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Varsha Seshan

Crackers

November 3, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Some writers stun me with the range of stories they write. Elizabeth Laird, for instance. Look at just the stories I’ve read by her: And now, Crackers, which is completely different from anything else I’ve read by her. The strangest part for me as I read it was how similar it is to something I’ve […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, Crackers, Elizabeth Laird, reading, review

Mahalaxmi Will Go to Mysore

September 20, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I’ve been reading so many books that deal with RTE in one way or another! As a teacher trainer, I find that RTE is a conversation topic that some schools want to sweep under the carpet. Others test waters to find out where I stand. Still others are belligerent and self-righteous, even as they talk […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Books, hOle books, Mahalaxmi Will Go to Mysore, Niyatee Sharma, reading, review

Kittu’s Very Mad Day

September 7, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I remember meeting Harshikaa Udasi, author of Kittu’s Terrible Horrible No Good Very Mad Day at a lit fest several years ago. I had read her book already, but unfortunately, I had a Kindle edition, so I couldn’t go up to her and get my copy signed. I told her that, and then, casually, a […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Harshikaa Udasi, Kittus Very Mad Day, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

Dum Dum to the Rescue & Yet More Adventures of Little Shambu

August 11, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I just finished reading book 3 of the Little Shambu series, and it’s just as enjoyable as the others! We meet all the familiar characters–Little Shambu and family, the dog Dum Dum, Little Shambu’s neighbour Shanti, the class bully JJ–as well as several new characters with names that made me chuckle. The drama teacher, for […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Dum Dum to the Rescue, Little Shambu, reading, review, Short Stories, Tinkle

Kolam Kanna

August 1, 2023 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

I’ve read two books by Vibha Batra in less than a month, and I’ve loved them both! So many things about Kolam Kanna were utterly delightful that this review deserves to be in bullet points, highlighting everything I loved about it. The name Bharathi! The moment I learned that Bharathi is a boy’s name in […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages nine and ten, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, Kolam Kanna, reading, review, Vibha Batra

In the Bear’s Den & More Adventures of Little Shambu

July 30, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Life is never humdrum with Little Shambu around, and I loved this next set of adventures too!  I remember reading about how the non-violence policy of Shikari Shambu ensured that he never fired a single shot. In fact, he is more a forest ranger than a hunter, and these stories about Little Shambu set the […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, In the Bear's Den and More Adventures of Little Shambu, Little Shambu, reading, review, Short Stories, Tinkle

Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu

July 21, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Much of my childhood was spent surrounded by Enid Blytons and Roald Dahls, Dick King-Smiths and Allen Frewin Joneses. But Tinkle stayed a favourite. I never got drawn to Chandamama or even Amar Chitra Katha mythology the way I was drawn to Tinkle. My grandfather subscribed to the magazine, and every so often, he would […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Little Shambu, reading, review, Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu, Tinkle

Gobi Goes Viral

July 17, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Gopi compares everybody around him to a vegetable. His world comprises a capsicum, a carrot, a tomato, a sweet potato … The problem, of course, is that the moment he talks about it, he becomes Gobi, or worse, Fool Gobi. Trying to tell the bullies in class that it isn’t Fool, but Phool doesn’t help.  […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages nine and ten, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, early middle grade, Gobi Goes Viral, reading, review, Vibha Batra

Trunk Call for Ajju

June 26, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

There’s something special about animal stories for children. I’ve never had a pet and I’ve never worked with animals, yet I remember devouring books like the Animal Ark series. There were dozens of others too – Saddle Club, every Dick King-Smith book I could lay my hands on, stories about dolphins, whales, dogs … Something […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Anjana Nagabhushana, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, reading, review, Trunk Call for Ajju

Read, Write, Race

May 14, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Over two years ago, we read Hungry to Read by Arti Sonthalia at my book club. The children thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the book discussion was completely different from what I expected. I thought we would talk about stereotypes and about how judging reading speed isn’t ideal … but none of that happened. Instead, the […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Arti Sonthalia, book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online reading programme, Read Write Race, reading, review

Fortunately, the Milk …

May 12, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Some time ago, we read Help, My Aai Wants to Eat Me! at my book club. As planned, one of the things we did as we read the book was to make a list of pros and cons, like the protagonist Avi. Look at some of what we discussed. Out of all these ideas the last […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Fortunately the Milk, Neil Gaiman, online reading programme, reading, review

Manya Learns to Roar

May 10, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Manya Learns to Roar by Shruthi Rao is the first book I’m repeating at my book club. We read it at the very first edition of my reading programme, when I tentatively started out in 2020, wondering if I would be able to sustain an online book club for children. All those who read it with […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Manya Learns to Roar, online reading programme, reading, Shruthi Rao

Chitti’s Travelling Book Box

May 8, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Chitti's Travelling Book Box, hOle books, Kavitha Punniyamurthi, online reading programme, reading

The Adventures of Tootsie Lama

March 7, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online reading programme, reading, review, Stuti Agarwal, The Adventures of Tootsie Lama

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

March 5, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Chris Riddell, online reading programme, Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, reading, review

The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories

March 3, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Khyrunnisa A, online reading programme, reading, review, Short Stories, The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories

Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter

March 1, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Arundhati Venkatesh, book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, hOle books, online reading programme, Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter, reading, review

Chitti’s Travelling Book Box

February 20, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I love books about books, so I knew I would enjoy Chitti’s Travelling Book Box. When Chitti comes back from her Madras Mama-Mami’s place with a surprise gift, her friends can’t wait to find out what she’s brought. Unfortunately for them, it’s a box of books. Who gets excited about books? Chitti can’t believe how […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, Chitti's Travelling Book Box, hOle books, Kavitha Punniyamurthi, reading, review

Gupshup Goes to Prison

February 11, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Why do some books sit on my shelves for months before I get around to reading them? I bought my copy of Gupshup Goes to Prison in August last year. In September, I met author Arefa Tehsin at the Neev Literature Festival and got my copy signed. I finally read it today! And what a […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Arefa Tehsin, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, Gupshup Goes to Prison, hOle books, reading, review

Nisha Small: The Knot of Gold

January 25, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Nisha Small (née Kutty) is the best detective in Madurai. And it’s time for her to compete with mustachioed detectives to catch the thaali thief. A missing thaali! That’s the knot of gold. But what does the word thaali mean to you? Different things depending on where you’re from. Or perhaps it means nothing at […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, C. G. Salamander, hOle books, Nisha Small, reading, review, The Knot of Gold

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