The Silly Billy series, with its full colour illustrations, works well with two of my book clubs—the one for ages 7 and 8, as well as the one for ages 9 and 10. In August 2026, we’ll read Slam Dunk! by Vibha Batra, many of whose books we’ve read and enjoyed! Here’s what we’ll do as we read.
Inclusion
Look at the cover of the book. What do you notice? Do you think all the children on the cover could join your school? Why or why not?
It’s never too early to start conversations about the differences amongst the words “inclusion”, “accommodation” and “charity”. As we discuss inclusion, I would love for the children to draw a picture of how they could make their schools a little more inclusive.
Building a Team
What are the characteristics of a strong team? Since Slam Dunk is about basketball, we’ll first discuss a few basic rules. How many players do we have on each team? How do we score? Then, I’ll ask each child to create a team. They need to create five characters. Each one has a strength and a weakness, but together, the players should make a strong team!
Vocabulary
Each sport comes with its unique vocabulary. We’ll do a word search puzzle and a matching activity, connecting words to the sport they refer to.
Join a book club!
Book clubs are never about just reading. They’re about forming connections, linking ideas, and developing our thinking skills. When all this happens through stories in a fun online space, learning and growing becomes that much more enjoyable. Join us as we read together this monsoon!
We’ve read five of Vibha Batra’s books at my book club, and some of them more than once! You could explore:
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