At KSP Book Club, we look for books that are fun, entertaining and that have understandable plots. What do you look for in a children’s book when you choose one?
Apart from the obvious fact that it should entertain and engage your child…
What Should Be The Purpose Of The Book?
To me, frankly, every book is the start of many conversations that a child is going to have with you. Be it understanding the moral and agreeing with it, fighting the same, questioning a character’s arc, or dissecting a sub-plot- the more the merrier! As we say on KSP Book Club, after your child finishes a book, have a conversation with them about what they read, what they liked (even what they didn’t like), and their perspective on the same.
On KSP Book Club, that’s what we recommend week-after-week with our book reccos for kids, filtered by age and category as well as reviews of new releases in the market. You can access all of this at just Rs. 499 for a whole year. Sign up below.
On KSP Book Club Review This Week:
This week on KSP Book Club we review a popular book that parents and children are loving by author Varsha Varghese, titled “Leya’s Extra-Secret Super-Important Birthday List”. Suitable for kids aged 8 and above, and illustrated wonderfully by Bhavya Jha, this book starts off as a simple narrative about a bubbly 9-year-old girl, her daily adventures, her best friends and the pizza that she likes only with loads of cheese, etc. And then the author slowly weaves in the part about the father character who works abroad but has now come home- for how long she doesn’t know, but some suspense she can sense. What’s happening in their lives?
Children’s literary works always showcase the ideal and happy family– with everyone together and happy all the time. Very rarely do you get stories that present situations like this- where the dad is staying away and the little girl has made her peace with seeing him rarely. But how is she going to adjust to the changes that come her way now?
What Message Does The Book Give?
Author Varsha breaks the norms by weaving in a serious topic that opens up a gamut of complex emotions into the story in language that your young readers can understand and relate to. The “big suspense” comes in only halfway through the story but takes it on from there.
The book strikes a chord with single parents, parents who are in different parts of the globe, and what it means to stay away from your homeland. She also beautifully portrays the mother character as a strong woman. Who knows how to handle pesky questions from people around on “when the father is coming back for good” and yet, shows her struggles of raising a child all by herself.
Go ahead, give this book a try and tell us how your kids understood or reacted to the story. And if you have a similar experience as Leya in the story, share it with us too!
And till then, go ahead and check out the benefits of signing up for the Annual Plan of the KSP Book Club subscription programme. Your kids will love it, we guarantee!
Mansi Zaveri
Janani S Koushik
Janani S Koushik
Mansi Zaveri
Janani S Koushik
Janani S Koushik
