Seventeenth century Scotland. The Presbyterians are convinced that the word of God is not equivalent to the word of King Charles, sitting far away in England. The Black Cuffs are everywhere, rounding up suspected Presbyterians because by the law enforced by Charles Stuart, it is illegal to pray outdoors; you can be fined for not going to the kirk for Sabbath; you can be penalised for denying the authority of the king's bishops and ministers. Each one suspected of Presbyterianism must go through the Test - or be hanged. Elizabeth Laird's The Witching Hour is a powerful novel told from the point of view of young Margaret Blair, more sure of her love for her family and friends than of the word of the Lord. She is not a Covenanter, and does not know what Jesus wants from her. Life is confusing, surrounded as she is by people who are so convinced of their … [Read more...]
A Face Like Glass
How would it be to have a face like glass, a face that is a window that can tell the truth and only the truth? And how would it be to have a face like that in a world where Facesmiths sculpt each expression on each individual's face? A Face Like Glass is a remarkable book, which took me on a journey through the twists and turns of Caverna, an underground land that is just about being held together by the Grand Steward. A Kleptomancer is on the loose, though, one who steals unpredictably, and seems to delight in taking Caverna by storm. Into all this comes Neverfell with her face like glass ... The story drew me into a world of surprises, each one of them vividly imagined. The plot was as complicated and surprising as Caverna herself, Caverna which is beautiful and unknowable, and so mysterious that Cartographers go mad … [Read more...]
The Raven Boys
Last week, the members of the Writers' Club wrote book reviews of books they've read recently and loved. Here is a review by Riva Verma of The Raven Boys, a book I have not read. Welsh kings. Ley lines. Hidden bodies of ancient monarchs. This novel is filled with adventure and mystery. That is what I like best about The Raven Boys. There were parts which intrigued me so much that I had to know what was going to happen, scenes where I was scared for the characters, times when I experienced each and every emotion alongside them. My favorite character is Blue Sargent. She is a poor but happy girl, the daughter of a physic. She lives in a house full of mothers, cousins, aunts and friends, and is told that she will kill her true love if she kisses whoever that person may be. She has lived with two mysteries her entire life: who is that person and who was her father? My other favorite is … [Read more...]
Reading Day
Helen O' Grady's Navi Mumbai chapter invited me to be part of its Reading Day celebrations in honour of Dr Kalam's birthday. What a crazy day I had with enthusiastic children from St. Mary's School, Koparkhairane, and Gold Crest High, Vashi! The children were full of questions. One commented, "Most authors now don't really write; they type. Why do we call them writers? We should call them typers." Children asked me where my inspiration came from; they asked me what I enjoyed reading and what my journey towards publication was like. They asked how many times my work had been rejected, and did not quite believe me when I told them I had lost count. I read out three different stories from The Story-Catcher to three different groups. Each session was rewarding. It was a wonderful day; here's to many more! … [Read more...]
The Dragon Whisperer
Last week, I conducted a workshop at the British Library on inculcating the habit of reading in children. There were principals and representatives from several schools in and around Pune, and many asked me where they could find book reviews. I realised I haven't written about books for a while, so for the next few days, that's what I'm going to be writing about! I loved this one! When characters in books become friends you care about, you know that the book you are reading is exceptional. Riding dragons comes naturally to Quenelda. She does not like fussy court life, where ladies are concerned with nothing more than petticoats, dresses and attractiveness. Yet, aged eleven, she finds herself frightened and isolated by her choices. All she wants to do is fly in the Open Sky. How difficult is it for the world to accept that? Title The Dragon Whisperer (The … [Read more...]
The Gruffalo’s Child
Reading Challenge Workshop at Mumbai
Twelve hours of travel-time, and a three-hour workshop. I can't promise to do it again, yet it was fun! The British Council, Mumbai, has rolled out the reading challenge programme in several schools in Mumbai. I conducted three workshops at Universal High, Dahisar, and had a lovely time. We worked with Sophie's Snail by Dick King-Smith, a story I love. Classes one and two read the story with me, and enjoyed it as much as I did! We couldn't get over the size of the snail. The whole class chorused with me, "It's bright yellow and just the size of Sophie's middle fingernail!" With the older children, we did "The Porcupine" by Roald Dahl, "The Adventures of Isabel" by Ogden Nash, "The Quarrel" by Maxine Kumin, "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" by Jack Prelutsky and "Jimmy Goes to the City" by Arthur Read. The children learned about rhyme and meter, and then played with all the poetry we … [Read more...]
The Story-Catcher – A Review by a 9-year-old
I've been waiting for something momentous before writing my blog - what could be more momentous than a review of The Story-Catcher by a nine-year-old? Arushi Upadhyaya had to design a book-jacket for a school competition. The entry she submitted is with the school, but she sent me the rough plan she made. At the back, she informs me, she put in the ISBN details and the name of the publisher. On the side, she wrote the name of the author. Within the book jacket, she wrote a synopsis of The Story-Catcher. And guess what? She won the first prize! She has also sent a review of The Story-Catcher to ParentEdge Magazine for a book review contest - I hope she wins! I will put up her review as soon as the ParentEdge results are announced. Meanwhile, here are the book cover and the synopsis. … [Read more...]
Books for Rainy Days
It's been a while since I wrote, mainly because I've been reading. Here's a look at some of what I've read recently. As a child, I enjoyed reading and collecting the entire Animal Ark series. As I grew older, I learned that Lucy Daniels, the author of the series, did not exist. Just like Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon. While I never enjoyed Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, I loved Animal Ark. I loved the names of the books - Owl in the Office, Hamster in a Hamper, Roo on a Rock ... I wanted to have them all. I imagine the Silver Dolphins series somewhat like that. The stories, in themselves, may not be memorable, but Stolen Treasures is a sweet story that build loyalty in young readers for the series as a whole. Children are always animal-lovers. Some are more vicarious in this love than others, but most enjoy books that … [Read more...]
What Went By
It's taken me a while to write about the last month. How full of emotions it has been! We performed in Kalakshetra for Pushpa Teacher and Jaya Teacher, my teacher's teachers. We peaked and fell, rising and falling with a tide of emotions. We felt we underperformed, and then we were overwhelmed by everyone's responses. The teachers praised the performance; nothing else is important. My heart is brimming with joy and gratitude. In Bangalore, I did a two-day reading workshop. I wrote about day one here on the blog, but kept postponing it, even though I've been waiting to talk about how wonderful it was to conduct a workshop there. Atta Galatta is a delightful place, with the perfect ambience for a reading workshop. What warmed my heart is that the store ordered ten copies of The Story-Catcher, some of which were bought by the children after the session. (If you're in Bangalore and … [Read more...]
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