The AKA Detective Club is back with another mystery to solve! A couple of months ago, we read The Mystery of the Missing Geometry Boxes at my book club for ages 9 and 10, and most of my book clubbers enjoyed it. A series of mysteries is always fun, so we’re sure to read The Mystery of the Disappearing Drone soon too!Aarav, Karthik and Asha have a new mystery to solve—the mystery of a stolen Rolex watch. Things spiral out of control, however, when the watch is stolen not once, but twice. Worse, when it is stolen for the second time, Karthik becomes the prime suspect because the evidence seems to indicate that the watch was stolen by a drone, and the only one with a drone with claws is Karthik! Suspicion within a club is never a good sign, and the three detectives have to find a way to solve the mystery and clear their names.The complexity of the story is perfect for early … [Read more...]
The Halloween Adventure and Other Stories
The World of Butterfingers works so well in the comic format! I've read just one book from the popular series by Khyrunnisa A before--Smash It, Butterfingers!--and it was an enjoyable read. This one, illustrated by Abhijeet Kini, is fun and engaging, reminding me of the Tinkle comics I read as a child.The Halloween Adventure and Other Stories is a collection of three stories featuring Amar Kishen, aka Butterfingers. Butterfingers is clumsy, enterprising, and a whole lot of fun. In each of the three stories in the book, Butterfingers finds himself in a sticky situation, but manages not just to escape, but to make everything better.The comic book style works perfectly, drawing us into the hilarity of the world Butterfingers inhabits. While I did find some of the narration unnecessary, I loved how easy and readable the format was. The expressions on the characters' faces, as well … [Read more...]
Blame It on the Untz
Blame It on the Untz by Lavanya Karthik is such a fun book! From the crocodile of group work to music making and competition, there's so much we can do with this book at my book club! Once more, it's part of a series--POFFS. I don't yet know whether I will read the others in the series with my book clubbers, but I'm happy to introduce the series to them. They can decide whether they'd like to read the other books in the set!Meanwhile, here's what we will do as we read. Beatboxing I wonder: do the children at my book club know how to beat box? I've never asked! But Faizal in the story is a beatboxer, and perhaps we can give it a shot too. Just by chance I came across a fun beatboxing activity recently, and I can't wait to try it out! The Crocodile of Group Work For Adi, the protagonist of Blame It on the Untz, group work is like a … [Read more...]
The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star
We read Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch to the Rescue last year; I'm excited to read another book from the series. The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star brings together so many things children love that I'm sure we'll enjoy it. For one, most of my book clubbers love reading about magic. Added to that, when we have wishes that come true, school rivalry, and all the hilarity that comes with a clumsy protagonist, we have the makings of a thoroughly enjoyable read! Wishes What would you wish on? A star? A birthday cake? An eyelash? I'd love to know. Taking this further, if you could wish for anything in the world, what would you wish for?Similarly, if you could make anyone else's wish come true, which wish would you choose and why? Magical Games Stories come alive to us and linger in our imaginations because of the characters the authors … [Read more...]
Ghosts, Thieves and Aha! Adventures
We'll begin with another Silly Billy book next month! I hope there will be many more of these because it is a delightful series for young readers. With its full colour illustrations and its wacky, agenda-free stories, the series is a treat for early middle grade readers. We've read Jumble Sale and Agassi and the Great Cycle Race. Let's read the third and (for now) last one in the series--Ghosts, Thieves and Aha! Adventures by Asha Nehemiah and Pankaj Saikia. Book Scavenger Hunt A book scavenger hunt is one of the most popular activities at my book club. How can I not do one for a book set in a bookstore? Take a look at a couple of examples of book scavenger hunts we've done in the past. I'm looking forward to doing another one! Origami Many children at my writing … [Read more...]
