Adventure on Wheels is such a rollicking read! The book opens with two thieves stealing a van that belongs to an orphanage. The theft itself is simple enough, but when they discover three children hiding in the van, they’re up against more than they’d bargained for. At once heart-warming and hilarious, Adventure on Wheels is a fun […]
My Year in Writing: 2021
The year 2020 was such a boost to me as a writer! With a poem published by OUP, a picture book, a chapter book, a middle-grade book and a collection of short stories, how could 2021 even hope to compete? Even so, with two publications, an award shortlist, a book going into reprint and tons of […]
My Father’s Dragon
I rarely choose to read classics at my book club, and My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett is, without doubt, a classic. I’m waiting for those wide-eyed comments about it having been published in NINETEEN FORTY-EIGHT! But this is one of those classics that I’m convinced will be good fun to read with my book club. […]
The School is Alive!
This is the first time I will be reading a spooky book with my book club for ages seven and eight! One of the British Council reading challenge themes was Creepy House, so I’ve worked extensively with slightly scary stories for all age-groups, but because it was never one of my go-to genres as a […]
Paati Goes Viral
Paati Goes Viral by Prabhu Vishwanathan is such a sweet book! At my reading programme, I like to begin with a short book because it gives us the time to get to know one another and warm up. Also, when the book is short, we have more time for activities! Dhruv’s grandparents are excited about travelling, […]
Peanut vs the Piano
Peanut is such a lovely character! Peanut thought she enjoyed playing the piano. But with piano exams around the corner, piano practice is just one more thing added to an endless list of things she has to do when she would rather play outdoors. Soon, she begins to think of the piano as a big, […]
A Very Naughty Dragon
I love Paro Anand’s books, and when I learned that she had collaborated with a nine-year-old girl to write a book, I was intrigued. As a teacher and creative writing trainer, I’ve read many stories that children have written. Some are excellent, others not so much. A Very Naughty Dragon? I had to read it to […]
Reva and Prisha
A chapter book featuring a family that has two mothers? Yes, please! The moment I saw that Funky Rainbow had Reva and Prisha by Shals Mahajan in stock, I emailed them. I ended up buying six other books too, but that’s another story. I loved this book! Like Timmi in Tangles, Reva and Prisha is […]
WeirDo
What’s the best kind of surprise? An unexpected book in the mail! Last week, I ordered books from KoolSkool and Funky Rainbow. The following day, I received a message saying that my shipment from Scholastic India was on its way. I was puzzled, but I let it go. I don’t know how things work.Except that […]
Muggie Maggie
I promised to write about the books that I don’t end up using at my reading programmes because they aren’t easily available – and Muggie Maggie is at the top of the list. I’ve read barely anything by Beverly Cleary. She was somehow one of those famous authors whom I never encountered as a child. […]
Granny Ting Ting
Let’s be honest. I picked this book up because of the name. Granny Ting Ting. I didn’t know anything about the book. I read the title and looked at the cover image–and bought the book. Every two months, I buy a set of chapter books. I love that I do this for work! I need […]
Rattu & Poorie’s Adventures in History: 1857
A book about a pair of sisters, where the protagonist is the younger sister … of course I was intrigued! Additionally, historical fiction has attracted me for a while, and I have come across very little in the genre for seven and eight-year-olds. Rattu & Poorie’s Adventures in History: 1857, shortlisted for the Neev Book Award […]
Rise of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Masters #1)
I love introducing children to book series. It’s heartwarming to see children come back to a subsequent edition of my reading programme bursting with excitement because they’re reading the next book of a series to which I introduced them! It’s happened with the hOle books, Amelia Bedelia, the A to Z Mysteries, Moin and the […]
No Nonsense Nandhini
What do you do when circumstances force you to let go of your dream? You create another dream. And another. And another. Hold on to your sense of humour and don’t give up.At least, that’s Nandhini’s way. No Nonsense Nandhini, shortlisted for the Neev Book Award for Junior Readers 2021, is a book about resilience, […]
Cricket for the Crocodile
I launched my online reading programme for ages seven and eight in December last year, which means that this is the sixth edition of the programme. Each time, I’ve focused on Indian books – books written by Indians, published in India or set in India – usually all three. On the whole, I’ve tried to […]
A Big Splash
Dhivya loves swimming.But when her brother nearly drowns, she isn’t allowed to swim in the lake anymore. Dhivya enjoys playing cricket with her friends.But they don’t seem to want to play with her anymore. Now what? A Big Splash is a sensitively told story about a thirteen-year-old who blossoms not just into a champion swimmer, […]
The Vampire Boy
The Vampire Boy by Sharanya Deepak is another delightful hOle book – quirky and unique. The government has decided that all children – including young vampires – must go to school. What is Kristofer to do? He knows he will be shunned, but off he goes, only to meet with curiosity and bullying. In a way […]
House of Uncommons
We all know about the House of Commons. What could the House of Uncommons be? I didn’t want to read up about the book to find out, so I picked it up and dived right in. The book started slowly, and I frowned as I read about Krishnan travelling with his Chikkappa to Snehagao. I […]
Pinkoo Shergill – Pastry Chef
Two days ago, at my reading programme, we discussed portmanteau words – words created by combining existing words. The children came up with words like roli (a rose and a lily) and brellow (brown and yellow). I must introduce them to Pinkoo Shergill next, with his delightful portmanteau words! Fabtastic! Wowmazing! Spectaculous! Just like those […]
A Pinch of Magic
Asha Nehemiah’s Trouble with Magic was the very first book we read at my very first reading programme. And I loved it. So, when I learned that after all these years, there was a sequel … Writing a sequel to a lovely book is challenging, even more challenging than writing a new book–because there are […]