Asha Nehemiah's Trouble with Magic was the very first book we read at my very first reading programme. And I loved it. So, when I learned that after all these years, there was a sequel ... Writing a sequel to a lovely book is challenging, even more challenging than writing a new book--because there are expectations. But A Pinch of Magic lives up to them. Let's begin with the blurb. It made me frown. How was it possible to write a whole book about a spoon? And then, as I read the book, I smiled and chuckled. Because yes, that's what A Pinch of Magic is about. Aunt Malu's special pinching spoon is broken, and she needs another. The premise is just that simple. And in Asha Nehemiah's grand, humorous style, we dive into a story about a spoon. There's so much I love about the story! I love how similar the first line of A Pinch of Magic is to the first line of Trouble with Magic. We … [Read more...]
Nida Finds a Way
I stare at my laptop screen, wondering how to write about Nida Finds a Way. It's such an important book. A book that makes me oh-so-curious about how a child would respond. What would children say that this story is about? Would they giggle and keep reading on and on to see how Nida balances her love for her anxious father and her need to climb trees, ride cycles and live? Children read what they want to read in stories, and I am always amazed by that. So, would children read Nida Finds a Way as a story about Shaheen Bagh? I somehow doubt it, and that's the reason why I think the book is so precious. As a child, I would have laughed at over-protective Abba, his NONONO, YESYESYES and his twitching beard. I would have been bothered to distraction about the illustration on page 24 where Abba's left arm is injured instead of his right. And I would have loved how Nida manages to sneak out … [Read more...]
What I’ve Been Reading on StoryWeaver
Every so often, I write about books I've read on StoryWeaver that have left an impression on me in one way or another. Free books are precious! And over 30,000 free books? Priceless! Here are a few I read and loved recently. In the past, most of the books I've read have been Level 1 and Level 2 books, but somehow, in the last few months, I've been drawn to slightly longer books. Though I've divided them into broad themes, each story is more than just the theme I've chosen for it. Friendship Friendship takes various forms, and, in some ways, perhaps most of the books on my list this time are about friendship. Goplu's Train Ride written by Timira Gupta and illustrated by Parmita Mukherjee explores that glorious moment of friendship that is full of possibility and yet, complete in itself. I love it. Can you make a friend through the bars of a local train? … [Read more...]
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 - not one, but three! Ana's friend Zain would call them Fishyone, Fishytwo and Fishythree, but Ana being Ana calls them Socrates, Aristotle (Totty for short) and Plato.That's just one of the dozens of crazy things in the story. From a dragon in a filthy pool to a dog who thinks he's a fish, At Least a Fish brims over with humour and madness. I can't wait to read it at my reading programme! Differences At Least a Fish is such a wonderful book to talk about differences - both obvious ones and not-so-obvious ones. There's one hilarious page in the book where … [Read more...]
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 but 'again' ratings based on how many times a child asks to read the book?By that reckoning, Esio Trot is very high up on my list!It's one of those perfect transition books - neither a short story nor a chapter book. Neither a picture book nor a book with just words. That makes it ideal for my reading programme for seven and eight-year-olds! Backward Games A book club is all about having fun with books. It's about celebrating the joy of reading. And that's why one of the things we're going to do is talk backwards, just for a bit. Plan what you want to say and write … [Read more...]
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. Yet, as I mulled over what to include this time, I asked myself, again, what the purpose of a reading programme is. Often, I use the tagline 'Celebrate the joy of reading'. If it's about the joy of reading, how can I not include books I've adored and devoured as a child?Rereading Fantastic Mr Fox now, I'm astounded at how much I liked it when I was younger. I was never one to like disgusting humour. I didn't like toilet jokes. I didn't like anything that was yucky. What made Dahl different?I think, possibly, it was the fact that the disgust was not the point of the story. Also, when Mr … [Read more...]
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 the programme, but the sooner you register, the easier it will be for me. Online Reading Programme (Ages 7 to 8) We're on the fourth edition of this programme, and the four books we will read this time are The Monster Hunters by Parinita Shetty, Bookasura by Arundhati Venkatesh, Esio Trot by Roald Dahl and At Least a Fish (Zain & Ana Book 1) by Anushka Ravishankar. On popular demand, I have also launched a weekend batch of the same online reading programme! Details Dates: 1st June to 9th July 2021Dates for the weekend … [Read more...]
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 too! What I loved most about it is that it is told entirely from the point of view of a child who is a bundle of contradictions. On the one hand, she has all kinds of fears. She's scared of crows, whooshing mango trees and dark places. On the other hand, she's completely secure - when she's separated from her parents at a mall, she does not become afraid. Instead, she's angry with her parents for being so careless as to get lost. Maya is a very special combination of humour, solemnity and madness. In the same way as she cries MAYDAY! in Maya in a Mess, we find a confident girl here … [Read more...]
Writing about Cyber Crime
What a fun session we had with digital forensic investigator Shweta A. Chawla yesterday! The children had all kinds of questions, and all kinds of stories. Nearly every child had a story of a parent or relative receiving a call and asking for an OTP or bank details. It just shows you how close cyber crime is to us! One child said, "We should keep changing our passwords, but it's difficult to remember them. So I write them in an Excel sheet." Before Shweta could respond, he said, "The Excel sheet is password protected."And I found myself thinking, Do I even know how to create a password-protected Excel sheet? We spoke of how stories no longer need masked robbers going into banks with guns, and the fact that you are much more likely to encounter a hacker online than a smuggler. Sure, we love our Enid Blyton stories of smuggling and crime, but perhaps stories can reflect something … [Read more...]
Writing about Cyber Crime
During my writing programme last year, I met many children who wanted to write detective stories. What would a detective story involve? How did investigations really happen?This got me thinking.What could I do that would be new and unusual? I've never solved a crime. I have no inside knowledge. And if children (and I!) don't want to write about smugglers and private islands and the like, what detective stories can we write?My answer was cyber crime. And that led to the very first guest session of my creative writing programme. About the Facilitator Shweta A. Chawla is an independent digital forensic investigator with over 15 years of experience in digital forensic and cyber investigations. She is the founder and chief investigator at SC Cyber Solutions, and has acted as consultant to various police departments in investigations into cyber crimes. Shweta is … [Read more...]
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