How does one write about a book like Mules that Fall from the Sky? As adults, we often feel the need to shelter children from anything disturbing or difficult. I wonder, though, whether it’s because we don’t want to think about these things, rather than for any other reason.Mules that Fall from the Sky is a collection of stories about animals during the war. Of course, having read Michael Morpurgo and others as a child, some of these ideas weren't new to me. Yet, Mules that Fall from the Sky forces you to take off any remnants of rose-tinted glasses you may have and see things for what they were. What happened to animals during the war? How were they treated? What about dogs that were donated to the war effort? What happened to them?This is not a book you can sit and read at one sitting simply because it is too distressing. Yet, I found myself wondering, would I have read it as … [Read more...]
Mini’s Questions
We read Mini's Books a while ago, and it was fun! As a couple of book clubbers who read it with me have already signed up for the February 2025 edition, I decided to read another book from the series. The familiarity of characters always makes for a fun reading experience!Children have more questions than adults can answer, and soon enough, adults get fed up of answering their endless questions. But what if questions can help solve a mystery? Would parents sit up and take notice? Like the rest of the Mini series, Mini's Questions is a simple, early reader chapter book that brings pictures and text together in an engaging way! Questions Often, when I ask children if they have any questions, they have none. But what about if I give them a picture and a few guiding questions? Let's see what other questions they have! A curious mind leads to all … [Read more...]
Mini’s Books
Books about books are always a joy to read at my book club! We're reading In the Woof of Time at my reading programme for ages nine and ten and Mini's Books at the one for ages seven and eight.Anyone who grew up on Enid Blyton wanted to eat scones, crumpets and treacle. I was one of them, and so, this book is all the more believable. Mini wants to eat the food the Big Little Monsters in the books she reads eat. And through her summer holidays, she slowly learns more and more about these monsters--and discovers all the surprising consequences of reading books! Thanks to her stories, she makes a friend, becomes a detective, learns to entertain herself and even starts to cook! Monster Stories I love monster stories! The wonderful thing about monsters is that they can take any form whatsoever. They can be tiny or huge, friendly or ferocious. … [Read more...]
What Happened to Grandpa
Books spark discussion. As a book club facilitator, I know only too well how a story can lead to conversations about fear, wonder, belonging and so much more. And that is why it's delightful to see an increasing number of books touch upon themes that help with difficult conversations.Several years ago, I read Where's Grandma?, a poignant picture book (though aimed at older readers) about a child's relationship with a grandparent diagnosed with Alzheimer's. With my book club three years ago, I read Flying with Grandpa, another book that explores a similar relationship. The conversation that followed was lovely!And now, I just finished reading What Happened to Grandpa, which I loved.Big themes in deceptively simple books always make for gorgeous reads, and this picture book by Nandini Nayar fits the bill perfectly. As a creative writing educator, I also often look at books … [Read more...]
The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop
Ghosts, suspense, smart children and the most delicious-sounding foods come together in The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop by Nandini Nayar. Vishnudas Mithaiwala owns The Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop, and everything seems to be fine--until two children turn up claiming to be his estranged sister's child! Whom should Vishnu believe? Whom should we believe? And more, what can we make of the fact that Laddoo begins to see ghosts in the house?I enjoyed reading this book about rivalry and teamwork, secrets and emotion. It'll be fun reading it with my book club too! The Recipe Book The Recipe Book is a family heirloom belonging to the owners of The Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop. In reality too, each family's food is unique. Let's find out about what foods we enjoy!The best part about an online programme is the fact that children sign up from all over … [Read more...]
The Great River Magic
The Great River Magic by Nandini Nayar is one of those books with a message, not usually an obvious choice for me to read at my book club. Yet, as I read this book, I was charmed by the premise. I love stories about families, family traditions, and the ways in which people follow or break them. The Great River Magic touches upon all this!Sangeeta - whom her grandmother insists on calling Gita - is the firstborn child. In the village of Rajpur, this means that she must take over the family business. What if she doesn't want to? That's just one part of the mess that Rajpur is in. Rajpur is famous for its wonderful, top-quality products of all kinds, but of late, people have been complaining about odd smells and inferior production. Sangeeta and her siblings must use their skills to investigate. Together, they find the courage to stand up to the adults and set things … [Read more...]
Mini’s Money
Sometimes, when I pick up a book for children, I wonder, "What would I have thought of this as a child?" Mini's Money would probably have appealed to me, but what really made me stop and think was the idea of colouring the story. Colouring in a book was a strict no for me, but would this series have changed that?Perhaps it would, for I enjoyed the book!Mini's Money is an early chapter book, perfect for voracious young readers. Many 5- and 6-year-old readers have already moved beyond short, 32-page picture books full of colour. They want more story, but pictures remain comforting. The theme of the book needs to be child-friendly and age-appropriate too, for their experience of the world is limited, even if their reading ability is greater than that of other children their age. In that sense, Mini's Money is ideal.Mini is young and naive, not yet equipped to understand how … [Read more...]