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...]
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...]
Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter
Petu Pumpkin is a cheat! Or at least, so Jatin is convinced. And if Petu Pumpkin continues to cheat and lie, what will become of him? One day, he fakes a stomach ache. He used to be a tiffin thief. Tomorrow, he'll be a pickpocket. And then soon, he'll be a murderer! His friends have a duty. They must get him to confess, no matter what it takes. That's the only way they can save him from a life of crime.Humorous and fun, Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter has that element of silliness that I know my book club will enjoy. Here's what we'll do as we read it. Book Cover The episode featured on the cover of Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter is probably my favourite part of the book. It's as mad as it looks, and so, I'm going to begin by asking the children what they think is happening there. Is that ... an egg? What are the boys doing?And with all the hypotheses my book … [Read more...]
The Egghead Detective Agency
What child has never dreamed of being a detective?The Egghead Detective Agency is perfect for my book club in so many ways. For one, there are clues to solve within each story. For another, the characters are young children, accompanied by a friendly ghost, making the book fun to read. I enjoyed the cases too - raining cupcakes, a missing chicken, a pink pool and more!Here's what we'll do as we read the book together. Solve It Yourself! Can we all become detectives? We'll begin by trying to solve the clues in the stories, but we'll move on to observing the world around us. What unusual things do we notice the moment we pay attention? A mark on the wall? A strange smell? Good detectives are, first, good observers! Magical Chairs Many children are familiar with Enid Blyton's wishing chair. Here, in The Egghead Detective Agency, we have another … [Read more...]
Talon the Falcon
We love the Feather Tales series at my book club! I didn't choose to read Talon the Falcon earlier because it is much shorter than The Golden Eagle and The Paradise Flycatcher, but when children fall in love with a series, how can we not read the whole lot together? Set in the familiar Rose Garden, Talon the Falcon opens with a beloved character, Shikar, who wonders where all the birds have disappeared. He soon finds the reason - the presence of a falcon in the neighbouring garden! Of course, the birds, terrified, have flown away. But everything isn't as it seems, and Shikar soon realises that the mighty falcon needs their help. Here's what we'll do as we read Talon the Falcon together. Idioms and Proverbs Birds of a feather flock together. Bird-brained. Chicken-hearted. I never tire of working with theme-based idioms with children. A quiz always … [Read more...]
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