Rocket Champs by Niyatee Sharma is perfect for young readers who enjoy stories about STEM. It follows the timeless enemies-to-friends trope in a fun, believable way. I look forward to introducing this quick read to my book clubbers! Here's what we'll do as we read. Things Going Wrong Arjun feels like everything's going wrong. His mother has banned experiments at home. Worse, he has to team up with the most annoying girl in school for a science project! At my book club, we'll use this as the prompt for a couple of exercises. One - how many synonyms do you know for the word "annoying"? And two, what does the most annoying day in the world look like to you? Write a journal entry! Experiments While I would have loved to make a rocket with my book clubbers, it's challenging to do it online! I can't monitor their experiments well, and … [Read more...]
Horton Halfpott
A hero who refuses to step out of line, even though he is employed by the worst sort of people. A nefarious, wickeder than wicked set of villains. A bumbling, larger-than-life detective. Bring them together, and you get a rollicking, delightful mystery story.From the moment I looked at the cover, I was curious--because Horton Halfpott is just one of three wordy titles. It is Horton Halfpott or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosening of M'lady Luggertuck's Corset. I had to read the book!Arguably, the loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's corset starts the whole story off. A precious heirloom is stolen. A famous detective is summoned. And Horton Halfpott falls in love.The range of unlikely events coming together in this hilarious book makes it a fun, unpredictable read, bringing to mind writers like Roald Dahl and David Walliams. Brief chapters add pace to the … [Read more...]
Maya and the Robot
What a charming middle-grade book!I stumbled upon Maya and the Robot completely by accident. I was looking for something by Maya Angelou, and this one showed up. It looked interesting, so I picked it up--and thoroughly enjoyed it!Maya and the Robot begins slowly. When I started reading it, I wondered if it would be a predictable story about a genius girl who finds a friend in a robot she creates because her best friends are now in another class. It is, and it isn't. For one, the story becomes far more believable because Maya doesn't create the robot from scratch all by herself. Instead, she finds one designed by an engineer at Stanford and tweaks it based on notes she finds, as well as research. For another, the story has many more layers, making it a satisfying, endearing tale.The robot Ralph drives the story. Through him, we get to know all the others, from Christopher … [Read more...]
Song of the Asunam
What a gorgeous book! Even though I've seen Song of the Asunam dozens of times on my social media feed, I had no idea what to expect because I avoid reading reviews before I read a book that looks exciting to me. And this book by C.G. Salamander and Rajiv Eipe is absolutely stunning!I opened the book and spent several minutes just gazing at the end papers. Six-eyed lions with trunks and tusks. Striped hyenas with manes. Tiny elephants as high as grass. Snakes with legs. Each of the mythical beasts featured there is a work of art.And then comes the story. Sweetness and adventure come together in Vetri's tale as he trains himself to be a hunter. But then, are the monsters he hunts truly monsters? Is slaying the monster the only way to save his village?I loved every page of Song of the Asunam. The words and artwork come together to create a rich experience for the reader, an … [Read more...]
Banian Buddies
Banian Buddies has all the ingredients of a story my book clubbers will love--humour, quirky characters, and a big mission. It also provides the perfect opportunity for all kinds of discussions. Do we think of the environment as more important than people? How much do we trust celebrities who champion products and ideas? Waiting to see what my book clubbers think! Making an Ad I love working with ads because every child has come across them in some form or the other! The children in the story see Sa Ni Dha Pa Sundari's face plastered all over the city, urging viewers to conserve nature. When I give them my book clubbers a product to advertise, what will their catchphrase be? What kind of character would be the face of their ad? Trees Several books have allowed us to explore animals and birds around us. What about trees? What … [Read more...]
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips
I read The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips several years ago. And like most of Michael Morpurgo's books, it's a classic. In the cruellest, most inhuman of times, we find stories of courage and love - Morpurgo never fails to remind us of that.Through a series of diary entries, we learn about 11-year-old Lily, who lives in Slapton in 1943. The war seems very far away, even though several "townies" now study in the same school as Lily. Life goes on as usual--until the people of Slapton are told they must evacuate in seven weeks. Lily's grandfather refuses to move, but the time comes when he accepts that he will help the war effort by moving, so he does. The problem is that Lily's precious cat, Tips, goes missing, and everyone begins to hunt for her, including the Yankee soldiers who are now in Slapton.As the hunt for Tips goes on, relationships are formed, and these relationships drive the … [Read more...]
Sneaker Paati
Sneaker Paati is an engaging book that I read a few months ago. Even as I read it, I thought about the fact that it would make for a quick, easy read for middle-grade readers who want something lighthearted and fun. That's why we'll be reading it at my book club next month! Here's what we'll do as we read. Grandparents Grandparents in stories often knit, crochet, make delicious food, and pamper their grandchildren. Have you read about a grandmother who is different? What about your grandparents? I would love for the children at my book club to talk about grandparents who fit the mould or break the mould. At my book club, I will ask each child to tell me a story about a grandparent. Any sort of story will do--one that features their grandparents as children, or one that involves the book clubbers too! Sport Sneaker Paati can do … [Read more...]
Moin and the Monkey Monster
Moin is back! But more importantly, the monster is baaaaack! (It even has a song about it.) With its quirky characters (most of whom we've met before in Moin and the Monster and Moin the Monster Songster), Moin and the Monkey Monster is a hilarious read. Through its pages, we can hear the monster's terrible voice and even smell squishy, overripe bananas.What my book clubbers (and I) love about the monster is how wacky and unpredictable it is. There's frozen laughter when something horrifically funny is about to happen--like when the monster is singing, and the principal chances upon it. Even funnier is the fact that only the principal, popularly called Kooki, seems to see this pink thing. As readers, it's a joy to be inside on a secret, and that's what propels the story. We know that the monster exists and we delight in the delicious wickedness of seeing Kooki question his sanity … [Read more...]
Hey Sis! Hey Bro!
It's been such a long time since I read a collection of short stories! Hey Sis! Hey Bro! by Deepa Agarwal was a fun read, bringing together a range of stories featuring brothers and sisters, or, as the subtitle says, celebrating the sibling bond. From mythology to historical fiction and realistic fiction, I enjoyed the variety of tales brought together by a common theme.Each story in the collection is just the right length, giving us a snippet of a sibling relationship. I like the nuances portrayed, the mixture of love and hate, the pettiness and grandeur of the emotions between siblings, as well as the messiness of growing up. Competitiveness and collaboration, hope and despair--all these find their way into this light-hearted, easy to read collection.TitleHey Sis! Hey Bro!AuthorDeepa AgarwalTagsShort Stories, Early Middle GradeAges9+Rating (out of 5)4 … [Read more...]
ZardoZi
ZardoZi by Debasmita Dasgupta is a gentle, deceptively simple book. In just a few words, accompanied by powerful pictures, it tells a rich story--one that, as the subtitle says, is stitched with love.ZardoZi begins with a dream. Zi feels like he has found a treasure, but he doesn't know what it is. When he talks about his dream, though, it seems as if everyone already has something figured out for him, the interpretation of the dream included. As the story moves on, we see that having things figured out irrespective of what Zi wants seems to be the norm. Even words like Let him be what he wants to be are little more than lip service.Subtly, gently, the story shows us how expectations are foisted upon children. Zi feels like he is losing his voice, his identity. Everyone has ideas of what he ought to do. How will he make himself heard?I love the gentle exploration of … [Read more...]