Why do some books sit on my shelves for months before I get around to reading them? I bought my copy of Gupshup Goes to Prison in August last year. In September, I met author Arefa Tehsin at the Neev Literature Festival and got my copy signed. I finally read it today! And what a fun book it is. Featuring a boy, a cat, an amateur detective, and a pair of twins, it sparkles because of the characters. I love the twins Che and Guevara best of all! They're experts at getting the best deal in any given situation, and I could learn a thing or two from them. Khalid wants to find his cat? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara.Amateur detective Kodi wants a client? He has to make a deal with Che and Guevara too. Smart and sassy, they're my favourite characters in the story, making me marvel and chuckle at their entrepreneurship. While being a fun story, Gupshup Goes to Prison is also … [Read more...]
Who’s Afraid of a Giant Wheel?
I remember reading and enjoying Simply Nanju some five years ago. Who's Afraid of a Giant Wheel?, also by Zainab Sulaiman, is even better. It's the kind of story that made me wonder what draws me into a book. Is there adventure? No. Mystery? Also no. But did I enjoy the book?Very much. In fact, I read it in one sitting. Who's Afraid of a Giant Wheel? is the story of a fourth-standard girl, Noorie, who's confident and chatty in school. So confident that she's sure she will be vice-captain. There's no competition, after all! But at home, it's a different story. Her neighbour Tina, who's an Almost Teenager, runs Noorie's life, and Noorie would do anything to be in Tina's good graces. Even if it means putting up with Tina's terrible twin Tarun. The book takes us through the ups and downs in Noorie's life, and for me, therein lies the analogy of the giant wheel. There are exciting … [Read more...]
Nisha Small: The Knot of Gold
Nisha Small (née Kutty) is the best detective in Madurai. And it's time for her to compete with mustachioed detectives to catch the thaali thief. A missing thaali! That's the knot of gold. But what does the word thaali mean to you? Different things depending on where you're from. Or perhaps it means nothing at all, which made me wonder about the universality of the story. Despite my questions about what unilingual people would make of the book, I couldn't help chuckling at the inter-language wordplay. I've lost track of the number of times people have asked me why south Indians write Seetha, Geetha, Bharatha Natyam ... the works. But I've never thought of writing a book about it! Nisha Small: The Knot of Gold was fun! With Nisha and Jamie, the reader investigates the mystery of the thaali thief. Jamie has complete confidence in Nisha. She is the best detective in school, … [Read more...]
Passepartout, Is That You?
I attended part of Menaka Raman's session on Passepartout, Is That You? at Bookaroo Vadodara, and I was curious. I knew Passepartout was a tortoise, but that was all. What would the story be about? I finally read this delightful Hook Book just now, and I loved it! When repetition in picture books is well done, I love it. A few favourites come to mind instantly - All Mine and It's a Laddoo Party are at the forefront. In this book, we have Passepartout, is that you? And of course, each time the protagonist asks the question, it is not Passepartout, but something else altogether.. Because how could you have a story about a missing tortoise if we find the tortoise immediately? What I loved most was hunting for Passepartout in Jemma Jose's illustrations. Have you read You Can't Find Me? It's one of my favourite stories on StoryWeaver, and I've used it countless times at workshops. … [Read more...]
My Favourite Late Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books from 2022
I just looked back at the post where I listed my favourite young adult books from 2021. When I wrote that, I resolved to read more YA in 2022. And that didn't happen. In fact, I read fewer. Just one of the three books on this list is a YA book; the other two would be classified better as late middle-grade. The reason I include them here rather than on my MG list is that I know I would have enjoyed them more as a young adult than as a middle-grader! Clap When You Land I love it when I chance upon a book that I've never heard of and love it! I was scrolling through recommended reads on Kindle Unlimited, and I came across Clap When You Land. It had nearly 5,000 ratings. That was all I looked at before I downloaded and read it. And I loved it. Verse novels, when well done, are brilliant. I love their sparseness - no beating around the bush, no unnecessary details, just … [Read more...]
My Favourite Middle-Grade Books from 2022
I read and loved so many middle-grade books in 2022! While some of these are early middle-grade books (I've read four of them with my book club for ages nine and ten), others are for ages ten and above. When I review a book, I usually indicate what age-group I think it is suited to, but do remember that reading levels vary widely! Secret Friends Secret Friends is heartbreaking, and that's the only reason I haven't introduced it to my book club. I meet children just twice a week, and online at that, so it's tough to see how affected a child is by a book. With my regulars, I know I can introduce a book like this as long as I include a trigger-warning. With newcomers, not really.Secret Friends is about the need to fit in, and about how we are willing to go to any lengths to belong. The problem is - how far can a child go? Read a … [Read more...]
My Favourite Chapter Books from 2022
Each year, I read dozens of chapter books for my book clubs. Despite that--or perhaps because of that--there were just three that I fell in love with in 2022. That is not to say I didn't like the books I read; I did. I enjoyed most of them thoroughly. Yet, as I looked back at all the books I read, three stand out. They're books I would read and reread even without a book club around the corner. Malhar in the Middle Malhar in the Middle is a treat! For one, it's utterly relatable. For another, it's sweet without being cute. I love it so much that time and time again, I've referred to it during teacher training workshops, especially as art integration is a crucial part of teaching methodology. I like the names - Kedar and Malhar, I like the ideas, and I love the style of writing. Book activities Paati vs UNCLE Paati vs UNCLE is one book that I think I enjoyed even … [Read more...]
My Favourite Picture Books and Early Chapter Books from 2022
I love this exercise - of looking back at all the books I read and loved in the year that went by. This year, I found it even more difficult to distinguish between various age-groups. Longer picture books are like early chapter books; late middle-grade books are like early young adult books. And so, this year, I begin with two disclaimers.The first is my annual disclaimer: not all these books were published in 2022. Several were published earlier; I just read them in 2022.And the second: reading levels differ widely, so children read different books at different ages. Some of these books can be read by ages five and above. Others might be better for slightly older children. The Manic Panic I read The Manic Panic less than a month ago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There's so much to love about this book - the story, the very-responsible-protagonist, … [Read more...]
Ramanujan
What did I like most about Ramanujan?The chapter numbers! Each one is a mathematical problem that uses the chapter number and mathematical operators in such a way that the solution to the problem is, again, the chapter number. That sounds much more complicated than it is, but take a look: Do you see what I mean? Isn't it fun? I love maths. And clever mathematical ideas? I'm always in awe. When I solve a mathematical or logical problem, there's a sense of glee that is unlike anything else, and so, Ramanujan is exactly my kind of book. A cross between a collection of short stories and a full-length novel, the structure appeals to me too, with problems for Ramanujan and his friends to solve chapter after chapter. I also enjoyed how the problems are presented. In the year that the story is set, there's no maths teacher in Ramanujan's school. The substitute teachers make the class … [Read more...]
The Manic Panic
I love Richa Jha's books. I don't know how many I've read, but each one has been special - Love Like That, Boo! When My Sister Died, Machher Jhol ... I didn't know Richa would be at Neev Literature Festival, or I would have carried my copy of Giggi and Daddy for her to sign for me, but as it turned out, it was a good thing I didn't carry the book. I ended up picking up The Manic Panic! The Manic Panic is an adorable book. When I was a child, I remember learning the song "Be kind to your parents", and I enjoyed it almost as much as my mother did. And The Manic Panic reminded me of that song - the irreverent, yet wholesome humour, and the sense of madness that inspires an idea like this. What happens to all the grown-ups when there's no internet? We all know the answer to that one, don't we? The important question is: what are you going to do about it? As I read The Manic … [Read more...]
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