I love historical fiction, and I love novels in verse. And I love Sarah Crossan's books. When all three come together, the chances of my not liking the book are very low! I've read two books (that I remember) about the potato famine in Ireland - Esty's Gold and Twist of Gold. They were both powerful stories, just like Where the Heart Should Be.When people are torn apart, when families die, when the divide between the rich and the poor continues to grow, what is morality? What must we do when the law is on the side of the mighty instead of on the side of the right? And worst of all, where do our loyalties lie when we fall in love?Nell is educated. She loves poetry and can quote it, both in Irish and in English. In fact, she always has a book of poems with her. Even so, she can be nothing better than a scullery maid in the Big House, the house that Lord Wicken rules with an iron … [Read more...]
In the Beautiful Country
Verse novels are beautiful. I love how sparse and hard-hitting they are, and I've been reading them all the more because I've been writing verse too. Uncontrollable came out last year, and Fishbowl will be out later this year. But I read In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo because it's on the required reading list for a workshop that I'm excited to attend later this year. I'm honoured to have received a Highlights Foundation scholarship for an online workshop of my choice, and I've chosen one on revising my verse novel. In the Beautiful Country is the first book I've read for the workshop!The United States of America is the beautiful country. At least, that's what it is called in Taiwan, which is where Anna, aka Ai Shi, is from. But is it a beautiful country when she cannot understand what her schoolmates are saying? Is it a beautiful country when she is teased and bullied for … [Read more...]
How to Win an Election: A Most Unreliable Guide
It's voting season, the best time to read How to Win an Election: A Most Unreliable Guide! I would argue, however, that any time is a good time to read the book because it's hilarious, light, and fun.When Sachin is disqualified from standing for the middle school elections, he does the next best thing. He becomes the campaign manager for his best friend Mini. He comes up with the best ideas. Taco Tuesday! A new snazzy name for Mini--eM! A rap song!Unfortunately, someone is out to sabotage their campaign. A lizard--whose species Sachin recognises--soils a competitor's nomination papers. A rap song maligning another candidate is written on the bathroom mirror. Everything is carefully chosen to frame Mini and Sachin, right up to the time that Mini is disqualified too.The duo must clear their names, and they engage in undercover spying, a little bit of lying, and a chase to … [Read more...]
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Recently, I reread The Girl Who Drank the Moon and then looked through my blog to see what I'd written about it the first time I read it. That's when I realised I hadn't written about it at all! It's such a gorgeous read that I have no idea how I skipped writing about it!As often happens with me, I was drawn to the book by its gorgeous cover. And when I started reading, I was enchanted. Detailed world-building, intricate plotting and a delightful balance of seriousness and humour come together in this middle-grade work of fantasy. Most of all, though, I love how poetic and beautiful it is.The Protectorate is always shrouded in a fog of sorrow. This is because every year, on the Day of Sacrifice, the youngest child is given up to appease the Witch in the Woods. No one knows why the Witch wants babies. But everyone knows that if the Witch is not appeased, she will destroy the … [Read more...]
Twitch
Often, I read books like Twitch with a very clear agenda in mind--to decide whether to read it with my book club. One chapter in, and I was sure I would not. The beginning seemed rather too violent for me to read with a group online, when I cannot necessarily gauge how each child is reacting to it. It's a terrible scene, which comes alive with a graphic description of how a group of bullies would kill a pigeon.The next chapter seemed equally violent, but by then, I was sucked into the story. And soon, there was no stopping me. I read on and on, enjoying the pace, the descriptions and the style of the story. I love the gentleness of the narrative, and the fact that it lets the reader fully experience the poetry and beauty of nature. Twitch, the protagonist, is a sensitive, observant character, who makes us listen to the dawn chorus as the birds around him awake. He makes us feel the … [Read more...]
Journey to the River Sea
I read Journey to the River Sea years ago, probably over a decade ago. I loved it so much that it featured on my list of all-time favourite books for a long time. Eventually, I realised that even though I still thought about it as one of my favourites, I didn't quite remember the story. I remembered all the emotions I felt when I read it, but the story? I just had a hazy idea. It was time to reread it.And I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. Maia's guardian Mr Murray has been hunting for relatives who will take the child in ever since her parents died. When he finds distant relatives of hers in the Amazon, she is ecstatic. She reads up about the Amazon and imagines all kinds of wonderful things about her family. Instead, she finds two very English girls who hate everything that's not English and are terrified of going out into the jungle.As Maia quickly gets … [Read more...]
The Henna Start-Up
A determined protagonist, a family that's willing to change, and characters that evolve through the story--what's not to like?Abir Maqsood of The Henna Start-Up by Andaleeb Wajid is an imperfect, gritty character, the kind that never fails to make me smile. She is fuelled by her determination to get justice and to stand up for her mother and for herself. Fragile egos, annoying classmates and an overprotective family are obstacles she must overcome for she knows discrimination when she sees it, and she isn't one to take it lying down. She scorns the pampered, protected lives that her friend Keerthi and arch-enemy Arsalan lead. She knows they live in their own beautiful bubbles, and she holds her head high in the knowledge that her classmates are clueless about the reality of the world, unlike her ... until she is forced to accept that she's guilty of being more than a little … [Read more...]
My Favourite Late Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books from 2023
As usual, I begin my list of favourite young adult books wishing I had read more YA last year. Yes, I loved these books, but once more, I hope to read more young adult in 2024! Schooled Schooled is such a delightful read, featuring a quirky, fun character.I read many negative reviews about the book, which spoke of how it perpetuates stereotypes of homeschooled children not knowing how to behave in social settings, but that wasn't how I read the book at all! I made no generalisations about homeschoolers or, indeed, hippies, as I read--I enjoyed the book for what it was, a heartwarming story about a character I was rooting for! Book review The District Cup The District Cup recently won the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival prize for children's fiction, an award for which my Dhara's Revolution was shortlisted too! … [Read more...]
My Favourite Middle-Grade Books from 2023
It's only when I began writing this post that I noticed that most (six out of seven) of my favourite middle-grade reads from 2023 have blue covers! How odd!I made a conscious effort to read more middle-grade books this year, also because I want to write more middle grade. It's an age-group I enjoy interacting with, and I want more MG literature that moves and changes me, urging me to read on. Here are the books that I read and loved in 2023. An Alien in the Jam Factory I read this wacky book at the end of November 2023, and I loved it so much that it's going to be part of the February 2024 edition of Read, Write, Explore. An Alien in the Jam Factory is a book that I think most children can identify with, even though the protagonist is a genius who meets an alien, a situation that most children cannot identify with. What makes me feel it has … [Read more...]