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Varsha Seshan

Dead Man’s Cove

March 6, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The cover of Dead Man’s Cove, the first of the Laura Marlin Mysteries, has a snippet from a review, proclaiming that the book will delight Enid Blyton fans. And so, even though […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Dead Mans Cove, Enid Blyton, Kidnap in the Caribbean, Lauren St John, reading, review

Me and Mister P

February 22, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Text: Me and Mister P Written by Maria Farrer, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley Image: A polar bear at a doorway, a boy on the inside of the house facing the bear

There are times when only a polar bear will do …” Arthur and Liam’s Mum I’m still smiling as I write this review, even though I finished reading Me and Mister P yesterday. […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Me and Mister P, reading, review

Reading and Data

February 18, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Adults love data. They love graphs and statistics and numbers. During workshops with adults, the moment I put up a graph, I have everyone’s attention as if I’m finally saying […]

Filed Under: Resources, Workshops Tagged With: Inculcating the Habit of Reading, reading, Workshops for Adults

The Little Rainmaker

February 12, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

It is the year 2028, and it hasn’t rained for ten years. The last time it rained, Anoushqa was in her mother’s womb. She kicked when it rained. That’s her […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: reading, review, Roopal Kewalya, The Little Rainmaker

The Lies We Tell

February 9, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I finished reading The Lies We Tell last night. I woke up this morning, still disturbed. For a moment, I just had a vague sense of unease that I could not place, but […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Himanjali Sankar, reading, review, The Lies We Tell

Bungee Cord Hair

February 8, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Five months ago, an editor mentioned to me that publishers in India believe that Asian literature, apart from books written in the subcontinent, will not sell. I was taken aback […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Bungee Cord Hair, Ching Yeung Russell, reading, review, Scholastic Asian Book Award 2012

Reading Workshops: Why? What? How?

February 7, 2019 by Varsha Seshan 4 Comments

Activities at reading workshops - jigsaws

Many, many parents ask me what a reading workshop is. What happens during a reading workshop? Who should attend a reading workshop and why? What will the outcome of a […]

Filed Under: Resources, Workshops Tagged With: reading

World Read Aloud Day at the Writers’ Club

February 3, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School meets only twice a week, so World Read Aloud Day sometimes becomes Writers’ Club Read Aloud Day, but so what? I celebrated it […]

Filed Under: Resources, Workshops Tagged With: How to pick a book, reading, St. Mary's School, World Read Aloud Day, Writers' Club

Top Ten: Young Adult Books in 2018

January 8, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

There’s so much happening in the world of Young Adult books! Some people may classify a few of these books as MG rather than YA, but again, I put forth […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: boy 87, Daddy Come Lately, Elizabeth Laird, Fire Colour One, how not to disappear, Invisible People, Just Henry, Magic Flutes, reading, Red Sky in the Morning, review, The Lie Tree, The Thing about Jellyfish, When She Went Away

Top Ten: Middle-Grade Books in 2018

January 6, 2019 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

My list of favourite middle-grade books was the most difficult one to make! Until the second I hit ‘Publish’, I kept changing my mind about which books to include. I […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: A Library of Lemons, Charmed Life, Dear Mrs. Naidu, Perijee and Me, reading, review, The A-Z Djinn Detective Agency, The Bone Sparrow, The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, The Girl Who Walked on Air, The House with Chicken Legs, The Wolf Wilder

Top Ten: Books for Young Readers in 2018

January 4, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I know that ‘books for young readers’ is a very vague title, but these aren’t all chapter books, though the age-group for all the books on the list is similar. […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World, Heartsong, Kittus Very Mad Day, Lady Lollipop, reading, review, The ACB with Honora Lee, The Last Tiger, The Not-a-Pig, Tilly and the Time Machine, Wishing for Tomorrow

Top Ten: Picture Books in 2018

January 2, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

It’s when I make lists like this that I realise how many books I read each year. It makes me deeply conscious of how privileged I am to be able […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Ammachi's Amazing Machines, Boa's Bad Birthday, Can I Join Your Club, Farida Plans a Feast, Fortunately Unfortunately, Have You Seen Elephant, I Can Dress Myself, Lion Goes for a Haircut, reading, review, The Five of Us, The Weightlifting Princess

Invisible People

December 29, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

How does one begin to write about a book as powerful as Invisible People? Stories of hope and courage – that’s what the cover promises, yet I did not expect […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Harsh Mander, Invisible People, reading, review

Carthick’s Unfairy Tales

December 7, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Have you ever thought of Cinderella from the point of view of the mouse? No, not one of the sweet singing mice in Disney’s version. Instead, from the point of […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Carthick's Unfairy Tales, reading

Tilly and the Time Machine

December 3, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Just thinking about Tilly and the Time Machine makes me chuckle, even though I finished reading it a couple of days ago. It’s been a while since I read such […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Adrian Edmondson, Danny Noble, reading, Tilly and the Time Machine

The Peculiars

November 28, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Kieran is one of only two male Reception class teachers on the Isle of Wight.His days mainly consist of singing nursery rhymes, tying shoelaces, trying to locate who has had […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Kieran Larwood, reading, review, The Peculiars

Paradise End

November 15, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Especially when I’m struggling with my writing, I find myself wondering all kinds of things. What makes a good book? What keeps me reading? When do I roll my eyes […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Elizabeth Laird, Paradise End, reading, review

History Mysteries: The Last Tiger

November 1, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Last Tiger broke my heart. The thylacine – what a wonderful, curious animal. A pouched dog with a wolf’s face. A dog with stripes. The Tasmanian tiger. At the Asian […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: AFCC 2018, History Mysteries, reading, review, The Last Tiger

Boy 87

October 21, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Boy 87 came frighteningly close to becoming too much for me as a reader. As I read on, there was one stage where I was filled with a sickening sense of […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: boy 87, Ele Fountain, reading, review

Kittu’s Very Mad Day

July 11, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Packed with more characters than I could count, reading Kittu’s Terrible Horrible No Good Very Mad Day is a crazy experience. Kittu’s family is the most chaotic one in the world – […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Harshikaa Udasi, Kittus Very Mad Day, reading, review

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