It's impossible to write about The Paradise Flycatcher without mentioning the gorgeous illustrations. I felt the same way about The Golden Eagle, which we read at my book club some time ago. Krishna Bala Shenoi's art work, right through the book, is stunning, and if for nothing else, I would have picked The Paradise Flycatcher for one of my reading programmes just for the pictures! (On an aside, I loved his work in Friends Behind Walls too, which I used at another reading programme.)We read it a few years ago; we're rereading it in April 2025!Mitalee is distraught. Shikar, aka Snowdrop, a white-headed squirrel, has disappeared! She knows Chintu and Arjun are behind this disappearance, but knowing that is not enough. She must save Snowdrop before something dreadful happens. The good thing is that she has help from a bunch of feathered friends - Bongo, Blackpie, Senora, Kabul ... And the … [Read more...]
The Scent of Roses
From the author of Boy, Bear, a poignant story that has stayed with me, comes The Scent of Roses, a book about fear, grief and loss. This latest hOle book by Adithi Rao is made all the more beautiful by Krishna Bala Shenoi's brilliant illustrations. When Sajad's Abu disappears, his Mauji and Badebub try to fill the gaping hole in his life. But it isn't enough. The terrifying Bram Bram Chok takes over, pushing Sajad to act in strange and unpredictable ways. For instance, he loses his temper and shouts at Jabbar, who is fourteen years old and cannot even recite the nine-times table. He feels remorse, of course, for he knows how simple and innocent Jabbar is. But what can Sajad do to quieten Bram Bram Chok? Can he just escape? The Scent of Roses reminds us of the impossibility of running away from grief. And yet, the problem with grief is that it erupts in the most unpredictable … [Read more...]
Leeva at Last
If you like Roald Dahl’s Matilda, you’re sure to enjoy Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker! Leeva’s parents, in a perfectly Roald Dahl-esque way are impossibly cruel. They have all kinds of rules for Leeva. She can’t go to school; in fact she isn’t even permitted to step out of her yard. When, one day, she breaks through the hedge around her yard and makes her way to the library that lies just beyond, a whole world opens for her. A world that is in equal parts fascinating and terrifying. Leeva is a lovely character with a question she must answer. The best place to find answers is, of course, a library. And she slowly does find answers to that impossible question: What are people for? As she meets more people (secretly, of course, for her parents must never know that she steps out), she finds more answers. At the same time, though, she discovers how much people hate her … [Read more...]
Top 10 Early Middle Grade Books – 2024
Many of the titles on this list of my favourite early middle grade books from 2024 are book club reads. Some, the children enjoyed thoroughly; others, I enjoyed more than the children did! On the whole, I recommend these books for ages nine and up. In no particular order, here are my top ten early middle grade reads from 2024. No Talking Even though I don't usually like books that follow a boys vs girls sort of dynamic, I thoroughly enjoyed No Talking by Andrew Clements! For me, his books are particularly useful because there's just so much I can do with them at a book club. With easy, readable text that is humorous and engaging, they are perfect for all kinds of readers; plus, my book clubbers love them. No Talking was no different! Book activities Kushti Kid So many books by Vibha Batra have featured on my lists of … [Read more...]
Misfit Madhu
We're rereading Misfit Madhu at my book club! It was a favourite when I read it two years ago, although it's longer and slightly more complex than the books we usually read. I'm waiting to read it again!Madhu makes an app that goes viral. At first, she can't quite believe it, but soon, she begins to bask in the attention. Things quickly go wrong, though, and Madhu must decide between what she wants and what's right. Here's what we'll do as we read the book! Apps When we read Cricket for the Crocodile, we did an activity where we made our own games. One child made a rudimentary online game, which made me wonder: what apps do children feel they need? While we won't create an app (I know nothing about coding!), we will try to design one, coming up with a name, a purpose and details of what the app can do, no matter how farfetched. What … [Read more...]
Trouble-Maker
Have you read any books by Andrew Clements? I've read several, and each one of them has been such a good choice as a book club read! Perhaps it's because Clements writes about school and even though some elements aren't exactly relatable, there are so many that are! Plus, with books like Frindle and The Losers Club, there's so much we can do as we read! Troublemaker "Troublemaker" is a hard tag to break away from. Often, teachers give us labels that we like or dislike. Talkative. Quiet. Mischievous. Intelligent. Lazy. Hardworking. What labels do you feel people associate with you? Do you like them? Vocabulary Games One of the most popular games at my book club is what we call 'Fast Find'. Often, when we don't know the meaning of a word, we don't bother to look it up, but we do understand the meaning based on its context. I give … [Read more...]
Kushti Kid
Kushti Kid is another lovely book by Vibha Batra, one that I know my book club will enjoy! For me, the challenge when it comes to introducing books published by Scholastic India is that there's no ebook available, which often means that I have to restrict my book clubbers to children living in India, or at least children who have access to books in India.Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to reading this with my book clubbers! Sport What is kushti? Looking at the cover image, do you feel the girl stands a chance? Why, or why not?As Kushti Kid is the first book we will be reading next month, I would love for my book clubbers to tell me what sports they play and watch. Also, since I like to link reading to other activities too, we'll do a quick listening exercise on sport as well. Sportspeople A discussion on sport will also be the … [Read more...]
Kushti Kid
I've read and enjoyed so many of Vibha Batra's books that when I saw Kushti Kid, I knew I had to read it. And it's lovely! Several of Vibha's books challenge stereotypes, particularly gender stereotypes. There's Pinkoo Shergill, which features a boy who wants to cook. Kolam Kanna is about a boy who enjoys putting kolam. And The Chhau Champ has at its centre a girl who wants to do chhau. Many of her books are favourites of mine and more importantly, favourites at my book club. Kushti Kid, Vibha's latest book with Scholastic India, is the story of Qainaat, who, inspired by a movie she watches, wants to become a wrestler. Contrary to her family's expectations, her attraction to wrestling isn't just a fleeting infatuation; it lingers. And so, she joins a summer course ... and meets with one obstacle after another. Can a girl wrestle? Should she stand up to institutional bullying? … [Read more...]
The One and Only Ruby
Is there any child who doesn't love elephants? Magnificent African elephants with their enormous tusks, the gentler-looking Asian elephants with their smaller ears---I loved them all. So, of course I wanted to read The One and Only Ruby, the story of the little elephant in the gorilla Ivan's life. And just like when I read The One and Only Bob, I was blown away by how beautifully Katherine Applegate tells the story. Ruby is getting ready for her Tuskday. Or rather, she ought to be getting ready for it, but she is actually running away from it. When she sees a friend from her life in Africa, though, she is taken back to her childhood. She begins to tell her friends Ivan and Bob her story for the first time. As she tells the story, she begins another phase of her journey of healing. The One and Only Ruby is a beautiful story. Innocent and wise, gentle and powerful, it is a … [Read more...]
The One and Only Bob
Katherine Applegate's books are a treasure. Recently, I reread The One and Only Bob, a lovely book featuring an unforgettable character. About a month ago, I reviewed Odder, and I wrote about how authentic the voice is. And with The One and Only Bob, that's the first thing that comes to mind. It is a story about cruelty, loneliness, courage and love, and yet, what makes the book sparkle is Bob's voice. If you've read any of the other books in the series, you know exactly what Bob is like, a street-smart, wisecracking dog who refuses to take anything seriously. He moves with a swagger, makes himself out to be a lazy good-for-nothing, and pretends there's no softness to him. And yet, as we read The One and Only Bob, we see again that his attitude is nothing but a mask. He can't afford to show weakness, and he has made himself believe that he is selfish and looks out only for … [Read more...]
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