Category Archives: 12+ years

Book Review – Living With Adi

Book Title – Living With Adi
Author – Zarin Virji
Published By – Penguin Random House India
Recommended Age Group – 12+ years

Anupama Ma’am, my creative writing mentor, gives the best book recommendations. When she sent a link to buy ‘Living with Adi’, I knew I would absolutely love it.

PLOT

‘Living with Adi’ is a novel about an autistic teenager living in Mumbai with his family. The book features different crossroads in Adi’s life, and how he is resilient and brave through it all. Each part is written by someone in his life.

There are different people, some love Adi and others judge him. Their perspectives come together as a well rounded story, telling us who Adi is and who he is capable of becoming.

TAKEAWAYS

I’ve learnt a LOT about ASD from this book.

ASD struggles are real, but that doesn’t mean a neurodivergent child is any ‘different’ or ‘less’. I’ve also understood that ASD is a spectrum, and different children may face various problems. It’s an umbrella term.

Through this book, we see how some people heavily judge everyone around them, without even noticing and acknowledging their struggles.

CHARACTERS

The characters of this book need a special mention! Each character is intricately woven with nuances and foibles. Some characters will make you laugh, some will make you cry, some will make you want to hug them, and you will love some and despise some.

Each chapter is written through the lens of a different character. The characters have so much perspective!

The author has also left trails around the book about each character, and you will understand them so much better at the end of the book.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME

This book is near flawless. I understand why some of the characters’ perspectives weren’t included, but I still think it would be nice to hear from his doctor and some of the ‘bad guys’.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Ever since the package containing this book arrived at my house, I’ve been re-reading it, and I’ve honestly lost count of how many times. I love it a little more every time I read it, and find something new to appreciate in it. This is a must-have, must-buy and must-read! Take my word for it, you will not be disappointed.

You can get your copy of the book here.

Reviewed by: Vinisha Nainani from Hyderabad

Bearing My Hero: A Memoir of Paddington

Fear gripped me as I clambered onto the stage. Nevertheless, I took tiny steps onto the center of the dais. I was Paddington Bear in the talent show I had signed up for, and I instantly regretted dressing as a bear. But I never anticipated what I thought was embarrassment until after the show when I was appreciated for my performance. You might wonder what led me to present myself as Paddington, especially in front of my friends.

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Musik-Ville

The village of my dreams is a little German village named Musik-Ville, meaning “place of music.” This place is entirely inhabited by living musical instruments. The instruments here can not only make music all by themselves but can also speak and move around. The cottages have doors and windows that can open all by themselves, as the inhabitants do not have arms. Technology does not exist in Musik-Ville, which means all the villagers can live in harmony.

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11 Tips for Writing a ‘Tips’ Article

In school these days, all of us have been learning different types of texts, and ‘tips’ articles are one of them. It can get confusing (I have first-hand experience), so I decided to write something to aid all of you.

1. Be Conversational

Use direct address with your reader. You don’t want your reader to feel left out or ignored in any way. They will feel encompassed in your words.

2. Maintain a Semi-Formal Tone

Have the perfect semi-formal tone to appeal to all audiences. A formal register frightens away adolescents, and a casual one might not resonate with more mature individuals.

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Two to Tango by Prisha & Paulomi

At Beyond the Box, we are constantly thinking of ideas to give something unique, refreshing as well as challenging to our community of writers. Two to Tango is one such endeavour to encourage the participants to work along with another writer as a team and bring about a creative synergy. 40+ teams participated in Season 3 of this one-of-its-kind contest and the winners were chosen by prolific author Kanchana Banerjee. Below prompt was given to the writers and they were asked to narrate the same story from two different points of view. 

Prompt – Write a fictional story in which a book reveals a secret. Feel free to creatively interpret the prompt in any genre of your choice. 

The 1st Runners-Up in the kids’ category were Prisha Ambi & Paulomi Babre (Team 9). Enjoy their story!

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The Evolution of Matcha: A Tea Trend

Matcha is a traditional Asian tea. It is a finely ground powder that is made of crushed green tea leaves, traditionally called tencha, which are from the plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are kept in the shade for around 20 days before the matcha is produced. It is now a common ingredient used in various dishes, both traditional and modern. Let’s have a glance at its history and origins.

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Unconventional Characters that Disney has Made and We Have Forgotten

*Attempts to manifest the reunion of the Disney Fandom by screaming ‘Mowgli’, ‘Stitch’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’*

Did it work?

Right! The Disney fans (or not) who are reading this article because of my manifestation, you are in for a treat today 😉

Disney, the 13th most powerful brand worldwide, is known for its wholesome animated and live-action movies for all ages.

Continue reading Unconventional Characters that Disney has Made and We Have Forgotten