A determined protagonist, a family that's willing to change, and characters that evolve through the story--what's not to like? Abir Maqsood of The Henna Start-Up by Andaleeb Wajid is an imperfect, gritty character, the kind that never fails to make me smile. She is fuelled by her determination to get justice and to stand up for her mother and for herself. Fragile egos, annoying classmates and an overprotective family are obstacles she must overcome for she knows discrimination when she sees it, and she isn't one to take it lying down. She scorns the pampered, protected lives that her friend Keerthi and arch-enemy Arsalan lead. She knows they live in their own beautiful bubbles, and she holds her head high in the knowledge that her classmates are clueless about the reality of the world, unlike her ... until she is forced to accept that she's guilty of being more than a little … [Read more...]
My Favourite Late Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books from 2023
As usual, I begin my list of favourite young adult books wishing I had read more YA last year. Yes, I loved these books, but once more, I hope to read more young adult in 2024! Schooled Schooled is such a delightful read, featuring a quirky, fun character.I read many negative reviews about the book, which spoke of how it perpetuates stereotypes of homeschooled children not knowing how to behave in social settings, but that wasn't how I read the book at all! I made no generalisations about homeschoolers or, indeed, hippies, as I read--I enjoyed the book for what it was, a heartwarming story about a character I was rooting for! Book review The District Cup The District Cup recently won the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival prize for children's fiction, an award for which my Dhara's Revolution was shortlisted too! … [Read more...]
My Favourite Middle-Grade Books from 2023
It's only when I began writing this post that I noticed that most (six out of seven) of my favourite middle-grade reads from 2023 have blue covers! How odd!I made a conscious effort to read more middle-grade books this year, also because I want to write more middle grade. It's an age-group I enjoy interacting with, and I want more MG literature that moves and changes me, urging me to read on. Here are the books that I read and loved in 2023. An Alien in the Jam Factory I read this wacky book at the end of November 2023, and I loved it so much that it's going to be part of the February 2024 edition of Read, Write, Explore. An Alien in the Jam Factory is a book that I think most children can identify with, even though the protagonist is a genius who meets an alien, a situation that most children cannot identify with. What makes me feel it has … [Read more...]
My Favourite Chapter Books from 2023
I read dozens of chapter books each year thanks to my book clubs. Here's a round-up of my favourites from last year. Interestingly, in 2022, there were only three chapter books I really loved. This year, there are ten! Most of these are book club reads, so they're books children have enjoyed reading too! Gobi Goes Viral I love Vibha Batra's sense of humour, and that's why Gobi Goes Viral is one of the first books we'll be reading at the February 2024 edition of my book club! A story about friendship, music, and determination, it's about embracing and understanding difference in the most matter-of-fact way. It is both silly and profound, funny and serious. If you haven't read it yet, pick it up! Book activities Book review Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu I'm always skeptical of books that draw on beloved characters from my childhood. For instance, I … [Read more...]
My Favourite Picture Books and Early Chapter Books from 2023
It's only as I was looking back at all the wonderful books I read in 2023 that I realised that five of my favourite picture books and early chapter books were Hook Books! I love the series, and I'm always excited to read new additions to it. A usual, I begin my list with a disclaimer - not all the books that feature in this list and the ones that follow were published in 2023. I just happened to read them in 2023. One difference this time, however, is that I received many review copies last year, so an overwhelmingly large number were actually published last year too! Here are my top six for ages six and under (though, of course, I'm not under six, but I loved these books anyway!). What Feelings Do When No One's Looking What Feelings Do When No One's Looking was the very best kind of birthday gift. It's a book I would not have bought for myself, but one that I treasure, not … [Read more...]
Sad Animal Facts
Did you know that frogs can close their ears? Or that anything a duckling meets within ten minutes of being born becomes its parent? (That reminds me of The Wild Robot, though the bird in the story is a gosling, not a duckling. Even so.) Those two aren't sad animal facts, though, are they? In fact, many of the sad animal facts in the book aren't exactly sad. It's the endearing way in which Brooke Barker presents them that makes you feel that way. Quirky, informative, and wholly entertaining, I found myself struck by every page, a collection of animal facts presented in a wholly unique style. The cover itself prepares you for the style of the book. The fact presented is simple: Cats can't taste sweet things. But the cartoon and speech bubble are what make it charming, for you have a cartoon cat saying, 'tell me about ice cream again.' Similarly, the back cover informs us that … [Read more...]
An Alien in the Jam Factory
There's something about book titles that can just grab your attention right away. An Alien in the Jam Factory is one of those. I often pick up books when I travel and when I was in Goa last month, I visited Literati for the first time. I browsed for quite a while before this book caught my attention, and I loved the premise. Scooter McLay is a genius. Thanks to his incredible inventions, McLay's jam is a phenomenal success. Whether it's wasp-repellent jam or the not-yet-very-successful Edible Jam Bubbles, each of Scooter's inventions sparkles. He has loving parents, he thoroughly enjoys inventing, and he's never going to let their rival Daffy Dodgy steal his secrets. It's all perfect. Except that he has no friends. No one is allowed into the top-secret factory. And for hygienic reasons, he cannot even have a pet. One day, however, an alien called Fizzbee crashes into the … [Read more...]
What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking
What Feelings Do When No One's Looking is such a gorgeous, whimsical book! Do our feelings live inside us, or do they go on journeys of their own? Or do they do both? Each page of this endearing picture book is beautifully written and beautifully illustrated. As I read about curiosity, joy, gratitude, anxiety, shame and more, I wondered about so many other feelings. And I found nearly each one addressed. Kindness calms storms, doesn't it? What else would it do for you? In me, I hope it reaches out and shares. It knows when to be silent, and when to speak. Seventy-two pages kept me reading, staring at the heart-warming illustrations. Quirky and lovely, believable and outlandish--What Feelings Do When No One's Looking is easily one of the loveliest picture books I've read this year! TitleWhat Feelings Do When No One's LookingAuthorIllustratorTina OziewiczAleksandra … [Read more...]
Heartstopper
I rarely write about books that are so popular, but I loved the Heartstopper series and I can't wait to see what happens next! Unlike most other books I've read, I came to the series through Netflix. I watched both seasons and was so drawn to the characters that I had to read the books. And the books were just as gorgeous. Yes, just as gorgeous, not more so--and again, this differs from my usual opinion on book to screen adaptations! Heartstopper traces the heart-warming relationship between Nick and Charlie, two high school students. Charlie is openly gay, but Nick has always thought of himself as heterosexual. What, then, is he to do with these feelings he's developing for Charlie? An authentic coming-of-age story, Heartstopper addresses heavy themes from sexuality to eating disorders and mental health, without ever seeming like a story with multiple agendas. As author Alice … [Read more...]
Crackers
Some writers stun me with the range of stories they write. Elizabeth Laird, for instance. Look at just the stories I've read by her: And now, Crackers, which is completely different from anything else I've read by her. The strangest part for me as I read it was how similar it is to something I've written--about a group of children making a magazine together! A fun story about two rival groups, I was drawn into the urgent sense of indignation the characters feel as they try to outdo one another. Quite early on, I found myself frowning at the gender stereotypes, so I went back to see when the book was published--1990. While I would hesitate to recommend a modern book that perpetuates stereotypes, I might just read Crackers with my book club, if only to discuss whether these ideas have changed. It's a side-effect of running book clubs right through the year, but I couldn't help … [Read more...]
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