How well can you imitate bird calls? I used to (and sometimes still do!) imitate cuckoos, parakeets, bulbuls, and lapwings. But would you mistake me for a bird? Probably not.However, on Henry Island, the Secret Songsters must accurately imitate birds so that tourists don't complain that the island is now devoid of birdsong. Unfortunately, Ritu can never get it right. The other songsters make fun of her, but worst of all, one day, she gets mistaken for an ostrich!Ritu needs to show the curious tourist an ostrich ... or confess that she was the ostrich, reveal the identity of the Secret Songsters, and be responsible for the end of tourism on Henry Island. Or perhaps she can find a third solution altogether, one that could lead to the best possible results.Ostrich Girl is a slim chapter book that touches upon a range of big themes, including the environment and the ethics of … [Read more...]
Strangus Derangus
Strangus Derangus & Other Adventures of Little Shambu is another book that I enjoyed hot off the press. It's a collection of short stories, perfect for my book club because we can read three full stories together in class, leaving the other three for the children to read on their own. Role Play There's nothing like role play to help children understand how dialogue and all its complicated rules work! When we read The Reading Race and Yikes! Bikes!, I realised that although children love role play, many of them take a little time to figure out who's saying what. By the end of it, though, everyone enjoys it tremendously.Strangus Derangus & Other Adventures of Little Shambu is dialogue-rich, making it perfect for an activity of this sort! Exhibition In the story "Strangus Derangus", Little Shambu sets up an exhibition of interesting … [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...]
By Royal Appointment
Although I did read several books by Jeffrey Archer when I was in college, I never grew to be a fan the way so many of my friends were. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed By Royal Appointment--rendered even more delightful by Priya Kuriyan's illustrations. By Royal Appointment There's nothing like listening to the author read out a part of the book, and Jeffrey Archer has shared a 6-minute excerpt on his website, which we will listen to together. We will then try to design a "By Royal Appointment" seal, the one that we think will be found on every product tested by the King and Queen of Littleland. Echo and Narcissus The best part of reading a short book is that we have the time to explore so much else! Queen Echo of Littleland is a zany character, but she gives us the excuse to explore the word echo and the story that led to the creation of the word. … [Read more...]
Bat and the End of Everything
Exactly a year ago, I posted about A Boy Called Bat, which we read at the April 2023 edition of my book club. We loved the book, and the rest of the series has been on my mind ever since then. In April 2024, we're finally going to read Bat and the End of Everything, the last book in the BAT series. A lovely book with a neurodivergent boy at the centre, Bat and the End of Everything is a heart-warming story about family, friendship, and big emotional decisions. Bat knows--and has always known--that the skunk kit he adopted needs to be released into the wild. But what can he do to make his goodbye easier? Not giving it away, but the end of the book is the best part of the story! Animal Trivia Each time I work with a book about animals, I'm amazed at the amount of trivia children know and want to share. This time, leading from a conversation about the … [Read more...]
Dhara’s Revolution
It's always a joy to read my books with my book clubs! I've read The Prophecy of Rasphora and Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells, in addition to my story in Flipped: Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories.I can't wait to read Dhara's Revolution, a book that has received much love from readers, in addition to having been shortlisted for the AG BLF Prize for Children's Fiction! Revolutionary Ideas If you want to create change, what would you do? Some of you may want to have the right to choose what uniform they wear. Others may want more screentime. What do you want? What is something that you want to do that you aren’t allowed to do? A book discussion is a great way to delve into a story! Let’s Vote! Election fever has gripped Dhara’s school, Sarvaloka Public School. Let’s read an excerpt from the book and then cast our votes. What team do you … [Read more...]
The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief
When historical fiction and fantasy come together, we're in for a treat! Rafu is a TTTD--a Time-Travelling, Thieving Djinn. Or at least, that's what he's supposed to be. The problem is that he is much more interested in food than gems. When the king of djinns challenges him to steal the Shah-i-Noor, Rafu strikes the perfect deal with his mother. If his mission is a success, it will be his last TTTD assignment and he will be free to open hist restaurant.Unexpected allies and a healthy dose of luck help Rafu battle nefarious villains and get closer to the diamond. As he plans his escape route, he learns about the Char Minar and we explore the historical city of Haiderabad. Monuments The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief is a work of historical fiction that is full of possibility. In the author's note at the end of the book, Lubaina Bandukwala says that … [Read more...]
When Jiya Met Urmila
I read Shabnam Minwalla's When Jiya Met Urmila at least two years ago. I can't believe I didn't review it on my blog! I think I was probably waiting to use it at my book club, which didn't happen for several reasons. I think we'd read too many books by the same writer--Lucky Girl, The Shy Supergirl and Nimmi's Dreadtastic Detective Days. Whatever the reason, I'm so glad I noticed the book on my shelf again when I was choosing my books for the April edition of my book club! Peek and Seek Just like Miss Nutty (aka Miss Rati), we'll play Peek and Seek at the book club. Maybe I won't ask the children to find a snail or a shoe flower. But I already have a list of things that we'll try to find before our time runs out. Super Similes As I reread When Jiya Met Urmila, I loved all the unexpected ways in which Shabnam Minwalla uses words. It is foolish … [Read more...]
Twitch
Often, I read books like Twitch with a very clear agenda in mind--to decide whether to read it with my book club. One chapter in, and I was sure I would not. The beginning seemed rather too violent for me to read with a group online, when I cannot necessarily gauge how each child is reacting to it. It's a terrible scene, which comes alive with a graphic description of how a group of bullies would kill a pigeon.The next chapter seemed equally violent, but by then, I was sucked into the story. And soon, there was no stopping me. I read on and on, enjoying the pace, the descriptions and the style of the story. I love the gentleness of the narrative, and the fact that it lets the reader fully experience the poetry and beauty of nature. Twitch, the protagonist, is a sensitive, observant character, who makes us listen to the dawn chorus as the birds around him awake. He makes us feel the … [Read more...]
The Chhau Champ
Books about dance are close to my heart, especially books that challenge the status quo in some way. I remember reading Kali Wants to Dance and particularly enjoying it because I'm a dancer who often plays male roles because of the dearth of male Bharatanatyam dancers, at least here in Pune.The Chhau Champ deals with the opposite idea. A girl wants to practise a dance form usually restricted to men. I've watched chhau just once, and yes, it was performed by a male dancer. This is not unique to chhau; I remember reading about how men do Kathakali, while women do Mohini Attam. Yes, people have challenged this--Dr Kanak Rele, for instance, was one of the first female Kathakali dancers in India. But the idea remains that some dance forms are to be performed by women, while others are to be performed by men.Enter Shubha, daughter of a chhau guru. Unlike her brother, she wants to be … [Read more...]