It was a typical, lively Christmas eve. Children were preparing to receive gifts from Santa Claus. Milk and Cookies were set. Stockings were hung.
“Em, what gift have you asked for this time?” Sammy asked his sister, Emma. Emma said that it was a secret and grinned.
They were twins. Kind yet Mischievous. They were well-known for their pranks.
****NEXT DAY****
**CHRISTMAS DAY**
In this life of COVID-19, one day I was chilling out in my room, aimlessly switching the television channels and munching on some fries. Out of the blue, at a totally unexpected time when no one usually visits us, the doorbell rang. Perplexed, I walked up to the door and flung it open. My cousins were on the door! I was shell-shocked to see them in front of me and was about to fall. They traveled by their car to surprise us. I was thrilled and so excited.
Book Title – Hope: Stories for a healthy mind
Author – Pragati Sureka
Genre – Realistic Fiction
Publisher – Scholastic India
Recommended for Age Groups – 5+ years
Book Summary
This book contains three stories about three different kids – Ryan, Kabir, and Shoma – who come across various emotional challenges, which they are struggling to deal with and are unable to share comfortably with their parents. The stories depict the journey of how they overcome their challenges and learn to deal with the circumstances they are in. The book has a separate segment for parents too, with simple guidelines on how to boost a child’s emotional well-being. This book is for parents as well as children for mental health awareness.
Continue reading Book Review – Hope: Stories for a healthy mind
Sitting on a minibus
My heart thumping in my chest
The driver leaking
Chrysanthemum tea
The blinding symphony of lights
Reflecting behind me
Continue reading Hong Kong – The Filling Inside My Dumplings
Book Name – Dasavatara
Author – Piyusha Vir
Illustrator – Aparajitha Vaasudev
Publisher – Westland (Red Panda Imprint)
‘Dasavatara’ by Piyusha Vir, as conveyed in the title itself, is a book about the 10 main avatars of Lord Vishnu (the preserver). The book consists of short stories about each of these Avatars. All of these stories have an underlying theme – when darkness tries to take over the world, Lord Vishnu comes to the rescue as, after all, he is the preserver!
I joined a writing workshop,
Where I learnt to join my dots;
And picked the art of writing,
To give wings to my thoughts.
He heaved a sigh of relief, having hiked all the way up to the crest. Joy dawned upon him, as he reminded himself of the fact, that he was the only person to have ever made it to the Stallrose peaks. The view filled him with serenity, calm and peace. The sight from this point was immensely breathtaking and its aura made it almost seem unreal. The peaks stood high and upright, embracing the enchanting sight, as the sky welcomed their presence with a warm and magnificent blue. Their wonderful artistry was a well-kept secret.
Book name – Spellbound!
Author – Nalini Sorensen
Publisher – Scholastic India
“Spellbound!” is a unique and delightful book by renowned author Nalini Sorensen with a contemporary and refreshing take on the classic tale of “Princess and the Frog”. The base and the plot remains the same, but the end is radical in a way that teaches us so much more than the cliché fairy tales we were introduced to as kids.
When I was growing up, my father’s books were a constant source of fascination and awe for me. Since both my parents were into reading, it wasn’t long before I was baptized too. We moved house often which meant my hoard couldn’t move en masse every time. Besides, like every kid growing up in the eighties, it was a given that there were only as many books the parents would buy.
Desperate souls like me looked outward, borrowed from friends and to make the buck last longer, plan and buy in such a way that our collection never overlapped. Then there were the libraries, a piece of heaven. To this day libraries take me back to my childhood reminding me that there are good things in this world. They are like power banks where I can go and recharge myself.
Continue reading 7 Libraries In India Spreading Joy And More – Featured Post By Shivani Salil
I wasn’t born rich. I came from very humble beginnings. What u see of me today is a far cry from what I was back then.
I was born in the wild, not very far from this city. When I opened my eyes for the first time, I was amazed to see beauty all around me. I was surrounded by beautiful creatures, just like me. We enjoyed the sun, swayed in the breeze, danced in the rain and had fun all day long. Those still remain the best days of my life.
