Today, I will be part of the award distribution, the final get-together of all the participants of the Creepy House Reading Challenge at the British Library, Pune.Four workshops over the course of two months with children aged anywhere between 5 and 13. What fun it was!We'll talk about what we learned, how we can take things forward and what we can do with books in our lives ahead.And then, I have the honour of having been invited to give certificates and medals to the children who successfully completed the challenge. Looking forward to another lovely morning! … [Read more...]
British Library Workshops
Express Yourself!
Sigh. And that's the end of another fun workshop at the British Library!We played, we laughed, we shared ideas. For once, I honestly believe the children enjoyed the workshop more than I did.One child had to explain the word 'FREEZE'. The rules were - no acting, no translating, no using the words 'ice', 'cold', 'still', 'fear' and 'move'. He stood, thinking, for a long time. Then he began, "Once upon a time, there lived an Eskimo. One day, he decided to go to Antarctica. He went all the way there and he made an igloo. But then on top of a mountain there, it was so chilly that he ..." … [Read more...]
My next workshop is tomorrow!
A custom-made workshop for the Reading Challenge at the British Library!Yes, each of these cards is hand-made. Each card contains a word from the Creepy House Reading Challenge.I've lost count of how many cards I made. … [Read more...]
Inspired by Taboo!
The next workshop I'm doing at the British Library promises to be fun!My father got a rubber stamp saying 'VARSHA SESHAN' long, long ago. I kept it safely. I visited a bookshop about six months ago and impulsively bought a stamp pad, but did not use it. I bought chart paper to make a lantern for Diwali (yes, five months ago) and never made the lantern.I put all of them together to make my own Taboo cards, using words that I found in books that are part of the Creepy House Reading Challenge. They look lovely; I'm waiting to use them!Suppose you have to get your team to say the word ‘breakfast’. You cannot act or translate. You can speak, making full sentences, but there’s another rule. You are given five words that you aren’t allowed to use! Without using the words ‘eat’, ‘morning’, ‘lunch’, ‘food’ and ‘dinner’, can you make your team say the word ‘breakfast’? Express yourself! Use … [Read more...]
‘What happens next?’ at British Library
The afternoon's workshop at the British Library began with a presentation that helped the eight children understand the mood of terror. Sights and sounds, ghosts, enormous spiders, zombies, mummies and pirates found their way into ideas children expressed before they began to write.And then, I gave them their prompt - The crows cried out in the distance. Hundreds, thousands of crows perched on the roof of the old, empty house. Then, the door opened ...I was prepared for a creepy story. I got eight creepy stories.One wrote of the 'Door of No Return'. An old violinist opened the door ... A tremendous sound echoed. NEXT LEVEL! flashed the computer screen.Another wrote about three children being whisked away into a mirror in the haunted house. And then, the ghost of Mr Scribble Hopper wrote the names of the three children on a piece of paper listing the children he had killed.What … [Read more...]
‘Show and Tell’ at British Library
At the first of today's workshops at the British Library, children in the age-group 5-7 brought their favourite toys to talk about.There were two little creatures called Sita and Gita. A boy made up a story about how squeaky Sita and jingly Gita walked into his room while he was asleep. He was frightened, but understood when he woke up.There was a Lego space-shuttle. A girl made up a story about how the shuttle went to a place where aliens experimented on humans.There was a pink-roofed house with Lego girls. The house was, of course, haunted. The theme is Creepy House. And there was Croco - a crocodile whose teeth were yellow because no one ever brushed his teeth.What a delightful hour I had! … [Read more...]
British Library Workshop
Day One: Colour your Thoughts
At the British Library workshop for the 5-7 age-group today, I read out a story about a black dog.Mr Hope is afraid of the black dog because it's as big as a tiger. Mrs Hope is afraid of the black dog because it is as big as an elephant. Adeline Hope is afraid of the black dog because it's as big as a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Maurice Hope is afraid of the black dog because it is as big as Big Jeffy."What do you think Big Jeffy is?" I asked."I think it's a very very very very very very very very very very very big alien," responded one six-year-old.We discussed what an alien is. We discussed whether or not aliens are friendly, whether or not aliens are like humans, whether or not aliens are monsters, and whether or not aliens have LASER guns. But we all agreed to the suggestion that Big Jeffy was an alien.One of the children, when it came to colouring her thoughts, drew a big, … [Read more...]
British Library Workshops
As part of the Reading Challenge organised by the British Library, I will be conducting four workshops!Age-group 5-7 Read Aloud and Colour your Thoughts! 12th January, 2014 Stories are always more fun when they have pictures. When they have more pictures, they are more interesting! So read a story, or listen to a story and imagine... Whatever you imagine, put down on paper. Draw and colour images from what you read – fill your ideas with colour! The best illustration will receive a prize. Show and Tell 9th February, 2014 Bring something from home and talk about it to the other children. Build your confidence as you talk about something you love. After that, let your imagination go wild. Look at the toys around you in the Junior Section of the library and try to talk about what you … [Read more...]