit me was how similar things seem to be today. Everyone must have an opinion. You may know nothing about politics, and you may care less. But somehow, you have to have an opinion. If you don't you are somehow heartless or unfeeling or selfish or stupid … [Read more...]
Frederica
I was standing at the bank reading Frederica because even though it is not true that I 'cannot' put the book down, it is true that I don't want to put the book down.There is nothing like a book that is addictive. It makes you want to read: during that one minute when the computer is booting, during the thirty seconds when your bottle is being filled, during the twenty seconds it takes for someone to pick up the phone.Back to the bank story. I was standing in line, waiting for my turn and I read about Felix, who is not a 'little boy', but an abominable 'thatch-gallows'. Felix's sister Frederica warned him not to plague Alverstoke into taking him to see a balloon ascension. But, you see, Felix was not 'plaguing' Cousin Alverstoke; he was just 'asking'. And that's not the same thing, is it?A bubble of laughter rose to my throat, but how could I laugh, standing there in a mundane … [Read more...]
White Dolphin
Who does not like animal stories? As a child, I wanted to be an environmentalist and a vet. The problem was that I was afraid of biology and dissection, so I contented myself with animal stories, knowing no other option.Gill Lewis's White Dolphin filled my heart. It was a story that jumped out of the pages and touched me despite the fact that I knew nothing about the particular problems it addressed.White Dolphin is a story of humane humans and their attempts to be what human beings should be - kind, brave and generous. Questions remain unanswered even at the end of the book, but there is no feeling of dissatisfaction there. Because life is like that. There are no clues leading to all the most beautifully crafted answers. Sometimes, you have to move away from the question to reach another, more important question.During my last workshop, we spoke about how lovely stories are … [Read more...]
The Memory Cage
A truly wonderful book.What can a boy do when his grandfather has Alzheimer's and everyone else in his family wants him to go to a home? How can he convince his family that it's cruel?The Memory Cage is a stark depiction of war and loneliness. War is not about bravery and courage.Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. Everyone knows that's a lie.But what happens if no one wants to know the truth? What happens when people want to look away from the truth that is staring them in the face?Memories of sadness, grief and loss cannot be put in a box and hidden under the bed. If you try to do that, the repercussions will be violent.And that is what a young boy discovers - for himself and his grandfather. … [Read more...]
Street of Tall People
I was intrigued by the title; who wouldn't be?The World War has not yet begun, but anti-Jewish sentiments run high. I know nothing of this time.Street of Tall People is set in East London, about which, also, I know nothing.Yet, the story reached out to me.Awkwardness and friendship. Loyalty, trust and betrayal. Loneliness and the quest for someone who understands. Idealism and cynicism.Street of Tall People is one of those books that shows you that even in a cruel, heartless mob is someone who is not tied to you by blood or religion, but is still family. That person there is still part of your idealistic brotherhood, however cynical other people may be. … [Read more...]
Ten Book Challenge
The ten book challenge has been doing the rounds for a bit, and I thought I'd write a bit more than the names of the books here. I think I owe the books that much. I'm taking the challenge literally and naming books, not series.1) The Mystery of the Missing Necklace - Enid Blyton I've read this one more than any other book of hers, I think, which is saying a lot. If I mention Enid Blyton as a whole, I know the Faraway Tree series and the Famous Five series have to feature, but as a book in itself, this one won me over many times. It mixed cleverness and humour with a magical formula I loved!2) A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett This was one of the first books to make my heart ache. I cried with both joy and happiness. When I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again, and I never wanted to read it again because of how sad it made me.3) George's Marvellous Medicine - … [Read more...]
The Story-Catcher in Gangtok
Ebbani from Rey Valley International School was the first to arrive. "Thirteen more children are coming," she informed me.I was anxious, anxious enough to have considered (night before last) cancelling the whole thing. I had never dealt with such young children before, and the children from Rey Valley who were coming to Rachna Books were children from LKG, UKG, and Grade I.Finally, I loved how everything turned out. There were thirteen children in all, not the 14 that Ebbani expected, and each of them was special. I feel like such a foreigner; I remember so few of the names! Even so, I see their bright faces, looking up at me. I see how they respond to the cover of The Story-Catcher. I can see them imagining with me, contributing to my stories. And my heart warms.The entire concept of bringing children to a bookstore is charming. Every year, Rey Valley brings its children to the … [Read more...]