Have you ever read a book that was not at all "your" kind of book, but you ended up enjoying it anyway? The 13-Storey Treehouse was exactly that, for me. It was a gentle reminder that I never know what my "kind" of book is until I read it.Why was it not my kind of book?Two reasons immediately come to mind.One, I don't like books with so many pictures unless they're picture books.Two, I often don't like the kind of humour we find in The 13-Storey Treehouse.Why did I pick it up?One huge reason: children love it. When I conducted workshops for the British Council's Big Friendly Read Reading Challenge, everyone's favourite book was The 13-Storey Treehouse. This was several years ago, but the number of children who said it was the best book in the collection made me remember the title and look out for it.Even when I picked it up, I … [Read more...]
The Elephant Thief
The Elephant Thief was one of those books that I would have loved to read as a child, and thoroughly enjoyed as an adult. At the back of the book, there are three words that describe it - animal, adventure and thrilling. I think the first two sum up the book perfectly. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was thrilling, but it certainly was exciting.The twists and turns in the plot were sometimes surprising and sometimes predictable. As always, more than twisting plots, characters drew me in. The special relationship in this book is the one that blossoms between the street-urchin-turned-prince Danny and the elephant Maharajah. I am not at all a fan of elephants being domesticated - elephants belong in the wild. But then, this is historical fiction, loosely based on fact, so I couldn't really complain. I enjoyed the book!Additionally, The Elephant Thief was a quick read … [Read more...]
So Many Books, So Little Time!
I've been reading so many lovely books that I think it's finally time to write about them. When I am on a train with co-passengers I don't want to talk to (which is 99.999% of the time), I end up reading almost throughout the journey. And when it's a 20-hour journey ...Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is what I would call an important book. Whenever I'm choosing a book to recommend to a child, I want to choose the right book. And sometimes, the 'right' book is not one that I personally enjoy. I recommend Agatha Christie, though I don't like mysteries much. I recommend Percy Jackson, though I didn't enjoy the stories I read much. Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is like that. A child's take on depression, it speaks of simplicity and the importance of being non-judgmental. What would you do if your father suddenly became depressed? Would you think that the terrible yoot has got … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge Workshops at MIT Gurukul
Six workshops with six different batches. Six hours of workshopping, one session after another. And it was so much fun!MIT Gurukul is using a mixed bunch of reading challenge books this year. Some children are reading Space Hop, some Creepy House, and some The Big Friendly Read. So, beginning with Grade V, I decided to move away from all the stories they've been reading, and I read out Bholu and the Thief, followed by a word puzzle. The children read, participated ... And absolutely loved the Word Search!With Prep-II, I read out a delightful book by Sir Quentin Blake - The Five of Us.Angie can see very well even from a distance. Ollie, who wears round dark glasses, can hear very well. Simona and Mario (who happens to be in a wheelchair) can lift ridiculously heavy things. And Eric ... I won't tell you what makes him amazing! Participative, enthusiastic children … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at Indus International School
"The circus has come to Pune!""Yes, and it can fly!""Yes, and there are gymnasts jumping from the ceiling!""Yes, and there is a flying unicorn!""Yes, and there are singing koalas!""Yes, and the tiger can bark!""Yes, and the dogs are miaowing!"I love playing 'Yes, and ...' with children. They are just so imaginative. We created a crazy circus together, full of dancing dragonflies, flying kangaroos and a robot or two thrown in.With the older children, we spoke about animal rights and bullying, with one group presenting a very balanced idea of the circus - as entertainment, as a home for strays, and as a nightmare for wild animals.I ended with a story from The Story-Catcher, "The Circus Boy", which led to a lovely conversation about child labour and bullying."How many of you have never been bullied?" I asked.Not one child raised a hand."How many of you can honestly say … [Read more...]
What animal are you?
Have you ever played Chinese Pictionary? I used it as part of my junior workshop for the British Library's Reading Challenge this year. It's a combination of Chinese Whispers and Pictionary, and it promises to be hilarious. Especially with young children, or people who cannot draw, it becomes a crazy game that is loads of fun.Here's how it goes.The first child got this chit:He had to draw it, and this is what he drew:(In his defence, he's not even seven years old) The next child looked at the picture and tried to guess what it was. She thought it was this:The next child saw just this word and tried to draw it. This is what he drew:And the last child had to guess what it was. She guessed it was this:Each time I play this with children, it's just so much fun! Here's another one:And another: … [Read more...]
Solve the Mystery!
Of all the workshops I conduct, the ones at the British Library remain special. Maybe it's because that's where it all began. For the Animal Agents Reading Challenge, I conducted my first pair of workshops at the new premises. Logic, imagination and laughter are such a delicious combination!For the seniors, I conducted a session called Solve the Mystery! The children began by being detectives themselves. Each one took on an alias. Then, by asking one question to each other participant, they had to figure out who was who. Everyone was unmasked quite rapidly - we have many detectives in the making!What was most fun was the logic puzzles. Based on three or four clues, they had to solve puzzles I gave them. I was astounded by how quickly they did it!The workshop for the younger ones was fun in completely different ways. Will put up that story soon! … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at the British Library
I can't believe that this is the fifth year that I'm conducting workshops for the British Library's Reading Challenge! I began with ...Then came the challenge that probably has my favourite set of books:I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops in my third year with the Reading Challenge:With Dahl, you can't go wrong, so of course the challenge last year was exciting:And now, for this year, we have:I've read a few of the Animal Agents books, and they were good fun. I'm all set for my workshops this Saturday too - puzzles, games, creative writing ... Here's a sneak peek of what we're going to do.How many animals can you find? All the hints will be put up after the workshop! … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at Clover Dale, Aurangabad
I put a ten-rupee coin into the bubblegum machine Soon, bubblegums flew out and hit my head! For a moment, I wondered; then I realised That I'd put a hundred-rupee coin into the machine instead! - adapted from a poem written in about seven minutes by one of the participants at yesterday's workshop.* *If anyone who reads this knows the name of the writer, please share it in the comments below!I love the Reading Challenge, and The Big Friendly Read is among my favourite themes."Could you name a book you enjoyed?" I asked. "Grrr," replied a serious-faced young participant. For a moment, there was silence; then everyone burst out laughing. "I've read it too!" cried one. "Me too!" "Me too!" "I liked No!" said another. "No!"Laughter and madness go hand-in-hand when we explore Roald Dahl, a range of other stories in the collection, and Sir Quentin … [Read more...]
How to Capture an Invisible Cat
Yes, I picked it up because of its name. No surprise there. Wouldn't you pick up a book that seemed like a guidebook to capturing an invisible cat? I'm sure you don't know how to do it, and who knows when you'll need to?How to Capture an Invisible Cat was a funny book, one that was funny enough for me not to read it in public so as not to appear crazy. More importantly, there were lots of parts that were my kind of humour. I'm not a big fan of slapstick comedy, or "disgusting-therefore-funny". I love word play, sarcasm and cleverness. And that's why I loved How to Capture an Invisible Cat.No one suspects that Nate is a genius. His classmates think he's one of those quiet nerds, definitely not the kind of person they want to mix with. When Nate's dog Bosper smells something special about Delphine, Nate puts on a fancy scientific dog-nose--and smells it … [Read more...]