The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond - Book Review

The Room on the Roof landed in my hands while browsing though the children bookshelf for my kids at a library. I had to get it issued and of-course was not disappointed at all.

About the book:

The Room on the Roof like most of Ruskin Bond books is majorly set in Indian mountains. It is considered as a semi autobiographical novel by Ruskin Bond when he was just 17 years old. This is the story of 16 years old Anglo-Indian Rusty who is an orphan and lives with his adopted English guardian. His guardian does not like Indians and is very racist which eventually make Rusty run away from the toxic environment. He thus made friends for life who helped him land a job and rediscover himself. It was his first job at the Kapoors where he finds the precious "The Room on the Roof" for being the English teacher to their son Kishan. The rest is of-course for the reader to delve into and enjoy the beautiful journey.

How I felt for the book:

This was a beautiful and cute little book which got all 5 stars from me as a  reader! The book serves as a detailed self exploration of a mere 17 year old boy who is determined to make his life meaningful. See the excerpt below:

I truly enjoyed reading each and every line and got emotionally attached to Rusty. All the characters had their own share of importance and that is probably one of the main reasons which makes this book a timeless piece. It's a surreal treat of nature lover. My 8 year old son loves rains and I am sure if he understands the descriptions written by Ruskin Bond, he will be all nodding and jumping in agreement lust like It had me smiling and going back to our pictures soaked in rain water.

This book has a lot to offer and is a complete platter. There is pure friendship, first love, cute lust and harsh realities of growing up - almost anything a young mind can think of.

Written by and with the perspective of a 17 year old boy, The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond is undoubtedly enjoyed by all age groups. A child, a teenage, a young adult, middle aged and aged - The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond offers a lot for everyone!

The book and other books from Ruskin Bond can be brought from amazon using below link:

NOTE:

I may get a small commission if you purchase using them - WITHOUT YOU BEING CHARGED AN EXTRA PENNY.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson - Book Review

Oh girl…! This was one of those books I have read non-stop, reading every minute I could squeeze in those 3 days of life. It was like I was almost literally glued to it. I guess, I need not say but still, I lOVED IT. I have read such a good book after years and it brought me back from my very long reading slump.

So, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is the debut novel by Holly Jackson. She has written quite a few more books after this one and I do hope I stumble upon them, and they are as good as well. Coming to our Good Girls Guide to Murder, written in third person, this is a murder mystery of a schoolgirl called Andie Bell who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh. Everyone in the small town knows it and the case is closed and all. But as we would have it, our hero Pippa Fitz-Amboi, somehow has her own doubts over the story and picks it up as her school project. Then of course, things happen, stories unfold, secrets reveal, lot of other things happen. No! No way I am giving out any spoilers here.

What’s that I loved so much about this book?

Okay, so I have been struggling very hard to find some good books which could make me read more books for a really long time. I did read some good books this year eventually, but this was game changer. I am now craving to read more, and I hope that the next book I pick does not dump me back to my slump.

A murder mystery well written which at-least I was not able to predict at any given page or even line until the author wanted me to. The must have thing about thrillers and mysteries is they must be non-predictable. I mean, there are of course some things as a reader that things to our mind while reading such books, but the author took care of all of them quite cleverly. It was definitely a page turner, nail biter (all the stuff)  -  one which can bring to sleep deprived dark circles for a day or two. Then comes the characters. Do I have a favorite character? Ummm – not really, but all the characters had their required sufficient details. The language as we already said is third person, was quite a breeze to read through. There were a lot of things which a young adult reader will be able to relate to as well.

There was particularly one instance in the story which I will not talk about made me wipe my tears and put the book down for 5-10 minutes – yes, I do cry while reading….

To wrap it all, I really enjoyed reading this brilliantly written book and will be on my recommendations list for sure. Well done Pippa – wink wink.

Buy the book at amazon from link below:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen - Book Review

 Book Blurb: Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present.

At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.

How did I like the book?

First, I stumbled upon this book as the summer vacations assignment for my 6th grade son. Obviously, the book sat on my bed side and landed in my hands! Also, somehow my son just love reading together. He is always inviting me to read along where one of reads aloud and other one listens actively. I am often short of time for this and many times I ask him to read while I do my stuff with the promise that I will read in my own time and catch up with him for next read along.

Coming to the book, I enjoyed reading this young adult fiction. I finished the 180 pages in 2 small sittings at bedtime. The story is about the traumatic yet somewhat inspiring journey of a 13 year old buy who is stranded in the wild as a result of tragic plane crash. The little boy then applies his lifetime of learning from school, TV shows, friends and everything to survive. Just before the plane takeoff, his mother gave him a hatchet which eventually turned out to be his ultimate survivor. The way he lights his first fire to his first food brought a small smile over my face. The poor kid was stranded for 54 days!

What I liked:

1. Super quick and easy read: The language is very easy  for the target audience to comprehend and it's not too many pages to get bored of as well.

2. Entertaining: Right from the beginning to the last page, I found it difficult to put it down.

3. Age appropriate: The book is written for the children aged 10 to 13 years old and it does full justice to them. My 11 year old son is thoroughly enjoying it.

4. Motivational: There are many moments where Brian felt absolutely helpless and did not know what or how to do. But the point that he did not give up emerged as very encouraging and I am sure the kids reading will gather some motivation from the same.

