I have one photograph with the children at Cedarwood! … [Read more...]
Reading and Writing Workshop at Cedarwood
Half of my reading and writing workshop at Cedarwood is over, and I've finally convinced myself that I am not going to be taking any photographs. I keep intending to, and then I get so involved in everything we're doing that somewhere along the line, I forget. We've done so much in the last few days. Here are a few things that stand out.One of the girls came up with the idea of a magical die. The die has letters of the alphabet on it, not numbers. The character in the story, Gouri, rolls the die and sees what letter she gets. If she makes a wish starting with that letter, it will come true. The most beautiful detail of all is that Gouri found the die in a hole in a rainbow!One child came up with the idea of a magical ring with a spell written on the inside. Learn the spell by heart, put on the ring and say the spell aloud. The gem begins to glow and then casts a laser beam that … [Read more...]
Pippi in the South Seas
No, I have not yet Pippi Longstocking. Maybe I should apologise. In my defence, I have wanted to read it for very long.When I read Pippi in the South Seas, I realised why it's so famous and why so many people love it so much. Pippi is a classic in a world of her own. She is not like Anne of Green Gables. She is not like Sara, the little princess; nor is she like Little Lord Fauntleroy. She is in a class of her own.During the very first chapter of Pippi in the South Seas, I was chuckling aloud. Yes, there were parts that I did not enjoy. Yes, I found some parts a little outdated. Yet, the story is so charming, and Pippi makes for such a vivacious protagonist, that all in all, I'm ready for more stories featuring Pippi Longstocking! From red hair that sticks out in two plaits to a fierce independence that marks Pippi's character, the book was a … [Read more...]
Billy the Bird
Dick King-Smith is an author I love. Whenever I pick up a book by him, I do so with complete faith in the story. As usual, I was not disappointed.Billy the Bird is the story of a little child who becomes weightless when the moon is full, but can remember nothing of his nightly flights when the next day dawns. Billy's sister is the one who witnesses his nocturnal flights, and keeps his secret - because no one will believe her if she tells them her brother can fly.The story of a girl, a boy, a cat, a cat-burglar, a guinea-pig, and many more, Billy the Bird is a charming illustrated tale for children.Title Billy the BirdAuthor Dick King-SmithGenre Children's Fiction/Fantasy/Animal StoriesRating (out of 5) 4Age-group 7+ … [Read more...]
Sovay
A book that promised to be exciting, I think the best thing I can say about Sovay is that the story made me curious enough to keep reading until I finished the book. As I turned page after page, though, I found myself skipping large sections of the book because I wanted to know how it would all end, and nothing else.Set in England in the late 18th century, Sovay had all the makings of a wonderful historical novel for children. I loved the atmosphere and choice of character, but the promise of the book remained unfulfilled. Sovay's character, which began with the power of a Georgette Heyeran heroine, was a little disappointing. Rather than emerging as a brave character, capable of saving the lives of ones she loved, Sovay emerged as a rather reckless character, whose plans somehow held together.Yet, there was something that made me want to read on. The atmosphere and setting were … [Read more...]
The Truth about Leo
It's unfair to compare any book with any other book, I know that. Yet, I could not resist comparing The Truth about Leo with Moon-Pie. The subject was similar - a dead mother and a drunk father. But Moon-Pie moved me in a way that The Truth about Leo did not.Leo spends each day covering up for his father Dr Rake. Dr Rake is a surgeon to the world, but nothing more than an alcoholic to Leo. Building a world of his own, Leo finds himself living there more and more so as not to face the realities of school and a drunk father. The careful, precarious world that Leo has built begins to fall apart when a bottle of vodka rolls out of Leo's bag. Dr Rake chooses a new place to hide his bottles each day - that day he chose Leo's school-bag.The Truth about Leo is an important book. In addition, it is moving and, in places, hurtful.Yet, I wanted more. I wanted to cry out. I wanted the book to … [Read more...]
Summer Camp – Cedarwood Afterschool
For all those who have been asking me whether I have any workshops planned for the summer ... I'm doing four exciting weeks under the banner of the Cedarwood Afterschool Program at Magarpatta City.The modules I'm conducting include - - A five-day reading workshop for the age-group 7-12 - A five-day writing workshop for the age-group 7-12Do call Cedarwood for details! … [Read more...]
Session III – Language and Literature Workshop
A few photographs from Session III of the Language and Literature Workshop at Vidya Pratishthan's English Medium School, Baramati. … [Read more...]
Language and Literature Workshops
Each activity during the Language and Literature workshop revealed something new and delightful. The second session with nine batches of children at Vidya Pratishthan's English Medium School, Baramati, is over!"What did you learn during today's session?" I asked them.Promptly, a child responded, "We learned that there is so much to read! So many stories!" … [Read more...]
Drama
Children love to act. All of us love to act, or Dumb Charades would not be such a popular game.One thing I stress during all my workshops is the importance of copyright. I insist that children don't just rip images and articles off the internet, print them and use them. In keeping with that idea, I usually use my own stories during workshops, in addition to traditional tales from around the world.A story I love is a Japanese tale of Amaterasu, the radiant one who lights up the sky. Her brother Susanowa ravages the earth with storms, so Amaterasu hides in a cave. The gods are desperate to bring light back to the world, so they call Uzume, the god of laughter and joy. Uzume begins to dance, and the gods roar with laughter. Curious, Amaterasu peeks out - the first streaks of light appear. She catches sight of her own brilliant reflection in the mirror opposite, and she emerges some … [Read more...]