The year 2023 was remarkably kind to me as an author. It was a year full of lit fests, school visits, and, most importantly, new stories! UncontrollableWhat can I say about Uncontrollable, my first verse novel?'Addictive.''Unputdownable.''Ambitious and original.'I keep going back and reading all these heart-warming emails I've received about it.Yes, it is ambitious. It is a middle-grade fantasy in verse. In November 2023, I was shortlisted for the Neev Literature Festival fellowship. During the interview, I met six children's literature experts, and they mentioned how they'd hunted for other examples of fantasy written in verse ... and had drawn a blank.They thought of Odder by Katherine Applegate, but it isn't really fantasy; the protagonist is an animal, but the book is realistic fiction nonetheless.So maybe, Uncontrollable is really one of its kind. It's both terrifying and … [Read more...]
A Pinch of Magic
We've read Trouble with Magic at my book club; it's time to read the sequel! A Pinch of Magic is a fun read, full of surprises. I read and reviewed the book some time ago, and I'm excited to be introducing it to my book clubbers. Here's what we'll do with it. Innovative Address One of the first things that made me chuckle as I read A Pinch of Magic was the Maha Guru's highly accurate address. And this leads us to our first activity. How would you write your address if you did it in a similar fashion?I love linking screen time with the world around us. Looking around them, I want the children to tell me: what tree is closest to them? What is the shape of tree near the gate? How tall is the tree at the end of the lane? Together, we'll create an innovative address for each one of us! Label Design We thoroughly enjoyed creating different kinds … [Read more...]
Crackers
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 written--about a group of children making a magazine together!A fun story about two rival groups, I was drawn into the urgent sense of indignation the characters feel as they try to outdo one another. Quite early on, I found myself frowning at the gender stereotypes, so I went back to see when the book was published--1990. While I would hesitate to recommend a modern book that perpetuates stereotypes, I might just read Crackers with my book club, if only to discuss whether these ideas have changed. It's a side-effect of running book clubs right through the year, but I couldn't help … [Read more...]
The Big Bad Fight
I just finished reading The Big Bad Fight written by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Kruttika Susarla, and what a lovely book it is!We all know what it is like to be an angry child. The injustice of a game like Snakes and Ladders! The unfairness of a sore loser! We get upset, angry and annoyed, and it is all these emotions that rile us up.Anna and Kichu are fast friends, but when they have a big, bad fight, they don't quite know how to make up. For quite a while, they don't. But eventually, they must find a way to get together again, and my favourite thing about the book is that they do it without adults' interference.The Big Bad Fight shies clear away from being cute. (I've written multiple times about not liking stories that are cute. Cuteness appeals to nostalgic adults, not to children.) It is full of big emotions, energy, and action, which come together in the best … [Read more...]
Kolam Kanna
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 the story, I could not help thinking of a little boy I met in Perani (near Puducherry) ten years ago. He won't be so little anymore, but I remember his bright eyes and his curiosity. His name? Tamilbarathi.( I liked him so much that he features in my story "Dragonflies and Tablets" in Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells.) Vibha's descriptions and Jemma Jose's illustrations made me imagine Bharathi, the kolam kanna of the story, in the same way.Breaking Stereotypes A boy who likes drawing kolams? Yes, please. A girl who likes to play cricket? Yes, please. And ideas brought together in … [Read more...]
Gobi Goes Viral
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. Being bullied, however, is not the only problem Gopi faces at Primrose Academy. Even though he has got admission thanks to the RTE act, the hidden charges—for school books and the like—are crippling. If he does not pay his dues by the end of the week, he has no choice but to leave.Like the best of children’s stories, this is where a friend comes in—one who does not save the day, but instead helps Gopi save the day. Gopi’s life is worlds apart from Pari’s, but as they get to know each other, they make a plan, one that may just end up working out very differently from what they … [Read more...]
The Paper Plane Flew
Don't you love stories that come full circle? As an adult reader, I was waiting to see how the paper plane that flew would come all the way back to Mithi because it had to, didn't it? Even so, the last line of the story delighted me. Yes, I expected the last line to be The paper plane flew. Yet, the way the paper plane flew was utterly unexpected.As a child, I loved songs like 'There's a hole in my bucket' and stories about bad coins that come back to wicked people who deliberately tried to palm coins off. The Paper Plane Flew would have been one such favourite. The best part of the story is when an elephant eats the paper plane and poops it out, only to have the dung picked up and converted into paper. I had a diary made of elephant dung too, and oh! The possibilities!Like all the other Hook Books, I love the way the text plays with the illustrations. Each time the paper plane … [Read more...]
Trunk Call for Ajju
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 about animals touches the heart of every child, and that's what made me love Trunk Call for Ajju.Have you ever met a child who would not want to do something to help a distressed elephant in Zimbabwe? Even if said child has no idea where Zimbabwe is, I cannot imagine a child who would not help an elephant if they could! Enter Ajju, who sees that his beloved Kini Maasi is out of sorts. It has nothing to do with him, but he soon pries out the reason--Molly, an orphaned baby elephant in Zimbabwe, needs care. The problem with needing care is that care costs money. … [Read more...]
Pinkoo Shergill: Pastry Chef
When the publishers sent me a review copy of Pinkoo Shergill: Pastry Chef, I devoured it. Even as I read it, I knew I wanted to introduce it to my book club soon. The only question I had was as to whether to introduce it to ages seven and eight, or nine and ten. Ultimately, I chose the latter for several reasons. For one, there's so much we can do with the book in terms of creative writing! For another, it's rather longer than the books I usually read at my book club for seven and eight-year-olds, so I felt I would not be able to do it justice with younger readers.Pinkoo's story is filled with a sense of urgency, which makes it a pacy read. I like the characters, the storyline and the telling - what more do I need?Here's what we will do with the book at my reading programme. Portmanteau Words We've worked with portmanteau words at my book club for the … [Read more...]
Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter
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 a duty. They must get him to confess, no matter what it takes. That's the only way they can save him from a life of crime.Humorous and fun, Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter has that element of silliness that I know my book club will enjoy. Here's what we'll do as we read it. Book Cover The episode featured on the cover of Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter is probably my favourite part of the book. It's as mad as it looks, and so, I'm going to begin by asking the children what they think is happening there. Is that ... an egg? What are the boys doing?And with all the hypotheses my book … [Read more...]