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Varsha Seshan

Mini’s Books

July 7, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Books about books are always a joy to read at my book club! We’re reading In the Woof of Time at my reading programme for ages nine and ten and Mini’s Books at the one for ages seven and eight. Anyone who grew up on Enid Blyton wanted to eat scones, crumpets and treacle. I was one of […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages five and six, books for ages seven and eight, Mini's Books, Nandini Nayar, online book club, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

In the Woof of Time

July 6, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

A book club mystery – of course I had to explore the possibility of introducing it to my book club! Samar and his friends find themselves in the middle of a spate of thefts – a dog, milk bottles, and even jewellery. They love reading mystery stories, so this they must investigate the mystery that […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, In the Woof of Time, Monika Bhatkhande, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

The Perfect Present

July 5, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

We’ve read two books from the Ready, Freddy series at my book club, and I’m happy to read another! While I cannot say I love the books, I see how well they suit a book club. They are easy to read, full of illustrations, and great conversation starters.  The Perfect Present is a Christmas story. Freddy is making […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Abby Klein, book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading, The Perfect Present

The Worst Witch to the Rescue

July 4, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I used to read The Worst Witch as a child! I had no idea whether I would still enjoy reading about the hapless Mildred Hubble, though. I picked up The Worst Witch to the Rescue without having decided whether to introduce it to my book club–and I loved it all over again! It’s funny, sweet and full […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Jill Murphy, online book club, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading, The Worst Witch to the Rescue

Sita’s Chitwan

July 3, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Last year, I invited Vaishali Shroff to conduct a workshop for my writing programme on nonfiction. It was aptly called ‘Non-Boring Nonfiction‘. I rarely read nonfiction, and I don’t think I’ve ever read nonfiction with my book club. I find it easier to introduce nonfiction elements through books like A Cello on the Wall and A Giant Leap. […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online book club, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading, Sita's Chitwan, Vaishali Shroff

Flyaway Boy

July 2, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

We’re going to read Flyaway Boy again at my book club! We’ve read and enjoyed When the World Went Dark by Jane de Suza twice, and I look forward to reading this one with another batch too. It’s perfect to discuss so many things – form, narrative voice, imagination, possibility … The list of ideas below just […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Flyaway Boy, Jane de Suza, online reading programme, reading, review

Peanut Has a Plan

July 1, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

We read Peanut Vs the Piano over two years ago at my book club, and it was such fun! I wrote a blog post about one of the activities we did as we read the book, and I look forward to repeating the activity with a fresh batch of book clubbers as we read Peanut Has a […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online reading programme, online workshops for children, Peanut Has a Plan, reading, Yashodhara Lal

Ottoline at Sea

May 11, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

As far as possible, I try to source books from independent bookstores for my book clubs. And so, when Eureka Books informed me that Ottoline Goes to School was out of stock with the publisher, I decided to read Ottoline at Sea with the June edition of my book club instead! It feels like a win-win for me because […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Chris Riddell, online workshops for children, Ottoline at Sea, reading, review

Reading and Writing Activities

May 8, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I find so many resources on the internet that every so often, I try to return the favour by sharing a little in terms of resources and activities that have worked for me in class. Often, prepping for a lesson can be quite overwhelming, especially if you’re like me and like to have something planned […]

Filed Under: Resources, Workshops Tagged With: bookish activities, creative writing resources

Lucky, It’s Summer!

May 7, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

A story told from the point of view of a Cocker Spaniel–what’s not to love about it? As a book club read, Lucky, It’s Summer! is perfect in so many ways. The lightheartedness of the story, the repetition, the in-built activities–everything about this book by Nalini Sorensen and Shamika Chaves promises to be fun! Besides, for many […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Lucky It's Summer, Nalini Sorensen, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

The Golden Eagle

May 6, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Krishna Bala Shenoi’s artwork is stunning. From the black-headed stork to the green pigeon, the pelican to the doves – the illustrations leap off the pages making The Golden Eagle a visual treat. But of course, I choose books based on the story, not just the pictures, and The Golden Eagle is a pacy, exciting read. The white-headed squirrel […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Deepak Dalal, Feather Tales, online reading programme, reading, review, The Golden Eagle

Ottoline Goes to School

May 5, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

We read Ottoline and the Yellow Cat at my book club last year, and it was such fun. I enjoy silliness of this kind so much that the book was on my list of favourite chapter books from 2023. And Ottoline Goes to School, which I read in 2022, was one of my favourites from that year. I’m […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Chris Riddell, online reading programme, online workshops for children, Ottoline Goes to School, reading

No Talking

May 4, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

No Talking is such a fun book! I’m often wary of ‘Boys vs. Girls’ stories because I don’t like books that reinforce stereotypes. No Talking does the opposite; in fact, rather too explicitly so, for me. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved how a contest between the boys and the girls in a class […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: Andrew Clements, book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, No Talking, online book club, online workshops for children, reading, review

A Giant Leap

May 3, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I read and reviewed A Giant Leap three years ago. Since then, I’ve been thinking about introducing it to my book club, but it’s shorter than the books I usually select, making me wonder whether it would be too simple a read. Yet, so much draws me to the book, from the childlike perspective to […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: A Giant Leap, book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Nakashi Chowdhry, online reading programme, reading, review, Thomas Scotto Barroux

Ostrich Girl

May 1, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I love introducing children to brand-new books, hot off the press! I read Ostrich Girl written by Lesley D Biswas and illustrated by Anupama Ajinkya Apte, and I loved the possibilities of exploring this book with my book club! Here’s what we’ll do as we read. Sounds The Secret Songsters imitate bird calls to fool tourists […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Lesley D Biswas, online book club, online reading programme, online workshops for children, Ostrich Girl, reading

The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop

March 6, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Ghosts, suspense, smart children and the most delicious-sounding foods come together in The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop by Nandini Nayar. Vishnudas Mithaiwala owns The Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop, and everything seems to be fine–until two children turn up claiming to be his estranged sister’s child! Whom should Vishnu believe? Whom should we believe? And […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Nandini Nayar, online reading programme, reading, The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop

By Royal Appointment

March 5, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Although I did read several books by Jeffrey Archer when I was in college, I never grew to be a fan the way so many of my friends were. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed By Royal Appointment–rendered even more delightful by Priya Kuriyan’s illustrations. By Royal Appointment There’s nothing like listening to the author read out a […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, By Royal Appointment, Jeffrey Archer, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

Bat and the End of Everything

March 4, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Exactly a year ago, I posted about A Boy Called Bat, which we read at the April 2023 edition of my book club. We loved the book, and the rest of the series has been on my mind ever since then. In April 2024, we’re finally going to read Bat and the End of Everything, the last […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: Bat and the End of Everything, book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Elana K Arnold, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

Dhara’s Revolution

March 3, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

It’s always a joy to read my books with my book clubs! I’ve read The Prophecy of Rasphora and Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells, in addition to my story in Flipped: Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories. I can’t wait to read Dhara’s Revolution, a book that has received much love from readers, in addition to having been shortlisted for […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Dharas Revolution, online reading programme, reading, varsha seshan

The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief

March 2, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

When historical fiction and fantasy come together, we’re in for a treat! Rafu is a TTTD–a Time-Travelling, Thieving Djinn. Or at least, that’s what he’s supposed to be. The problem is that he is much more interested in food than gems. When the king of djinns challenges him to steal the Shah-i-Noor, Rafu strikes the […]

Filed Under: Books, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Lubaina Bandukwala, online reading programme, reading, review, The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief

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