Stories about sisters are incredibly special. And sisters who would do anything to win each other's heart? You have me with the premise itself. I read Mirror to Mirror only because I attended an author talk that Rajani LaRocca gave for the Neev Literature Festival Reading Challenge. Listening to her read from the book and then talk about her book, I knew that this was a book I was likely to enjoy. I didn't just enjoy it; I loved it. Maya and Chaya are identical twins. But when Maya tries to hide her anxiety from Chaya and even refuses to let Chaya talk to their parents about it, Chaya knows she must act. She must reinvent herself so that she isn't a shadow, an image pulling her twin down. They must be different, so different that Maya can shine with her own light. Maya, on the other hand, must be perfect. If she isn't perfect, the world will crumble. Even as she creates … [Read more...]
Mascot
Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell is the third and last book I read because it's on the required reading list for an online workshop on revising your verse novel that I will be attending later this year thanks to my Highlights Foundation scholarship. A nuanced story in verse exploring multiple perspectives, Mascot reminds us that activism must be intersectional for it to be meaningful. Ms Williams, an eighth grade teacher, invites her class to debate whether the mascot of the school should stay. Callie is convinced that there's no room for debate. It's absurd that people think it's okay to appropriate to use a copper-toned, muscled, tomahawk-wielding caricature as a mascot. Others, however, believe that the mascot honours Native American tradition and it is absurd to replace it with something else. Six eighth-graders from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs begin to talk … [Read more...]
A Melody in Mysore
With Independence Day just around the corner, it's the perfect time to read A Melody in Mysore by Shruthi Rao, a new addition to the Songs of Freedom series. I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the books in the series, some more than others. Set in different parts of the country in the first half of the twentieth century, each book is a snapshot of what it might have been like to be a child during the independence struggle. Growing up in Mysore, Leela is relatively cocooned from the British rule. Under the Maharaja, many feel safe. The British struggle isn't relevant to their lives. But as the freedom struggle sweeps across the nation, questions emerge. How long will they be sheltered? And if Leela wants to join the movement, how can she? The answer is in the title itself: through music. Music isn't for everyone, but Leela discovers just how powerful it can be. Leela's bond with … [Read more...]
Spin
What if the gods didn't bless Arachne after all? What if, like all mortals, she had to toil, ignored by the gods until she, through her own hard work, achieved a kind of immortality, the only kind that is granted to us? Spin by Rebecca Caprara is the second book I read because it’s on the required reading list for an online workshop on revising your verse novel that I will be attending later this year. I would never have enrolled for this workshop if I had not received the Highlights Foundation scholarship, and I might then never have read this stunning book! Modern and feminist without ever being anachronistic, Spin shows us how power is wielded by those who tell stories. When Persephone is snatched into the Underworld, her own father Zeus is complicit. Helios, the sun, pretends he saw nothing. It is Hecate, goddess of the night, who is relentless in her search for … [Read more...]
Restart
What if you got the chance to start your life all over again? Would you make any changes? Restart by Gordon Korman is a powerful story about getting a second chance. The story opens with Chase Ambrose in hospital. He's fallen off his roof and forgotten everything about who he used to be. And when he returns to school, he doesn't know what to make of the way everyone reacts to him. Slowly, he discovers he was the worst kind of bully. Even as he remembers who he used to be, he needs to decide who he wants to be. I've read just one other book by Gordon Korman, Schooled. Just like in Schooled, it's the characters who drive the story, although the plot is gripping too. Chase Ambrose, erstwhile bully, has us feeling for him, wanting to forgive everything he's done, no matter how bad it may have been. More, each character is vividly drawn--from the other bullies to the girl who's … [Read more...]
Petu Pumpkin: Freedom Fighter
What would you do if your playground was going to be converted into a shopping mall? Would you be okay with your games period being cancelled indefinitely? Petu and his friends certainly aren't going to take it lying down! Petu Pumpkin Freedom Fighter deals with heavy themes in the lightest possible way -- with not just humour, but hilarity. In this book for slightly older readers than the hOle books, Petu and the rest of his Awesome Fivesome have bigger trouble at hand. It's no longer about a tiffin thief or about his friends suspecting that Petu Pumpkin is a cheat. Now, they need to get together and stage a protest because their school playground is slyly being appropriated by people in power. Even though the themes are bigger, Arundhati Venkatesh's trademark humour remains the same! I love to see how themes and ideas overlap across literature. For instance, the children in … [Read more...]
Flyaway Boy
We're going to read Flyaway Boy again at my book club! We've read and enjoyed When the World Went Dark by Jane de Suza twice, and I look forward to reading this one with another batch too. It's perfect to discuss so many things - form, narrative voice, imagination, possibility ... The list of ideas below just about scratches the surface of everything we can do with the book! Boxes Flyaway Boy opens with a bit about boxes. What neat little boxes do we fit into? Are there any labels we give ourselves, or any labels people give us? Especially as many of the children join my book club batch after batch, I'd love to know if there are any labels they give one another. What labels do they associate with the others at the book club?It's an interesting introspective activity to undertake even without the context of the book because sometimes, we create … [Read more...]
Living with Adi
As one of the judges of the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2023, I was delighted to see Living with Adi on Duckbill's list! Even when I was reading the draft, I enjoyed the story and the pace, as well as the way it tackles difficult themes. A sensitively told story about a neurodivergent boy, Living with Adi is a vivid portrayal of complex family life. Employing a range of narrative voices, Zarin Virji tells an engaging story. The book is peopled with well-rounded characters, and Adi's grandmother Shirin's voice was my favourite! I love her no-nonsense attitude and her humour, even though she is the least accepting of Adi's neurodivergence. Living with Adi tackles ASD both gently and realistically. The author portrays a range of attitudes to neurodivergence, from Adi's mother Delna's sense of isolation when she seeks help to deal with Adi, to the bullying Adi faces in school. Each … [Read more...]
Puppy Trouble
Amit wants a puppy. He wants a puppy. He wants a puppy. He wants a puppy. But his parents refuse. For me, that was the hook. And thanks to my book clubs and the number of conversations we've had about wanting pets but not being allowed to get them, I know that this is practically universal. Puppy Trouble goes further, though, because a puppy does come into Amit's life. Unfortunately for him, however, everything isn't as exciting as he imagined it would be. A fun book that made me laugh at all the right moments, Puppy Trouble is another Hook Book that brings illustrations and text together perfectly. I love how this short story takes us through so many highs and lows - hope, disappointment, resentment ... It's a happy addition to a delightful set of books for young readers! TitlePuppy TroubleAuthorIllustratorBijal VachharajaniRajiv EipeTagsChapter Book, Hook Book, Animal … [Read more...]
Red, White and Whole
Red, White and Whole has been on my wishlist for ever so long. I kept dithering. Would I enjoy the book? Would I not? I honestly wasn't sure I wanted to read yet another immigration story. Yes, a sense of identity is important. Yes, many of us struggle with it; I know I do too. But the whole idea of being caught between two worlds is one I've read about a little too much. Even so, I kept coming across people talking about this book, so I picked it up. I was prepared not to love it, even more so because I was surprised into liking In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo. And yes, there were moments that I didn't like--not because they were not well written, but because they seemed to be about the same things we've read before. Yet, as I turned the pages, I got sucked into the story. Even with the overarching themes that I didn't want to read about, I found myself drawn into Reha's … [Read more...]
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