I picked up my copy of Journey to Jo'burg when I visited The Dogears Bookshop a couple of months ago. As I read it, I wondered whether I could introduce it to my book club. It is simply and beautifully written, but it touches upon difficult themes that I don't know a lot about. I remember reading When Morning Comes, a YA book by Arushi Raina set in South Africa, but I've read little else set in the country.Plus, talking about apartheid, inequality and injustice at an online book club isn't always easy because we can't quite judge the children's moods. For instance, I remember a child writing to me privately in the chat box didn't like the conversation about what frightens us because it made him even more scared. Yet, books about difficult subjects are important. Books like Journey to Jo'burg give us hope. Although set in a different age, the book gives us a glimpse of a time that is not … [Read more...]
Munni Monster
I read Munni Monster a few months ago and loved it. It's a beautiful book, written with empathy and ending with hope. I knew I had to introduce it to my book club, and I can't wait to do so.Munni Monster is a book about a difficult subject, but for me, dwelling on only the subject matter of the book as we read is a bit of an overkill. The children will, I know, understand the messages the book conveys without any interference on my part. Of course, we will talk about cerebral palsy, but that cannot be the only thing we discuss without ruining the beauty of the book, so here's what we will do as we read. Secret Hiding Places Mishti has her own little hidey-hole that no one else is allowed to enter.Do you have a private place of your own? I know I did, as a child. I made my own hiding places too, with umbrellas in a corner, or saris under a dining … [Read more...]
Chitti’s Travelling Book Box
The most rewarding books to read at my book club are books about books. I remember reading The Reading Race, Book Uncle and Me, Bookasura and Koobandhee; it's likely that there were others too.Even as I read Chitti's Travelling Book Box when it came out in February, I knew I would read it with my book club sooner or later. Here's what we will do as we read! Reading is Boring! If your friends think reading is boring, what will you do? What do you think can make reading fun?We'll begin by talking about this and sharing ideas, but if we can, I'd love to implement the children's ideas in class. If there is something the children think will make reading more fun, let's do it together! The Monster Game Inspired by Chitti, we will play a game I love - the monster game! Together, we will create a monster and then maybe draw it and give it a … [Read more...]
Non-Boring Nonfiction
It is always so rewarding when a guest speaker repeats something you've been saying at your writing programmes for a long time! Thank you, Vaishali, for this session on non-boring nonfiction, and for reiterating so many things that keep needing to be said! In November last year, I watched Vaishali Shroff conduct two sessions at Bookaroo Vadodara. One was based on Sita's Chitwan; the other on Batata, Pao and All Things Portuguese. Right away, I was sure she would be the perfect person to do a nonfiction workshop with the children at my writing programmes. Unfortunately, working something out right away was impossible, but after much juggling of schedules, we finally managed to do it this time. Step by step, Vaishali took us through the writing of engaging nonfiction. With an exercise inspired by something as simple as the picture of a mango, she helped the young writers understand … [Read more...]
Poetry in Collaboration with Sampurna Chattarji
My first guest session of the season - Poetry in Collaboration - was such a success! With sixteen enthusiastic participants and one lively, energetic facilitator, the hour flew by before we knew it. Haiku, renga, nonets, free verse--we explored it all. Often, we believe that writing must be a solo activity. We have creative thoughts and ideas, and we want to have full control over them. However, collaboration can lead to unexpected, sometimes beautiful, consequences. Sampurna is a serial collaborator, as she describes herself, and the stories she shared about her collaborative writing experiences were lovely. Step by step, she led the participants through their own work. How does one begin? What methods can we follow? How do we go on, while being mindful of our own creative impulses as well as those of our partner's? In a whirlwind of a workshop, Sampurna visiting one breakout room … [Read more...]
The Adventures of Tootsie Lama
We read The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop a couple of years ago at my reading programme for ages nine and ten, and we loved it. That's why I picked up The Adventures of Tootsie Lama. It has the same kind of craziness, which makes it perfect for my book club.Tootsie Lama is reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking in her independent, almost amoral, way of functioning. She wants thukpa, and she will steal it if she must. Her friend Tenzing is the perfect ally, more than willing to be part of her madcap schemes, even if it means getting into trouble with his mother. But in this adventure, perhaps Tootsie Lama goes a little too far and has to face consequences that she didn't quite imagine ... It's such a fun story! Food Tootsie Lama goes to astonishing lengths for a bowl of thukpa. What food would you do anything for? And if we're being completely wacky, how … [Read more...]
Dungeon Tales
We read Dungeon Tales II in September last year and loved it. In fact, it was everyone's favourite read from the August-September selection, even though it competed with Paati Vs UNCLE and Frindle. So how can we not read Dungeon Tales, or, as the children at my book club call it, ungeon ales?A brilliantly crafted collection of stories, this book takes us through the creation of the tome we encounter in the second book. The Badmash Badshah is all set to make heads roll, until one young prisoner comes up with a plan - of regaling the emperor with stories. One by one, the prisoners are brought before him, and they tell him their magnificent, fantastical, hilarious tales. Word Choice Why does the author Venita Coelho use the word 'dungeon' rather than a word like 'prison' or 'jail'? How does word choice affect a story?Through a quick vocabulary activity, … [Read more...]
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
I love Chris Riddell! I read Ottoline Goes to School sometime last year, but I couldn't introduce it to my book club because it wasn't available in India. Less than a month ago, I learned that Ottoline and the Yellow Cat is available, so of course we must read it!I love serious humour. I know that's an oxymoron, but for me, it's the kind of book that's earnest and written in such a way that something utterly ridiculous reads like it is perfectly normal. And that's what makes the Ottoline series delightful. Lovely pictures and a perfectly lovely story come together in this quick, beautifully illustrated story about a girl and her unusual friend. Here's what we'll do as we read Ottoline and the Yellow Cat at my book club. Collections Ottoline's parents travel all over the world and collect all kinds of things, including masks, extremely small paintings, … [Read more...]
The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories
As a child, I adored animal stories. Dick King-Smith was a favourite, and I scoured the British Library for his books. Another favourite was the Animal Ark series - completely different in the sense that the animals aren't anthropomorphic, but fun, all the same.That's one of the reasons we're reading The Lizard of Oz at my book club. Although I haven't worked with short stories with my book club for ages seven and eight before, they work excellently with the older ones, so I'm excited to read this set next month. Humour, adventure and sparkling surprises come together in this collection that I'm sure we'll have fun exploring! Word Puzzle Several years ago, the theme for the reading challenge at the British Library was 'Animal Agents'. I loved the books in the collection, as well as all the activities we did! One of those activities is a word puzzle … [Read more...]
Pinkoo Shergill: Pastry Chef
When the publishers sent me a review copy of Pinkoo Shergill: Pastry Chef, I devoured it. Even as I read it, I knew I wanted to introduce it to my book club soon. The only question I had was as to whether to introduce it to ages seven and eight, or nine and ten. Ultimately, I chose the latter for several reasons. For one, there's so much we can do with the book in terms of creative writing! For another, it's rather longer than the books I usually read at my book club for seven and eight-year-olds, so I felt I would not be able to do it justice with younger readers.Pinkoo's story is filled with a sense of urgency, which makes it a pacy read. I like the characters, the storyline and the telling - what more do I need?Here's what we will do with the book at my reading programme. Portmanteau Words We've worked with portmanteau words at my book club for the … [Read more...]
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