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...]
Lion of the Sky
I love historical fiction, and I love novels in verse. A middle-grade work of historical fiction in verse? I knew I wanted to read it. And Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani didn’t disappoint. Set in Sindh in August 1947, Lion of the Sky tells the story of Raj and his family, who are confused by all that is happening around them. On the one hand, India is soon to be independent. On the other hand, they hear that a line is going to be drawn through the nation, carving out a separate country for Muslims. Initially, Raj thinks that his best friend Iqbal will have to leave. Soon, however, he realises that it is not the Muslims who must leave Sindh, but the Hindus. Lion of the Sky is both heart-breaking and optimistic. When suspicions run high and we are inclined to think the worst of one another, what do we do? Do we hold on to love, kindness and hope, or do we grow angry and … [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...]
Beverly, Right Here
I never came across Kate DiCamillo’s work as a child. I haven’t read so many of her more famous books—not The Tale of Desperaux or Mercy Watson or any of those. I did read Because of Winn-Dixie with my book club, though, and we loved it! And now, I read Beverly, Right Here, another book that aches with tenderness and vulnerability. It takes a while to get into the story because Beverly, at the beginning, isn’t a likeable character. Life has taught her to shield herself from love because things you love go away. Like her dog Buddy. The story opens with her burying Buddy and deciding that there’s nothing left for her in her town. So she gets a ride—with someone she doesn’t like—and strides off into an unknown future with no plans and no money. And Beverly, right here, begins to discover herself. Determined not to commit to anything, Beverly refuses to think about anything … [Read more...]
Ammini Against the Storm
Ammini Against the Storm is a reflection of the world we live in, a world where the urban rich are immune to the raging storms that destroy the lives of the poor. Ammini’s parents work hard to send her to a private school so that she can rise above her circumstances and be something other than a farmer. Even as we learn about Ammini's family and their ambitions, we hear the wryness of the narrative voice. This is a system where the farmers, without whom we cannot survive, are on the bottom rung of the ladder, and the only way for them to survive is to climb. Through Ammini, we experience both anger and vulnerability. When everyone grows paddy, Ammini’s father gets a fraction of the expected price for his crop. Why shouldn’t he move to cash crops like everyone else? Why should he and the other farmers, rather than the rich elite, be responsible for maintaining the … [Read more...]
The Space We’re In
Have you ever read a review that describes a book as being “full of heart”? Katya Balen’s The Space We’re In is exactly that–a book full of heart. It bursts with love and emotion, raw and authentic. And the voice? Perfect. Ten-year-old Frank sometimes resents his brother Max. Max has changed everything with his humming and hand flapping and his meltdowns. (Frank has no idea why they’re called meltdowns, though, because there’s no melting in that rigid, furious body.) His mother has no time to paint, and she looks tired all the time. And yet, when Frank hates Max, he feels a surge of guilt, of shame. Because there’s so much to love about his little brother, about the way he shines with happiness and the way you never need to wonder what he’s feeling or thinking because he has no artifice. The Space We’re In navigates Frank’s feelings, and right through the book, I love that the … [Read more...]
Circus Mirandus
I remember the first time I came across the idea that you have to believe in magic for it to be real. I remember my skin tingling, and a kind of excited joy making my hair stand on end. That's the mood Circus Mirandus creates, although I'm no longer a child reading about magic for the first time. Micah's grandfather is dying, and it's on his deathbed that Micah learns something impossible: all the stories his grandfather told him about the magical Circus Mirandus are true. Micah's grandfather Ephraim really did go to a magical circus, and the Man Who Bends Light offered him a miracle. Ephraim saved the offer for a rainy day, and it's on his deathbed that he knows it's time. Time to ask the Lightbender for his miracle. Micah is sure that the miracle will save his beloved grandfather. But his great aunt Gertrudis wants nothing to do with those nonsensical stories. So Micah must … [Read more...]
The White Lotus
The White Lotus by Aditi Krishnakumar is a gripping work of historical fiction that, like the best kinds of stories, stays with you and makes you think. Layered and sensitive, it is perfectly paced, immersing you in the life and times of a village in south India in the early 20th century. Fourteen-year-old Arali is looking forward to a life with her husband Sundaram. He is everything she could want in a husband—gentle, caring, and honourable. When he dies the day before her life as Sundaram’s wife is set to begin, she is shattered. And from the pieces, a new Arali emerges—one who is brave, strong, and determined to seek out the truth. What I found most impressive about The White Lotus is how seamlessly the characters grow through the story. The Arali at the beginning of The White Lotus is an excited bride with no ambition beyond living with the man she’s grown to love. … [Read more...]
An Absence of Squirrels
A couple of years ago, I finally read The Giver, a book that students at my writing programme recommended to me time and again when we were studying dystopia, mythopoeia, fantasy ... almost anything, in fact. And that's the book that kept coming to mind as I read Aparna Kapur's An Absence of Squirrels. An Absence of Squirrels is a fantastical, dystopian story about a perfect leader who wants only the best for her perfect island. Once, however, she was compared to a squirrel, and ever since then she's hated those creatures. And that's why, the tooth-shaped island of Thutta is made even more idyllic by a complete absence of squirrels. In fact, even saying the word "squirrel" leads to memory erasure brought to you by a hat that assures you that the Captain is everything that is perfect. You can trust her. She knows what's good for the island. Enter Katli--or a profusion of Katlis, … [Read more...]
Unplugged
Jett is rich, spoiled, and used to getting his own way. When he takes his mischief-making too far, however, his father packs him off to a place called Oasis where he must live a life completely screen-free. Jett is incredulous. What kind of place is this, where mobile phones are surrendered before you enter? Who are these people who willingly go into boiling hot spring water, as if it is some sort of leisurely activity? Jett can't wait to get out, and perhaps if he behaves badly enough, he'll be sent away. As days pass, however, things begin to change. Oasis seems to be far murkier than Jett had imagined. But with his reputation as a troublemaker, the chances of him being believed are low. Unplugged by Gordon Korman is a wholesome read that, like so many of Andrew Clements's books, teaches us something without being an overtly preachy book. In some places, I did feel that the … [Read more...]
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