Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review – Flyaway Boy

Book Title – Flyaway Boy
Author –Jane De Suza
Published By – Puffin
Recommended Age Group – 9-12 years

Kabir is an ordinary boy at first glance, but there’s an astonishing difference between his biological and mental age. Despite being an imaginative and kind individual, he often finds himself sidelined by peers, teachers, and even his own family, almost invisible to those around him. However, when he mysteriously disappears, he becomes the center of attention. His elder sister and the police mobilize to find him, leaving the question hanging – will Kabir ever return to his family? Discover the answer in ‘Flyaway Boy’ by Jane De Suza. 

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Book Review – Wish

Book Title – Wish
Author – Barbara O’Connor
Published By – Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Recommended Age Group – 9-12 years

‘WISH’ is an enthralling book which tells us about the captivating story of Charlie Reese who is sent to live with a family when her mother could not take care of her in Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It talks about how she adapts to the new place settling in with her big-hearted aunt and uncle, her loving dog and how she befriends a boy named Howard in her class. Charlie has a lot of wishes in mind but all of them seem unlikely to happen. The book tells us about how Charlie Reese finally realizes the true meaning of family in North Carolina.

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Book Review – Wonder

Book Title – Wonder
Author – R.J.Palacio
Published By – Penguin Random House
Recommended Age Group – 10+ years

When I finally finished Wonder, it was hard to stop thinking about how it inspired and refreshed me. The positive feedback covering the inside pages and back cover of the book could only begin to describe the great emotional journey that is Wonder. It is a book that I can guarantee will leave any reader feeling better.

“My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”

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Book Review – Mayil Will Not Be Quiet

Book Title – Mayil Will Not Be Quiet
Author – Niveditha Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran
Illustrator – Niveditha Subramaniam
Published By – Tulika Publishers
Recommended Age Group – 11+ years

About the Book

This is a fictional book about real-life challenges any middle school girl goes through. It’s an amazing book that will make you cry and laugh and teach you all the crucial things one needs to know while growing up.

Synopsis

Have you ever wondered why that weird, quiet man wears a saree you see on a train or a bus? Or why all the great Bollywood actors/actresses are fair and white-skinned? Well! This book is a must-read if you are as curious as Mayil! It talks about everything any girl wants answers to. It’s a beautiful book explaining transgender, skin color, sex, love, and much more. Family drama… school fights! Enjoy how Mayil beats the irksome Jyothi, rejoins forces with Ki, and calmly handles the ‘V.S. Situation’.

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Book Review – As I Prepare For Landing

‘As I Prepare For Landing!’ is the debut book of Mrs. Gulnar Raheem Khan. It won the Best Debut award in the Fiction Book category held at the 4th ALS Lit Fest in the year 2022. It has been described as a ‘Basket of Stories’ and a ‘Casket of Poems’. I would, however, classify most of the prose in this book as personal experiences and anecdotes, since they do not follow the structure expected from a short story, like character arc, plot, conflict. They are simplistic in nature, with love and compassion being the common themes recurring throughout the book. 

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Book Review – My Act Of Heart

Book Title – My Act Of Heart

Author – Various

Ideated & Curated By – Anjali G Sharma & Deepika Ahuja

Recommended Age – 7+ years

Ideated and Curated by Anjali G Sharma and Deepika Ahuja, My Act Of Heart is an anthology of stories written by children from around the globe which bring to fore the virtues of compassion and generosity towards everyone, irrespective of genders and races. The stories included in this book are heartwarming and at times quite funny as well! Majority of the plots in the book are of a child or a group of children (for the most part friends) who either go somewhere where they observe someone in need, or chance upon something or someone they can help. Whatever be the case, the children in question choose to act on the scenario and with the consent of their parents or grandparents, help those in need. Now, if every single story was about helping a human, we could get pretty bored reading the book after a point. But what makes this book interesting throughout are the varied acts of compassion which are each unique. The book manages to keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what is coming next. 

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Book Review – Kings, Saviours & Scoundrels

Book Title – Kings, Saviours & Scoundrels: Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara

Author – Anupama Jain

Genre – Folktales/Legends

Publisher – Readomania

Recommended Age – 7+ years

Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara by Anupama Jain is a retelling of tales from the Kathā-saritsāgara – one of India’s oldest classics. It is a well-known collection of stories from the 11th century. It was also told in Sanskrit by Somadeva who was a Brahmin Sanskrit scholar from Kashmir. The stories are very old, but the morals conveyed by them are still relevant and understandable to kids as well.

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