Last year, St. Mary's School had its first lit fest, and I was delighted to be part of it. Talking to starry-eyed children is an experience like no other, and that's why lit fests in school are special.After addressing the children who were gathered together in the hall, we visited a few classrooms, met the girls and looked at the work they had put together. It was good fun, and I wished I had more time with each child. In an hour, I could do no justice to 150 very different reading-related projects. Stories, 3-D projects, book reports, reviews ... These girls from classes I to III had them all! (Some very honestly told me, 'My father and I made this' or 'My mother did everything and I did the colouring'.)Many of the children I met are now in my Writers' Club, and I'm delighted to be working with them all year on their writing.They were excited to meet me again, … [Read more...]
I used to think
I used to think That if I held my breath, I could make friends with Anne Shirley, George, Sara Crewe, And Dorothy.I used to think That if I oiled my doll’s hair And shampooed it Maybe trimmed it now and then; If I took care of it, It would grow.I used to think That if I just knew how, I could transport myself To the Lake of Shining Waters Or Kirrin Island Or even Norway, which was as made up as the rest.I used to think That if I caught the mirror unawares, I would find it doing something else Its own thing Without me in it.I used to think That if I believed hard enough The Tooth Fairy would be real. As real as Matilda.I used to think That if I felt enough Or thought enough Or was enough, I would be in a book With real adventures And characters who loved deeply and spoke so beautifully.I used to think That hiding in my dark room, Was a … [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...]
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...]