I’m always nervous about reading my books with my book club! I wonder if and when I’ll get over that. We’ve read Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells, The Prophecy of Rasphora, Dhara’s Revolution and Flipped, and now, we’ll read The Best Idea of All.
A story about festivals and the climate crisis, The Best Idea of All explores how children can and do find ways to make a difference.
As I discovered through the many author events I did with The Best Idea of All, there’s so much I can do with the book! And especially as my book club runs online, we can bring in elements that would be rather difficult to do at an in-person session – like making natural colours.
Book Discussion
What is the climate crisis? And what can we do about it? The cover of The Best Idea of All reveals what festival the story is about – Holi. But in the middle of the worst drought the state has experienced in decades, how can Tarini, Antara and Saira celebrate Holi?
We’ll talk about what has caused the climate crisis and whether we as individuals can do something about it.
Saving Water
At my book club, we read each book over the course of three classes. At the beginning of each class, we’ll talk about what we do to save water. And at the end of the second session, we’ll share a whiteboard to create a virtual chart on water and what it means to us.
Making Natural Colours
Online sessions are perfect for art integration of this kind! Water shortage is just one problem when it comes to playing Holi. The second is the use of chemical colours that harm the environment. Together, we’ll explore how we don’t need chemical colours at all because making natural colours is both fun and easy!
Parents and teachers often ask me how to get children to read. While there’s no foolproof method, here are three suggestions I always give them:
- catch them young
- read exciting books (and not just the classics)
- make reading fun
I know I’m biased, but a book club is a great way to bring these three together. But equally, a book club is for children who already enjoy reading. Reading can be isolating, but a book club brings the excitement back with all the activities we do and conversations we have.
Join my book club!
Registrations are now closed for the November-December 2024 edition of my book club. New batches begin every alternate month. Join my mailing list if you would like to receive email notifications about my programmes. Alternatively, follow me on social media – Facebook and Instagram – for regular updates.
Out of all the books I’ve read, The Best Idea Of All is definitely one of the best books. I love your work Ma’am and I think your books are unputdownable!
Thank you so much, Aabha! Reviews from child-readers are the best reviews ever for any children’s author.