Reading together this summer
Toddlers to Young adults
I was ten years old. Summer holidays had arrived. I raided my grandfather’s cupboard and picked up my first non-fiction - An autobiography of Henry Ford. The book held little appeal to me. Seeing that I put it down within 15 minutes, my thaatha (maternal grandfather) suggested a more light-hearted read. 'Three Men in a Boat' was his book of choice and we read it together, roaring with laughter.
To the world, thaatha was a powerhouse of knowledge, having spent decades as a journalist, traveling extensively. People streamed in and out of my grandparents’ home, chatting with thaatha about world affairs, economics and literature. To me, he was simply the man who loved sitting on his rocking chair with a book in one hand and a hot cup of filter coffee in another. He loved reading out stories to me, with pitch-perfect intonation and pronunciation. He was also an endless supplier of potato chips and Britannia biscuits. Together, over many warm Chennai summer afternoons, we covered Charles Dickens, Tagore, George Orwell and many more…
A couple of years later, thaatha came home and gave me a copy of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and promised me that we would go over the story together that weekend. He was on his way to attend his nephew's wedding. The next morning, amma woke me up to tell me that thaatha had passed away the previous night, surrounded by his siblings and extended family. I instinctively ran to my cupboard and pulled out the copy of Ivanhoe and hugged it. To this day, that dog-eared copy of Ivanhoe stays with me. It has traveled to my college hostels, the chamri I stayed in Mumbai when I began my career and every city I have lived and worked in, since.
In hindsight, Ivanhoe was hardly a book that one would expect a middle-schooler to appreciate. I was able to understand the story many years later, after I knew a little something about the Crusades and England's social context. Yet, there is one thing I am confident about my experience of reading it as a middle-schooler. Had I sat down with Britannia biscuits and potato chips in hand listening to thaatha read those words, the experience would have been magical.
April is recognized as School Library Month. It is a time to celebrate the role of adults (especiall librarians) in fostering a love of reading and learning. This week’s piece on the Lighter Side is a list of book recommendations, books that parents and their offsprings can read together.
If you are a parent reading this newsletter, you’ll find books for kids aged 5-8, 9-12 and 13+ year olds. If you are a young reader reading this, skim through the book outlines and see if you find something that fascinates you. Once you find what you like, ask the adult in your house to get you the book, and/or sit down with you and read together.
Ages 5-8
Book 1: I Want to Be by Anushka Ravishankar; illustrated by Rathna Ramanathan
This is a book that plays with the form and meaning of the written word. It brings together joyful words and brilliant typography to play with meaning, reflecting a child's delight in the overturning of logic.
Take this text for instance:
I want to be an elephant
Or a packing trunk
Or maybe something smaller
Like the big toe of a monk
Book 2: Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena; illustrated by Christian Robinson
This is a beautifully written picture book that can affect children in one of the most meaningful ways, as they grow up. This book is about not judging people by appearances. This is a story of a boy named Milo who rides the subway with his sister. He draws pictures of the people he sees on the train, and imagines their lives when they step off. As the ride progresses, and he steps off the train, he comes upon new information that prompts Milo to revisit and re-evaluate his choices. Christian Robinson’s distinctive illustration style is a great complement to de la Pena’s assured writing.
Ages 9-12
Book 1: PNK Panicker’s Ghost Stories by Suresh Eriyat
This is a collection of stories and is based on the exploits of Suresh’s 93-year-old father Pazhumadathil Narayana Panicker, who loves to string together bits of stories, folklore, and his own imagination, to spin tales about mystical beings that are replete with detail, leading one to believe in them with utter conviction. The author had originally set out to make an animation film like ‘an instruction manual for ghosts’.
Book 2: Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness; illustrated by Tim Miller
This book is centred around a robustly built monitor lizard named Zeke, who is chosen to be a hall monitor with his two friends Daniel and Alicia. This is not because they happen to belong to a species of monitor lizards. Zeke and his friends are new to the school, and are from the poorer sections of town. The trio find themselves targeted by the school bully Pelicarnassus, a mean pelican, whose mother happens to be a Supervillain. In addition, Zeke’s mother’s emotional health has also been vulnerable ever since his father passed away a few years ago. To top it all, Zeke also manages to exist with the country of France residing on his knee.
The author has reimagined where these animals and birds would land on the social hierarchy of a fictional school. This is a book that is guaranteed to leave readers in splits, rooting all the way for the monitor lizards-trio, hoping that they soon skip into the limelight.
Ages 13+
Book 1: Art Is a Voice, written and illustrated by Kripa Bhatia
This is a book from India that’s been making waves both within the country and internationally. It was recently awarded the highly sought-after Bologna Ragazzi Award for 2025 in the category of Sustainability. The award highlights the most beautiful and innovative picture books from around the world.
Kripa, the author-illustrator, began with a set of verses that she put together in response to a comment on social media in 2020, which prompted her to mull over “a picture book about art as a tool of dissent, as a messenger for the marginalised, and as a mirror for the seats of authority and power.”
Book 2: I am not your perfect Mexican daughter by Erika Sanchez
The story revolves around a teenager Julia. Her older sister was the “perfect” Mexican daughter. That’s because, unlike 15-year-old Julia, Olga wore modest clothes, spent evenings with her parents and didn’t have grand ambitions that involved going away to college and leaving her family behind. But after a tragic accident leads to Olga’s death, Julia is left alone with her family. In Olga’s absence, Julia’s parents are quick to find fault with just about everything she does, and the teen struggles to juggle their expectations with her own grief. The author drew from her own adolescence as the ambitious child of immigrant parents to create the character of Julia, a whip-smart, tempestuous teen who is quick to declare that she dislikes “most people and most things.” Her authentic voice made the book, published in 2017, an instant hit with readers and a finalist for the National Book Award.
Podcasts to listen to on ‘What’s new today’
How to write stories - a conversation with acclaimed children’s author Menaka Raman
Why Bournvita, Complan and other such health drinks are NOT healthy for kids - a conversation with a food technologist Sarika Singh
Summer is here - put away those pesky school books and engage with the real world
Kids’ travel journal to write down their travel experiences, sketch their adventures and stick their tickets. Comes with space for drawing, sticking, and scribbling. - you can buy it here for INR 549.
"Tiny Podcasters" course (ages 6-13) - Kids can learn to interview their favourite cat, or, author, or their very own friend. Group classes (Details here).
Writing course for kids aged 8-14 - 1-on-1 sessions. Kids learn to craft groundbreaking short stories like "Why I Deserve More Screen Time." Details on course structure and fees are here.
Printed children’s magazine - a magazine for kids filled with interesting news stories from 2024, conveyed through comic strips. Also has puzzles and colouring activities. You can buy here for INR 399. Perfect for kids aged 8+ (makes for excellent gifts too)
Recommended Reads from Lighter Side
The dog that saved the lives of three children (real story from Sep 2023)
Why does Bengaluru have a water shortage EVERY summer? Vanishing lakes and more….