Blame It on the Untz
I learned one new word when I read Left-Out Paru, and I learned another when I read Blame It on the Untz! Untz. What a delightful word! And just like so many books I've read by Lavanya Karthik, Blame It on the Untz is such a fun book!Adi is excellent at the keyboard. And he never tires of telling people that. The problem is that for the Music Gala, he is stuck with a group that is nowhere near as serious as he is about winning a medal! It looks like his arch-nemesis, Risha (alternatively spelt as Hhriisha or Hrryssa or Rriisha), is all set to win. What can Adi do about it?Maybe it's time to feel the Untz with Fuzzy, aka Faizal. The problem is that Adi isn't ready to do that.Full of quirky characters like Angry Angira and Human Spelling Bee Hhriisha (and even a dangerous cat), Blame It on the Untz is a hilarious story with unpredictable twists and turns that keeps you … [Read more...]
Willodeen
Screechers. Hummingbears. Peacock snails. I’m always amazed when writers seem to effortlessly bring a fantastical world to life, and Katherine Applegate is a master at it. I came across it first in Crenshaw (one of the top 5 chapter books I read in 2020); Willodeen left me awestruck.Willodeen plays out in a world very much like our own. In some ways, it is an older world, which has a Faire, and a steam engine chugging through the woods. It stands for our world, though, and the climate crisis that threatens to crush us all. What is most striking is how the author draws us into this fantastical world. Without the details ever coming at us like an info dump, we learn every aspect of this world: from the ugly, stinky screechers that cry out at night to the gorgeous hummingbears that blow bubbles that stick to a tree.Gently, sensitively, she makes us care for the unloved. … [Read more...]
The Upside Down River: Hannah’s Story
Sometimes, you read a charming story, almost old-fashioned in its telling, and you don’t quite know why you like it so much. My Father’s Dragon was a book like that; The Upside Down River - Hannah’s Journey was another. When I picked up the book, I didn’t know that it was the sequel to a million-copy bestseller, Tomek’s Journey. Nor did I know that it wasn’t originally written in English; it’s translated from French. And sometimes, I think it’s that elusive detail that you can’t quite put your finger on, some cultural or contextual disconnect, something different from what you’re used to, that makes the book striking.Hannah is determined to find the river Qjar, an upside down river. Only water from the river can save her songbird, who is actually an enchanted princess. With Hannah, we go on a journey across deserts and through forests, meeting impossible creatures and having … [Read more...]
If Elephants Could Talk
Temple elephants. I’ve always hated the fact that they exist. I remember during a dance tour once, when everyone lined up to be blessed by the elephant. I stayed away. And like Meenakshi in If Elephants Could Talk, I didn’t say a thing. I didn’t know how to form my words or what to say.Ever since Meenakshi’s mother died, she hasn’t spoken. People make fun of her, calling her moonga, as well as all kinds of other names. Yet, Meenu can’t find her words. She cannot respond to questions in class, and she cannot answer the bullies.Through it all, her Acha is a pillar of strength, as is her Anju chechi, all the way in Delhi. With their unwavering support, Meenu finally finds a way to express herself.If Elephants Could Talk touches upon two themes close to my heart—animals and dance. And perhaps that was why I was left with so many questions. How is Meenakshi’s dance teacher, her … [Read more...]
Gossamer
What a gorgeous book! Gossamer by Lois Lowry is delicately woven, pulling at your heart strings as it takes you through a tapestry of dreams, sorrow, love and wonder.Littlest isn’t sure what she is. Is she a dog? But she doesn’t have a tail! Is she human? Her instructor Fastidious never answers her questions. Fastidious finds Littlest too curious, too full of chatter. And that's why everyone is happy when Thin Elderly begins to mentor Littlest instead, guiding her through her fluttery questions and relentless curiosity.Soon, Littlest discovers who she is--a giver of dreams. Lightly, with a gossamer touch, she runs her fingers over objects everywhere, gathering memories and stories. She weaves these together and then releases a dream, one that may make the sleeper smile and sigh. When the Sinisteeds come with their nightmares, Littlest and Thin Elderly must work harder than … [Read more...]