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Varsha Seshan

The 13-Storey Treehouse

July 6, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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? […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Andy Griffiths, Big Friendly Read, reading, reading challenge, review, Terry Denton, The 13-Storey Treehouse

The Elephant Thief

June 4, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Animal Agents, British Library, reading, reading challenge, review

So Many Books, So Little Time!

January 16, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Animal Agents, British Library, reading, reading challenge, review

Reading Challenge Workshops at MIT Gurukul

January 8, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Bholu and the Thief, British Library, railway adventures, reading, reading challenge, storytelling, The Big Friendly Read, workshop

Reading Challenge at Indus International School

December 13, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

“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 […]

Filed Under: Children, Workshops Tagged With: British Library, bullying, Circus Stars, reading, reading challenge, story-catcher, workshop

What animal are you?

December 11, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Children, Workshops Tagged With: Animal Agents, British Library, reading, reading challenge, workshop

Solve the Mystery!

December 10, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Children, Workshops Tagged With: Animal Agents, British Library, reading, reading challenge

Reading Challenge at the British Library

December 4, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Animal Agents, British Library, reading, reading challenge, workshop

Reading Challenge at Clover Dale, Aurangabad

August 21, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Aurangabad, British Library, Clover Dale, reading, reading challenge, The Big Friendly Read

How to Capture an Invisible Cat

November 27, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: British Library, reading, reading challenge, review, The Big Friendly Read

You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus

November 14, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

It’s Children’s Day; what better time to celebrate a picture book I loved? You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus is one of the books in this year’s Reading Challenge collection, and I loved it! I enjoy picture books that rhyme. I also enjoy whacky books that don’t have a hidden agenda – to teach, preach, […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: British Library, reading, reading challenge, review, The Big Friendly Read

The Reading Challenge is Back!

November 10, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Reading Challenge is back at the British Library, Pune, and this time, the theme is ‘The Big Friendly Read’! Celebrating 100 years of Roald Dahl, we have a lovely collection of books as usual. Many feature Dahl characters that I fell in love with as a child, and of course, many others with the […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Big Friendly Read, British Library, reading, reading challenge

Reading Challenge at MIT Gurukul

September 8, 2016 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

Going back to a school at which I was once a teacher was a whole new experience for me! Despite all the reasons I quit, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I walked around the school. This time, I was not there an employee, but as an independent trainer from the British Council. Going to […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: mythical maze, reading, reading challenge, Record Breakers, review

The Great Cheese Robbery

July 22, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Lots of books on my blog this week: that’s what happens when I do a workshop for the British Library’s Reading Challenge! The Great Cheese Robbery was a delightful picture book that brought back memories of Disney’s “Dumbo”. I remember the first time I watched “Dumbo” and saw the elephants shriek at the sight of a […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: reading, reading challenge, Record Breakers, review

The Paper Dolls

July 21, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I love Julia Donaldson! I came across her work for the first time when I read and watched The Gruffalo’s Child. Then, I read Running on the Cracks – a completely different book for a completely different audience. And now, as part of the Record Breakers Reading Challenge, I read The Paper Dolls, first by myself and then […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: reading, reading challenge, Record Breakers, review

Reading Challenge at MGM Clover Dale

July 19, 2016 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

The Imagination Box, which I wrote about yesterday, as well as the books I’ll be writing about in the days ahead, were part of the Reading Challenge organised by the British Library. As always, I enjoyed myself thoroughly conducting a series of workshops at MGM Clover Dale High School in Aurangabad. The theme for their Reading Challenge […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: British Library, reading, reading challenge, Record Breakers

The Imagination Box

July 18, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Isn’t the name wonderful? The Imagination Box is the story of a boy called Tim, who has convinced himself that all he needs in life are his pencil and paper (and some confectionery would do no harm). Recently adopted, he knows that all the papers have been signed, but cannot help thinking of his new home […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: reading, reading challenge, Record Breakers, review

Record Breakers at Cathedral Vidya School

May 11, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Another set of Reading Challenge workshops came to an end yesterday. This time, the theme was ‘Record Breakers’, and the school that took it on was Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala. Working with fifteen bright children from classes five to eight filled me with joy! Lipograms and pangrams brought much hilarity … The activity started in all seriousness and then […]

Filed Under: Children, Workshops Tagged With: British Library, Cathedral Vidya School, reading challenge, Record Breakers, workshop

Reading and Writing Workshops at SGI, Kolhapur!

April 28, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

A chart about a rain god

I spent three days at Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Kolhapur, and conducted a series of reading and writing workshops with 204 children as part of the British Library’s Reading Challenge programme. We worked on myths from around the world, read aloud Fragoline and the Midnight Dream and George and the Dragon, played with idioms, wrote stories … What fun it […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: British Library, reading challenge, workshop

Reading Challenge at Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School

February 18, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Today was the closing ceremony of the Reading Challenge Programme at Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School. Look at all the proud faces! I conducted two workshops for the children: one on idioms, the other on myths from different parts of the world. During the first one, we solved a crossword puzzle, played team games differentiating between idioms and proverbs, and […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: mythical maze, reading challenge

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