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 biased her friends are. They aren't even willing to give the books a shot! And when push comes to shove, she has to choose between her friends and her books. And she does.Set in a small village in Tamil Nadu, Chitti's story has much to offer. I loved the satirical comment on the only stories in the school library - moral stories! And not just moral stories, animal moral stories. Written by the principal. Of course. A set of five stories for the well-behaved, homework-loving child.Full of little details on reading, books, and falling in love with stories, I enjoyed … [Read more...]
Gupshup Goes to Prison
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 fun book it is. Featuring a boy, a cat, an amateur detective, and a pair of twins, it sparkles because of the characters. I love the twins Che and Guevara best of all! They're experts at getting the best deal in any given situation, and I could learn a thing or two from them. Khalid wants to find his cat? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara.Amateur detective Kodi wants a client? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara too. Smart and sassy, they're my favourite characters in the story, making me marvel and chuckle at their entrepreneurship.While being a fun story, Gupshup Goes to Prison is also … [Read more...]
My Favourite Chapter Books from 2022
Each year, I read dozens of chapter books for my book clubs. Despite that--or perhaps because of that--there were just three that I fell in love with in 2022. That is not to say I didn't like the books I read; I did. I enjoyed most of them thoroughly. Yet, as I looked back at all the books I read, three stand out. They're books I would read and reread even without a book club around the corner. Malhar in the MiddleMalhar in the Middle is a treat! For one, it's utterly relatable. For another, it's sweet without being cute. I love it so much that time and time again, I've referred to it during teacher training workshops, especially as art integration is a crucial part of teaching methodology. I like the names - Kedar and Malhar, I like the ideas, and I love the style of writing.Book activitiesPaati vs UNCLE Paati vs UNCLE is one book that I think I enjoyed even … [Read more...]
My Favourite Picture Books and Early Chapter Books from 2022
I love this exercise - of looking back at all the books I read and loved in the year that went by. This year, I found it even more difficult to distinguish between various age-groups. Longer picture books are like early chapter books; late middle-grade books are like early young adult books. And so, this year, I begin with two disclaimers.The first is my annual disclaimer: not all these books were published in 2022. Several were published earlier; I just read them in 2022.And the second: reading levels differ widely, so children read different books at different ages. Some of these books can be read by ages five and above. Others might be better for slightly older children. The Manic Panic I read The Manic Panic less than a month ago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There's so much to love about this book - the story, the very-responsible-protagonist, … [Read more...]
Gulgul in Jungalu
It's time to introduce another series to my book club - the Gulgul series! I wonder if the book is targeted at slightly younger readers than my book clubbers, but the number of things we can do with Gulgul in Jungalu prompted me to select it.Gulgul is mischievous, resourceful and friendly, the perfect protagonist of an adventure story. She must befriend not just elephant-like creatures, but also flippots, bluglugs and longfellows in order to help her mother Megha build a zingjuck that will shoot them into space where they will have phone coverage to call a spacecab!Full of wacky words and even wackier animals, Gulgul in Jungalu promises to keep my book clubbers giggling as we read. Space Travel Imagine you're travelling through space. What planet are you from? How do you travel? How old do you have to be to drive a space vehicle? What are your … [Read more...]
I Want a Pet
I've never met a child who has never in their life wanted a pet. Have you? But what if ... the pet isn't a cat or a dog or even a rabbit, but a buffalo?I absolutely loved Arundhati Venkatesh's brand-new Hook Book, I Want a Pet. Without any drama or explanation, we are sucked right into the tale. Jasbir wants a pet, he wants a pet, he wants a pet! And on cue, a talking buffalo storms into Jasbir's house, making his wish come true ... sort of.I chuckled and wondered at the hilarious story as I read page after page. Can a child really hide a buffalo in a house? The answer - a child can do anything, especially when it comes to keeping secrets from the adults of the house. And Jasbir is no different. As the his adventures proceed, though, I love how Jasbir discovers that siblings may not be better than pets, but they are certainly useful!Also, like every other Hook Book I've … [Read more...]
Secret Friends
I love Elizabeth Laird. And Secret Friends was another beautiful read, a heartbreaking story about wanting to fit in, but never quite managing it.Lucy is the first to tease Rafaella, and this is something she regrets right through her life. Rafaella has enormous ears, and Lucy, unthinkingly, coins the name 'Earwig', a name that sticks. When the coolest kids in school adopt the name, part of Lucy knows she should stop them. Why doesn't she? Why doesn't she stand up for Rafaella, who, she realises, is as fun and full of ideas as she is? Those are questions that Lucy finds she does not quite want to answer.So, the two girls remain secret friends. Lucy wants to fit in with the most popular girls, but she secretly likes Rafaella more. It's to Rafaella's house that she goes for tea, and with Rafaella that she does the most fun things. It's only when it's far too late that she … [Read more...]
The Boy Who Loved Birds
There's something special about Lavanya Karthik's Dreamers series. With so little, each book does so much!The Boy Who Loved Birds is about Salim Ali as a boy. What questions did he have? What led him to become a world-famous ornithologist?Like all the other books in the series, the illustrations in The Boy Who Loved Birds are gorgeous. Accompanied by simple text, the book invites us to keep turning the pages, following little Saloo as he searches for answers. Are there different kinds of sparrows? Can Saloo brave the Natural History Museum and find out?A lovely, slim book, The Boy Who Loved Birds is the perfect addition to a beautiful series.TitleThe Boy Who Loved BirdsAuthor and illustratorLavanya KarthikTagsBiography, Chapter Book, DreamersRating (out of 5)4.5Age-group6+ … [Read more...]
Yikes! Bikes!
We had so much fun with The Reading Race a few months ago that I was sure I wanted to do another book from the Ready, Freddy! series sooner or later. Yikes! Bikes! is perfect.The animal shelter in Freddy's town has organised a fundraiser, one that involves a Bike-a-thon. Max Sellars goads Freddy into making a bet with him, and the young protagonist rashly bets that he can ride more laps than the class bully. The problem? Freddy can't ride without training wheels yet and he has just two weeks to figure it out!Lighthearted and humorous, Yikes! Bikes!, like The Reading Race, allows us to do a lot as we read it together at my book club. The Hidden Fin As we read The Reading Race, everyone took part in a different sort of race - seeing who could find the word "fin" hidden in the pictures first! The protagonist Freddy loves sharks, so the word is hidden in … [Read more...]
The Shy Supergirl
When I launched my book club in December 2020, I began with a hOle book, Trouble with Magic by Asha Nehemiah, and somehow, that became a tradition. During each edition of my book club, the first book we read is a hOle book. This time, it's Shabnam Minwalla's The Shy Supergirl.The Shy Supergirl is such a lovely, lovely book! It captured my heart from the very first paragraph. Nina Merchant is a supergirl. She isn't strange; she's special. What's her superpower? That she can look at a person and tell what kind of person they actually are - nice or nasty, evil or kind. That's why she shrieks when she sees her father's boss, but loves the schoolbus driver, Singhji, who seems to be rather scary looking.This superpower comes in handy when there's a theft at Venus Towers! Who stole Mrs Khanna's priceless silver owl? Was it Nina's best friend Buggy's cunning cousins? Or Mrs Khanna's nephew … [Read more...]