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Varsha Seshan

The Giver

August 17, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Teaching creative writing is always eye-opening. Over time, we’ve worked with mythopoeia, dystopia, fantasy, adventure, and mystery, requiring us to come up with all kinds of mentor texts and examples. […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: classic, dystopia, Lois Lowry, Middle Grade, reading, review, The Giver

The Wild Robot

August 12, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Reading The Wild Robot with one of my book clubbers was quite the experience. ‘Do you think a robot can experience emotions?’ I asked.‘Yes,’ came the confident reply, which took […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Middle Grade, Peter Brown, reading, review, science fiction, The Wild Robot

Dum Dum to the Rescue & Yet More Adventures of Little Shambu

August 11, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I just finished reading book 3 of the Little Shambu series, and it’s just as enjoyable as the others! We meet all the familiar characters–Little Shambu and family, the dog […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Dum Dum to the Rescue, Little Shambu, reading, review, Short Stories, Tinkle

Five Fictional Friendships I Loved Writing

August 6, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Three years ago, to celebrate Friendship Day, I wrote about five times fictional friendships won my heart. For Friendship Day 2023, here’s a post about five fictional friendships I enjoyed […]

Filed Under: Books, Writing Tagged With: Dharas Revolution, Friendship Day, Sisters at New Dawn, The Best Idea of All, The Clockwalas Clues, The Prophecy of Rasphora

Kolam Kanna

August 1, 2023 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

I’ve read two books by Vibha Batra in less than a month, and I’ve loved them both! So many things about Kolam Kanna were utterly delightful that this review deserves […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages nine and ten, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, Kolam Kanna, reading, review, Vibha Batra

In the Bear’s Den & More Adventures of Little Shambu

July 30, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Life is never humdrum with Little Shambu around, and I loved this next set of adventures too!  I remember reading about how the non-violence policy of Shikari Shambu ensured that […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, In the Bear's Den and More Adventures of Little Shambu, Little Shambu, reading, review, Short Stories, Tinkle

Postcard from the Lushai Brigade

July 28, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

What a beautiful addition to the Songs of Freedom series! Reminiscent of Private Peaceful although for a younger audience, Postcard from the Lushai Brigade is the story of a pair […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Hannah Lalhlanpuii, historical fiction, Middle Grade, Postcard from the Lushai Brigade, reading, review, Songs of Freedom

Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu

July 21, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Much of my childhood was spent surrounded by Enid Blytons and Roald Dahls, Dick King-Smiths and Allen Frewin Joneses. But Tinkle stayed a favourite. I never got drawn to Chandamama […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages seven and eight, Little Shambu, reading, review, Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu, Tinkle

Gobi Goes Viral

July 17, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Gopi compares everybody around him to a vegetable. His world comprises a capsicum, a carrot, a tomato, a sweet potato … The problem, of course, is that the moment he […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: books for ages nine and ten, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, early middle grade, Gobi Goes Viral, reading, review, Vibha Batra

Moin and the Monster

July 6, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I’m rereading Moin and the Monster with my book club! I read it in June 2021, and all those who read it with me are now too old to be part […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Anushka Ravishankar, books for ages nine and ten, Moin and the Monster, online reading programme, reading, reading workshop

Because of Winn-Dixie

July 4, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie has been on my list of books to read for a l-o-n-g time. Yet, I didn’t get around to reading it until I thought of introducing it […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Because of Winn-Dixie, book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Kate DiCamillo, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading

A Flamingo in My Garden

July 2, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

We’ve read Talon the Falcon, The Golden Eagle and The Paradise Flycatcher. How can we not read A Flamingo in My Garden? The entire Feather Tales series is stunningly illustrated in full colour, and that […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: A Flamingo in My Garden, book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Deepak Dalal, Feather Tales, online reading programme, reading

The Paper Plane Flew

June 29, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Don’t you love stories that come full circle? As an adult reader, I was waiting to see how the paper plane that flew would come all the way back to […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Bharti Singh, books for ages five and six, Chapter Book, Hook Books, reading, review, The Paper Plane Flew

Trunk Call for Ajju

June 26, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

There’s something special about animal stories for children. I’ve never had a pet and I’ve never worked with animals, yet I remember devouring books like the Animal Ark series. There […]

Filed Under: Books, Children Tagged With: Anjana Nagabhushana, books for ages seven and eight, Chapter Book, reading, review, Trunk Call for Ajju

Zen

June 20, 2023 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

What a book. I’m not sure I know how to begin reviewing a book as mighty as Shabnam Minwalla’s Zen. It is such a compelling read that even though it’s […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, reading, review, Shabnam Minwalla, Young Adult, Zen

Read, Write, Race

May 14, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Over two years ago, we read Hungry to Read by Arti Sonthalia at my book club. The children thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the book discussion was completely different from what […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Arti Sonthalia, book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, online reading programme, Read Write Race, reading, review

The Prophecy of Rasphora

May 13, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

It is always a little daunting to introduce a book of my own to my book club. But I’ve done so many events based on The Prophecy of Rasphora, and so […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, online reading programme, online workshops for children, reading, The Prophecy of Rasphora, varsha seshan

Fortunately, the Milk …

May 12, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Some time ago, we read Help, My Aai Wants to Eat Me! at my book club. As planned, one of the things we did as we read the book was to […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Fortunately the Milk, Neil Gaiman, online reading programme, reading, review

Journey to Jo’burg

May 11, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I picked up my copy of Journey to Jo’burg when I visited The Dogears Bookshop a couple of months ago. As I read it, I wondered whether I could introduce it to […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: Beverley Naidoo, book club, bookish activities, books for ages nine and ten, Journey to Joburg, online reading programme, reading

Manya Learns to Roar

May 10, 2023 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Manya Learns to Roar by Shruthi Rao is the first book I’m repeating at my book club. We read it at the very first edition of my reading programme, when I […]

Filed Under: Books, Children, Workshops Tagged With: book club, bookish activities, books for ages seven and eight, Manya Learns to Roar, online reading programme, reading, Shruthi Rao

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