Amidst news of schools reopening in some states across the country, and some sort of normalcy finally in sight, parents are heaving a sigh of relief! Children have stayed indoors for more than 700 days now, and it’s time for good things to happen soon!
Check out our back-to0school specials here to ease your journey back to school!
If there is one habit my children have picked up or worked on these 700 days, it is undoubtedly to find recourse and comfort in the world of books. My daughter who wasn’t a picky reader used to have reading habits that were “odd” or “strange” according to me (not for her!)
If she was reading fantasy novels, she would continue reading all the books in that series in a go, and for a month or two she would be stuck to the fantasy genre. No amount of persuasion would be enough to convince her that she needed to explore other genres. “Why is she not reading non-fiction?” I would ask myself and honestly get stressed over it at times! And then when I discussed this with fellow mommies at KSP I realised I am not alone!
When we spoke to author Paro Anand, on inculcating a reading and writing habit in children, I raised this question to her- on how my child gets into a comfort zone with a genre whether she is reading or writing. And the answer is simple guys! “Let them be”, said the author with a smile, I will remember. Don’t curtail their interest and stop them from doing what they love, she tells us. They will automatically come of a genre in a while and be ready to explore newer ones. Never stop a reader, I realised that day!
(Catch the full interview with author Paro Anand here)
So, in this week’s KSP Book Club, we throw in a mixed genre bag for children of different ages so there’s something for every child! Go ahead and access the list and tell us how many from this you have read with the kids!
Author: Emilie Anand
Age: 5+
Penned by Emilie Anand, a contributor at KSP, this book is a wonderful narration for kids aged 6 and above on the concept of mixed families, why they are different from others, and at the end what binds us all together. Read the review on KSP Book Club here.
My Amma’s White Stone Mookuthi
Author: Anusha Veluswamy
Age: 4+
Anusha’s book is a poetic beauty that explains how little children grow a fond attachment to the most surprising things and how they perceive the loss of the same. Loss- big or small, is an emotion the little minds aren’t equipped to handle- this book with its delightful narrative will help. Stay tuned for a detailed review on KSP Book Club very soon!
Author: Charulatha C
Age: 6+
If you are looking for simple storybooks with characters that your kids can relate to- go for these. They teach them simple values, don’t sound too preachy. And with the series concept, the characters are a constant in the three books making them easy to connect with for the kids. My 7-year-old describes the books as “fun and teaches all about friendship!” Read the complete review on KSP Book Club here. Charulatha has come up with her next set of books on the Beaming Child Series.
Author: Sudha Murty
Age: 9+
When it comes to Indian mythology, we broadly talk about the grand epics and stories of Rama and Krishna. What about the other lesser-known characters? What stories and morals can we learn from their lives? Veteran author Sudha Murty, in her last book of the series- Unusual Tales from Mythology, revisits some of the lesser-known yet pivotal characters from Indian mythology and spins an interesting tale out of them for our little children.
Check out our exclusive interview with Sudha Murty at the launch of this book.
Age: 8+
An anthology in the children’s literary space- one that offers the varied perspectives and story narratives from a host of authors packed in one book- the perfect option for little bookaholics! This one consists of a wonderful collection of stories on little girls, their perfect childhood, the pranks they played and the life they led back in the 80s and 90s- one that didn’t have kids glued to gadgets! Penned by 15 wonderful Indian women authors, we are super excited to read this book with our kids this week. Stay tuned for a book review on KSP Book Club very soon!
Mansi Zaveri
KSP Team
Kanishka Pariani
