I love Anushka Ravishankar's books. Whether it's Moin and the Monster or Captain Coconut or At Least a Fish, I find myself chuckling as I read, shaking my head at her wacky humour.Ana, the protagonist of At Least a Fish, wants a dog. She really wants a dog. But her parents go and get her fish instead - not one, but three! Ana's friend Zain would call them Fishyone, Fishytwo and Fishythree, but Ana being Ana calls them Socrates, Aristotle (Totty for short) and Plato.That's just one of the dozens of crazy things in the story. From a dragon in a filthy pool to a dog who thinks he's a fish, At Least a Fish brims over with humour and madness. I can't wait to read it at my reading programme! Differences At Least a Fish is such a wonderful book to talk about differences - both obvious ones and not-so-obvious ones. There's one hilarious page in the … [Read more...]
The Mystery of the Graveyard Gold
We've read The Mystery of the Missing Geometry Boxes and The Mystery of the Disappearing Drone, the other two books in the AKA Detective Club series. It's time to read the first of the series, The Mystery of the Graveyard Gold! It is an engaging mystery story that features three children on a backwards treasure hunt, which, in itself, is a fun premise. We start with the treasure and work out where it came from. Here's what we'll do as we read! Mystery Stories At my book club recently, a child told me that she usually loves mystery stories, but she hates those in which the detective reaches the wrong conclusion. While I devoured Enid Blyton's mystery stories, this was not a genre that I got drawn to as I grew older. I'd love to know from my book clubbers - what mystery stories have you read and loved? What do you find satisfying about a … [Read more...]
Poseidon and the Sea of Fury
We've read Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom twice at my book club; it's the first of the Heroes in Training series. With older kids reading Heroes of Olympus and other books based on Greek and Roman mythology, I find that the younger ones are excited by the same themes too. This series serves as the perfect introduction! I'm looking forward to reading this story about young Poseidon with my young book clubbers! Here's what we'll do as we read. Mythology The scope of mythology is limitless! Storytelling is an important part of my book club, and I will ask each child to tell me a myth that they know, focusing on keeping it clear and brief! What if ...? An unusual "what-if" question makes for an unusual story! Poseidon and the Sea of Fury features a young Poseidon who is terrified of water, and here, we have a fun, imaginative idea. … [Read more...]
Mac B Kid Spy: Mac Undercover
The silliness and drama of Mac B. Kid Spy: Mac Undercover make it a promisingly exciting read at my book club! Stories about spies, subterfuge and suspicion make for great book club reads, and I'm sure this one will be no different. Here's what we'll do as we read. I Spy Looking closely at the cover is a great way to predict what will happen in the story, and what better way to do it than through a game? We’ll play “I spy” with the details of the cover. I spy something beginning with c! I spy something beginning with s! What details do we then spot? Observation At the end of our first class, I will give every child an assignment. Draw the outlines of at least three feet of three different people on sheets of paper. If they can do five feet, even better! If they mix the papers up, can they tell which outline belongs to whom? What … [Read more...]
Slam Dunk!
The Silly Billy series, with its full colour illustrations, works well with two of my book clubs—the one for ages 7 and 8, as well as the one for ages 9 and 10. In August 2026, we’ll read Slam Dunk! by Vibha Batra, many of whose books we’ve read and enjoyed! Here’s what we’ll do as we read. Inclusion Look at the cover of the book. What do you notice? Do you think all the children on the cover could join your school? Why or why not?It’s never too early to start conversations about the differences amongst the words “inclusion”, “accommodation” and “charity”. As we discuss inclusion, I would love for the children to draw a picture of how they could make their schools a little more inclusive. Building a Team What are the characteristics of a strong team? Since Slam Dunk is about basketball, we’ll first discuss a few basic rules. How … [Read more...]
On Air with RJ Rini
When I read this simple, heartwarming story a few months ago, I knew I wanted to read it with my book club soon, so here we are! In August 2026, my book club for ages 9 and 10, Read, Write, Explore, will read Sonia Mehta’s On Air with RJ Rini. This is what I hope to do with my book clubbers as we read! On Air with Varsha As On Air with RJ Rini is the first book we will be reading in August 2026, we’ll begin with a radio show of sorts (and this will link well with our next activity too)! I will ask each of my book clubbers to hold something that could be their pretend-mic (just like Rini on the book cover!) and I’ll ask each one a question, which they have to respond to quickly and clearly—as if they’re being interviewed on radio! Radio Show Let’s host a radio show! What are some things you should keep in mind when you are hosting … [Read more...]
Sandy to the Rescue
Another edition of my book club, and we're reading another delightful hOle book!Sandy, aka Sandip when his mother is angry, makes a new friend, Aftab, who needs rescuing from Mrs Gupta, the witch next door. The problem is that he needs to sneak Aftab into his house, feed him and give him a place to stay. And of course, Sandy has got to be braver than Aftab when it comes to an adventure of this sort. After all, Sandy is a whole year older.We've read this hOle book before, and I'm looking forward to reading it again--five years later! Here are some bookish activities we're going to do. Making Up Words 'It's greeny blue, not bluey green. It's, um, grue!''You need spectacles,' Aftab scoffed. 'It's not grue, it's breen!'What words can you make up by combining two words? What do these new words mean? Hiding Places Aftab hides under the … [Read more...]
Song of the River
I love Gill Lewis’s books, and when I saw Song of the River at Kahaani Box, I picked it up without a second thought. And even though I haven’t read any of Lewis’s books in a while, I wasn’t disappointed. When Cari’s father dies, her mother wants to start over. She wants to move out of the city and to a village where she can run a picture perfect café, complete with chequered tablecloths. For Cari, though, it feels like they’re deliberately leaving every memory of her father behind. They’re a half family now, and it seems as if her mother wants to forget. A river of rage surges within Cari, one that is echoed by the river outside their new cottage. When the river breaks its banks, Cari’s mother is heartbroken. Everything is destroyed, and she realises what a foolish ideal she was chasing. But perhaps it’s time to change the song of the river—both within Cari and in the physical … [Read more...]
I Am Hachi
Some picture books make you smile page after page, and I Am Hachi is one of them. Told from the point of view of a dog, it's an adorable story that explores the unique relationship between animals and their humans. Hachi has a dozen names--Hachiko, Himu, Chimuna, and so many more. And his story is one of innocence, trust and love. His life is like a journey through four seasons. In spring, he is a bundle of curiosity and bubbling with energy. As we move through summer, autumn and winter, we see him aging, but secure in the comfort of his home and his family. What I loved most about the story is the voice. We hear Hachi's voice and the way in which he makes sense of the world around him. He knows exactly what phrases like bahar chalte hain and nahai-nahai mean. He loves the first and hates the second! And yet, he's full of contradictions and idiosyncrasies. He hates having a … [Read more...]
The Girl Who Became a Buddha
What is it like to be the mother of one who gets enlightenment? How does one watch a young prince walk away from responsibilities towards something impractical and incomprehensible? The Girl Who Became a Buddha is a beautiful story that shifts the spotlight from Siddhartha to Pajapati, his foster mother. Author Maria Denjongpa creates vivid pictures of Pajapati, a feisty, rebellious girl who grows to be a queen and dares to ask questions. She is one who eventually seeks (and finds) enlightenment herself. As I read The Girl Who Became a Buddha, I was drawn into Pajapati's world. I love that her spiritual journey--and that of others in the story--is never once preachy. On the contrary, we meet practitioners of all kinds. A courtesan may be drawn to Buddha's path just as much as a queen. Every human is a bundle of contradictions and flaws, searching for answers in their own way. … [Read more...]
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