Many Places, Same Story: Reading That Night | Young Readers Write
That Night, a picture book by Bijal Vachharajani shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2022 in the Emerging Readers category, speaks to readers of all ages. Be they seven or seventeen, this poignant tale has moved plenty of young children. Here are two student voices. Grade 10 student Noyonika Arun writes: The book That Night […]
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 […]
Rain Must Fall On Friendship and Empowerment
Children start coming into their own as they inch closer to their teenage years. Confusion may reign high as teenagers embark on a turbulent journey of self-discovery. Nandita Basu delicately addresses this in her 2022 Neev Book Award-shortlisted graphic novel, Rain Must Fall. Centred around the life of an adolescent, the book talks about isolation, […]
Living Your Truth: Takeaways from ‘The Best At It’
For an adolescent, finding a niche for oneself may feel like a never-ending worry, constantly looming over one’s head. Most of us have tried hard to fit in and create an impression of a lifetime. Maulik Pancholy penned down similar struggles of his own in his book, The Best At It, a semi-autobiographical take on […]
5 Reasons Why Your Little One Needs to Read Paati’s Rasam
We all carry fond memories of our childhood—visiting our cousins every summer, coming home to a chilled glass of Paanakam, a bedroom clad with photographs—the list goes on. As we grow older, we learn to associate home with the people, the things, and the places that made us feel loved. Janaki and Dhwani Sabesh’s Paati’s […]
Pain, Anger, and Uncertainty: Why We Need to Learn from the Life of Artist Somnath Hore
Art is undoubtedly deeper than what we see on a canvas, print, or screen. It goes beyond any one form; art exists in our everyday life, but it takes an inquisitive mind to absorb it. Somnath Hore possessed such a mind. An Indian artist par excellence, Somnath’s preoccupation with the pain and suffering of others […]
Jamlo Walks: Sensitising Young Readers About Life During Lockdown
The COVID-19 induced pandemic caused a major shift in all of our lives. While this meant switching to virtual workspaces or watching children struggle with online classes for most of us, many were helpless as their lives were turned upside down in a matter of days. The lockdown was hard for all of us, but […]
Behind the Scenes: The Making of an Author
As Stephen King put it, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Inspiration, creativity, motivation, rewriting, editing – these are a few terms that belong permanently in every author’s vocabulary. For Maulik Pancholy, the author of The Best At It, […]