Spotlight on Small Moments—Chatura Rao
By Navin Agarwal, Educator Acclaimed author Chatura Rao, known for her captivating books such as Music for Joshua, The Case of Disappearing Colour, and Growing up in Pandupur, took the audience on a literary journey, emphasizing how little things can lead to big discoveries in her books. Chatura began her session by introducing her latest […]
Worlds Within and Apart—Devashish Makhija and Chatura Rao
By Kabir Basu, Grade 11 More than providing the right answers, the session “Worlds Within and Apart”—featuring author, journalist and educator Chatura Rao (How Mohan Found Himself) alongside filmmaker and writer Devashish Makhija (translator of We are the Dancing Forest)—was really about asking the right questions. Before reading excerpts from their books, both authors shared […]
Jyoti Rajan Gopal on Straddling Cultures
Sunayana Surana, Grade 10 The interactive sessions for children were kicked off on Day 1 of the Neev Literature Festival 2023 by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, an author of many cultures. Jyoti talked about the formative years of her life—going from one country to another and learning to adjust and thrive everywhere—she lived in Thailand, shifted […]
What’s in a Wordless Book? | A Reading of My Street
By Supriya Prakash, Educator A wordless book? The name seems to say it all—it is a book without text where the story is told solely through the art. Images tell the stories and they must be read as carefully as any text. Artists are literally writing with pictures. While similar pictorial choices are made when […]
History, Humour and Animal Rights | Young Readers Write
By Ayaan Gupta, Grade 3 Uncle Nehru, Please Send an Elephant! is a book written by Devika Cariapa and illustrated by Satvik Gade. This is a very interesting book. In this book, the author has tried to teach us a part of our real Indian history by narrating a series of real-life events which took […]
“VAmazing”: Reading When the World Went Dark | Young Readers Write
By Riya Bopanna, Grade 7 When the World Went Dark by Jane De Suza, shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2022 in the Junior Readers category is a heartfelt novel that explores the feeling of loss from the perspective of a lively nine year-old girl. Swara is not happy. Her country is in lockdown and […]
Comprehending Suffering: Reading Young ‘Jamlo Walks’ and ‘Wounds’ | Young Readers Write
The Neev Book Award 2022 shortlist puts the spotlight on Indian lives. A lived reality numerous young readers picked up on while reading the shortlisted books are the tales of suffering, pain, and systemic inequalities. They speak to readers regardless of how old they are. Two students from Neev Academy, one from Grade 4 and […]
Art and Authenticity: Reading ‘Wounds’ | Young Readers Write
By Ishaan Varior, Grade 11 Wounds, the only picture book (or the black sheep) shortlisted in the Young Adult category for the Neev Book Award 2022, is a way to give children two things. One, a view into the work of Somnath Hore, who made art about the Bengal famine and the Tebhaga movement. Two, […]
The Beauty in Eternal Memory: Reading Paati’s Rasam | Young Readers Write
By Aida Sandy Shree, Grade 10 Paati’s Rasam is a picture book, written by the mother-daughter duo Janaki Sabesh and Dhwani Sabesh, and illustrated by Pallavi Jain. It follows the story of Malli, a little girl who loves her grandmother, and explores the transitory nature of life, and the impact it leaves behind. Through emotive […]
What Would You Do If Elephants Ruined Your Backyard? | Young Readers Write
By Neyamukil, Grade 3 What would you do, if elephants came and ruined your backyard? That is what happens to a girl called Bumoni in the story Bumoni’s Banana Trees. First, what is this story about? It is about a girl called Bumoni who lives in Assam. Her house has a BIG backyard FULL of […]