I started going to the Poona Club library – no, I never called it ‘United Services Library’ – longer ago than I can remember. I do know, though, that in my head, Poona Club library was the only real library I knew. Not because it had exceptional books. Not because it opened my eyes to books […]
David
I rarely read something that is ‘Not Suitable for Younger Readers’ and, to be honest, I did not notice that David had this warning. Yet (or maybe because of that) David struck a chord with me. In Florence in 1501, it was essential to know what your political inclinations were. Either you supported the republic, […]
Frederica
I was standing at the bank reading Frederica because even though it is not true that I ‘cannot’ put the book down, it is true that I don’t want to put the book down. There is nothing like a book that is addictive. It makes you want to read: during that one minute when the […]
White Dolphin
Who does not like animal stories? As a child, I wanted to be an environmentalist and a vet. The problem was that I was afraid of biology and dissection, so I contented myself with animal stories, knowing no other option. Gill Lewis’s White Dolphin filled my heart. It was a story that jumped out of […]
Read Something New! – Day Four
Children’s imaginations are simply wonderful. Today, I met – a porcupine who dreamed of being a pillow – a hen that had three wings and could not fly – a snail that ran marathons – a dinosaur with twenty legs – a mouse that went to school and many more. Two by two, these animals […]
The Memory Cage
A truly wonderful book. What can a boy do when his grandfather has Alzheimer’s and everyone else in his family wants him to go to a home? How can he convince his family that it’s cruel? The Memory Cage is a stark depiction of war and loneliness. War is not about bravery and courage. Dulce […]
Street of Tall People
I was intrigued by the title; who wouldn’t be? The World War has not yet begun, but anti-Jewish sentiments run high. I know nothing of this time. Street of Tall People is set in East London, about which, also, I know nothing. Yet, the story reached out to me. Awkwardness and friendship. Loyalty, trust and betrayal. Loneliness and […]
Read Something New! – Day Three
The second-last session of Read Something New! just came to an end. We had limericks, nonsense verse, drama, mimes and group rhymes. Our author in focus this week was Michael Morpurgo; next week, we’re going to talk about Dick King-Smith. Read Something New! Venue: British Library, Pune
Read Something New!
Holiday over; I am back to work. Sometimes, I wonder which I enjoy more – the holiday or the work! Session 3 of my reading workshop Read Something New! at the British Library Pune is tomorrow. We are going to be talking about Michael Morpurgo, and I am excited. Read Something New! – Session 3 […]
The Story-Catcher in Gangtok
Ebbani from Rey Valley International School was the first to arrive. “Thirteen more children are coming,” she informed me. I was anxious, anxious enough to have considered (night before last) cancelling the whole thing. I had never dealt with such young children before, and the children from Rey Valley who were coming to Rachna Books […]
Pocahontas
Intrigued by the title of the series ‘Before They Became Famous’, I picked up Caroline Corby’s Pocahontas. Just to make things clear, I haven’t watched the movie. In fact, I know nothing about the movie except the song “Colours of the Wind”. The book I read was lovely. ‘Pocahontas’ means ‘curious, lively, inquisitive’, and this […]
No Such Thing as Dragons
An unusual book, No Such Thing as Dragons puzzled me. I think the promise that the book cover held (yes, I always judge a book by its cover) led me to expect more. I found that the characters had so much potential, and the plot could have been much more exciting, considering the lovely seed […]
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg
Neverland. I remember my father reading out bits and pieces of Peter Pan to me. And I remember having an enormous book, probably as big as I was myself, with beautiful pictures of Neverland, Wendy and dreadful Tinker Bell whom I disliked so much, even though she was so pretty. Fairy Dust and the Quest […]
Day Two: Storytelling Workshop
We read aloud, acted, spoke, coloured, stamped and drew. I heard two stories about a zoo, and we read a lovely story about two rabbits and a fairy princess. What a feast of stories it was! The three-day storytelling workshop had: 1. Tikki tikki tembo 2. The Witch and her Two Daughters (adapted from two […]
Photographs from Yesterday’s Workshops
Sunday morning saw the end of my two-day workshop, Weekend with Words, at JustBooks Aundh. With Word Search, Word-Building and Word Train, we came to the end of a fun workshop! At the British Library, we had a day based on Roald Dahl! Today, we have: Storytelling Workshop Time: 11 am to noon Age-group: 5-8 […]
Charlotte’s Web
No other title do they know, The refrain is scarcely new – Tho the chances are their knowledge Came from a book review; They ask me if I’ve read it – I humbly whisper “No” (Thank God, again I’ve said it!) They clap their hands and glow. – From Louis L’Amour’s “I Haven’t Read Gone […]
Day One: Read Something New!
Spending a Sunday afternoon with enthusiastic children at the British Library is such a joy! The idea of this workshop was to get over Geronimo Stilton and Wimpy Kid, and begin to read something new. I know too many children who finish their Geronimo Stiltons and then say they have nothing more to read. With […]
Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission
If you watched and loved Captain Planet as a child, I know you will feel as warmly about Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission as I did. When I watched the heroism and drama of Captain Planet, I loved the idea of people getting together to save the world. This book feels something like that. The downside of the book […]
Esty’s Gold
I never stay up reading. I love books and I enjoy reading, but staying up beyond my bed-time? No, that’s not me. I remember when I was reading the fifth Harry Potter, I had one chapter left to finish and I went to sleep, to the horror of some of my friends. Maybe that was […]
Tilly’s Moonlight Fox
When I started reading Tilly’s Moonlight Fox, I did not quite like it. Both the story and the writing style seemed outdated. The kind of finish that so many new books have was not there. But the book grew on me. It’s the kind of book that you should read when you are eight or […]