Hello!
Back to another week riddled with books, reading and all things between!
Last weekend my little girl and I took up an interesting assignment. After cleaning up our bookshelves, we decided we will revamp it a little and put the books we haven’t read yet or ones that we haven’t read much or the ones we want to re-re-read in the front of the bookshelf so they are easily accessible. And that reminded me of this classic Grant Snider cartoon!
Do you do that too? Re-read your favourite books? Guess what? Experts say that is totally acceptable and something you MUST do too!
In this week’s recommendations, we tell you all about books on my favourite topic.
Best Books With Strong Women Characters (Part 1)
The other day, my 8-year-old daughter walked up to me and said “Amma, what is feminism?” And I had to take a minute to explain to her what it really meant, and more importantly what it didn’t mean!
But to drive in the real meaning of that, it is important I teach her how to grow up as a strong woman who is independent in her thoughts and actions. And what better way to drive that than through books- the one channel that influences and inspires children in a very big way.
We have broken down some of the popular and our favourite titles age-wise so you do your bit in raising girls (and boys too!) who are inspired to shatter the glass ceiling in their true style!
Age: 2-5 years
This is the one book you would want to read to your kids to help them face bullies. No matter what they do- be yourself, the book tells the young minds. Buy here
Not All Princesses Dress In Pink
You can change the world by being who you are and with your tiaras on! A great book for the little ones that teach them about self-affirmation and on being a trendsetter! Buy here
This one explains to children in a language they understand and with delightful illustrations all about how one little girl in a war-ridden zone stood up for her rights and gave it her all. This book marks the foray of Malala Yousufzai into the world of picture books. Buy here
Teaches kids all about self-esteem and loving thyself in a fun way with great illustrations. Buy here
This lovely board book tells us the story of this powerful baby who does the things she wants and doesn’t take NO for an answer! Buy here
Age: 5-8 years
This recent book is our favourite, without a doubt. A compilation of 51 short stories for your kids to help inspire them. Not just stories about these amazing women, the book also has some great illustrations that make the whole reading experience joyful for kids. There are 12 activity pages with writing and drawing exercises, memory exercises, quizzes, scrapbook pages and lots more for your kids. Suitable for kids 5 onwards. Buy here
This series is a collection of excellent pictures books that show girls pursuing ambitions in science-something to inspire our little girls. Buy here
Tired of reading all about how the charming princess comes to save the damsel in distress? Written almost 4 decades ago, this book had the roles reversed and tells kids the inspiring story of what happens when a princess decides to save a prince in danger! Buy here
How much do our little ones actually know about agriculture and the hardships of farming? What are the obstacles one faces? This book throws light into the life of little Mati. Buy here
What happens when this extraordinary little girl with magical powers has had enough and decides that it’s payback time?! Find out with this classic! Buy here
Age: 8+
If there is one book you want to pick to inspire your girls to fall in love with science, let this be the one. A colourful collection of inspiring stories of more than 50 powerful women who shattered the glass ceiling in the field of STEM across generations is now in a handy book for your kids to read. Buy here.
Author: Kate Hannigan
Age: 8-12 years
This book is a really nice fiction for middle-grade children about America’s first female Pinkerton detective- Kate Warne. Read the journey of Kate and her eleven-year-old niece Nell Warne. Buy here.
Who said success comes only with age? This book is a wonderful collection of 30 achievers who made the world look back, surprised at them by the time they celebrated their 20th birthday! How’s that for inspiration? Buy here.
One of the popular books for tweens that was also adapted into a movie in the same name, this book is all about the tesseract and takes the reader off on a time travel. With a girl as the protagonist, this book is a must for adventure lovers. Buy here
We do not have a better book for kids in India to address the whole array of deep-rooted discrimination and marginalization in our society – gender, caste, class – and how the only befitting leveller in all these cases can be education, apart from an unquenched thirst for answers to ‘whys’. Buy here
Stay tuned for our Part 2 on this fabulous theme for kids of all ages-in the coming weeks only on KSP Book Club newsletter
Book Review Of The Week
And in this week’s book review we tell you all about Shweta Taneja’s book to inspire li’l kids into the world of science- includes some awesome women in the list of achievers too!
What’s the book about?
This 2-in-1 book comes with activities, fun facts, quizzes, trivia, and pictures of the scientists who put India on the world map when it came to inventions and discoveries. Shweta Taneja, a bestselling author in the Science Fiction & Fantasy genre has made this book more of an interesting read for kids than a book that screams just scientific facts all over.
The books give our kids a glimpse into the lives of famous scientists like Jagdish Chandra Bose, Mitali Mukherji, Sir CV Raman, Subhasis Chaudhuri, and others. Love the interesting segments in the book that prompt the kids to pick up a pencil and think and write, like the “Your Daily Water Meter” or the list that prompts kids to think of 10 things they want to invent, or the Brainy Quiz. These sections make sure the kids go back to the pages they read, understand it more, ask us a few more questions and analyze what they read. After all, isn’t that the essence of reading?!
We would say this is ideal for kids 6 and older- the little ones will enjoy it more if you sit beside them and make it a perfect bonding opportunity to teach them and inspire them to think. We await more such interesting reads from Shweta that will help make today’s Netflix generation closer to the magical world of science!
What Smart Moms of Readers Do…
What’s your book budget- for every one in the family? Do you have a weekly or monthly allowance on how much you are willing to spend on books?
Not all have. And it’s awesome if you have a limit too. It’s just that make sure you encourage your kids to spend more on books and reading than on other stuff- simple.
And if you are looking to ways to save more while not cutting down on your reading time. Here is an awesome offer- only on Kidsstoppress!
Get 2 months’ access to Kindle subscriptions FREE with the KSP Book Club subscription
We had sent you a mail earlier, along with your exclusive coupon code to avail 2 months; FREE access to Kindle Unlimited subscription. So go ahead and redeem it if you haven’t already!
I have listed 5 books that I recently added to my daughter’s library (for free!) with the Kindle Unlimited subscription. Check out the list below.
Conversation Starter Of The Week
To keep kids abreast with what’s happening around them it is essential we break down the news events in a language they understand.
Last week, my daughter read the newspaper aloud and asked me to explain what an equinox was. I vaguely remember that phrase from my 6th standard geography class and didn’t remember anything more!
We just tuned into the I Am Not Bored episode on the Kidsstoppress Podcast to know more about this celestial occurrence and its significance.
Tune in to this and let us know in the comments below how your kids enjoyed it.
Word Of The Week
Quagmire:
A soft, wet area of land; also used to describe complex and difficult situations
Usage: After the job loss during the pandemic, he is now caught in a financial quagmire.
Sunday Storytelling Sessions With KSP Book Club
We are excited about earmarking all the upcoming Sundays of the year for fabulous and interactive storytelling sessions with popular and award-winning authors, storytellers and publishing houses in the children’s literary space.
From Bijal Vachharajani to Swati Kheria to Anisha Bajaj and most recently Lavanya Karthik, we have had a star-studded lineup of storytellers interact with our little audience. Catch up on every week’s event right here.
Share your feedback if you are liking our exclusive KSP Book Club newsletters. Tag us on @kidsstoppress and #KSPBooKClub to tell us if you like the reccos we share every week. And if you have any special requests do drop me a mail at [email protected].
Also, don’t forget to join us on our Storytelling Sessions on KSP Book Club every Sunday. Join us on the Kidsstoppress Facebook Page.
Mansi Zaveri