What I did not like:

1. Repetitive: A few phrases keep on repeating throughout the book which annoyed me as an adult. But then, the target audience is different and 1o to 13 years old's might actually need those repetitions for their shorter timespan.

The author Gary Paulsen has managed to keep the reader hooked with a very basic and predictive survival story. As i mentioned earlier, I smiled on each of Brian's success and similarly, on 

every failure and misfortune, I had a sympathetic expression. There is also a small room for the readers to be motivated from the little boy's adventure and adapt a never give up attitude - the luck can actually leave one with no choice other than keep on trying but then one must be able to live up to that. All in all, I really liked my time spent on the pages of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Would I re-read it? Possibly no but that does not mean I did not like it.

Would I recommend it to my friends? Yes! This will be in my recommended list for all young adults and anyone who likes children books and wants a light quick read.

Found the review interesting? Grab a copy for yourself from amazon:

 

Brushing Teeth For Kids - Dental Hygiene - How to Make a Teeth Model or Denture at Home

 Continuing with our homeschooling projects, in this post, I am sharing about Oral Hygiene and importance of brushing.

Encourage and help children to create a model or denture of teeth. Only the lower jaw should be enough.

Once the model is set, try to add a few sample cavities and food items model.

Just have a general discussion with the children around teeth, cavities, reason for cavities, ways of preventing them, how to brush etc.

Children are sure going to enjoy the activity and learn better as they visualize the details.

Here is our video for the activity.

 We created the model of teeth with Legos at home (we did not have a pink one for mouth, so we used some water colors for it as that could be washed off later). Below are other items that can be used for making the model:

Beads

Small paper cups

Marshmallows

Used bottle caps

Corn kernels

The beauty of learning which is lead by children themselves is that it stays with them longer and they grasp more than we teach them via textbooks and lectures.

Do let us know if you try this at home. Also, it would be awesome to get any new ideas for the model – that would be beneficial for others also.

 Thanks for reading and happy learning.

Koki’s Song by Ruskin Bond

The Blurb:

Ruskin Bond had his first short story published when he had just left school. Two years later, his first novel, The Room on the Roof, was accepted by a London publisher. On the ship that brought him home to India he met a twelve-year-old girl called Koki, who shared her chocolates with him, having heard that he did not have money for chocolates. He did not see Koki again, but she turns up in his stories from time to time. She doesn't grow old. She is twelve-year-old Koki forever. And if you live close to nature, to flowers, trees, birds and mountain streams, you will remain young, like Koki and Somi. "Over the years, I have written hundreds of stories. And whenever I write a story about children and the creatures of the forest, the years slip away and I am a boy again," says Ruskin Bond.

How The Kids Liked The Book:

This book was read by my elder son and listened to by my younger one. Obviously both had their own reactions to the same.

The elder one loved almost everything about the book. I was surprised that he noticed all the tiny bits of details about nature in the story. He also realized that the book had a lot of new words for him - I was such a proud parent when he took it positively instead of cribbing about not being able to grasp such difficult words. For the first time, he mentioned about the texture of pages and the illustrations too - he loved all of it.

The younger one obviously decided to ignore all the words his elder brother could not understand and was just enjoyed the story. He did mention that he felt that the boy must be so lucky to live in that beautiful p

lace and just had to sit and play music!!! He also noticed that the kiddos shared their things and was quick to mention the same.

Here is the review in kiddo's own words!!! Please show him some love and keep his confidence levels up...

How Did I Like The Book:

I loved the book too! I had no reason to not like it as my children loved it. I also had a smile all through the little story and was day dreaming about all the beautiful vacations we have had. Ruskin Bond's books have this effect of amazement on me. Every time I read him I am left speechless about how such simple language and concepts can do all the wonders in the world.

If someone has a book lover child in the family, I would surely recommend to give it a try for it's raw and breezy story.

The book and other books from Ruskin Bond can be brought from amazon using below links:

      

NOTE:

I may get a small commission if you purchase using them - WITHOUT YOU BEING CHARGED AN EXTRA PENNY.

How to Be a Writer by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond I am sure does not need an introduction to either children or adults. Even if someone has not read his books, they definitely know a lot about him and the recognition he has got for his work.

Now, this book - "How To Be A Writer" is again a children book which is really short and sweet written in a very casual tone. When we say a children book, it has a lot of cute little illustrations on each page and obviously easy to read language.

Ruskin Bond begins the book by talking about his own thoughts or feeling being a writer himself. He tells why or how 'HE - Ruskin Bond' became a writer. He then continues to give basic guidance about what it takes to become an author, how to write, what to write and what's in store when one decides to be a writer. 

Since the book is targeted for children, it obviously does not give any detailed steps or problems one gets into while his or her journey to hold that dream book in own hands. But, what the author does tell about is where and how to find inspirations from. For example, my own kids have narrated countless stories after we turn off the lights and decide to tell one last story before sleep. Their stories are mostly derived from what they have read recently or have been talking/hearing about recently - but they do end up with some interesting stuff. Many times they tell their own version of the story they just read. Similarly, the author tells that one can find a story or a character anywhere - even in their dreams. 

Best line from the book I found:

"There is no retirement age for writers!"

I would not talk about the tips the author has offered as it's a short book along with pictures and talking a lot about it would end up in spoilers. One tip I loved the most is that we should be setting up or writing in a place we are familiar with. That can obviously be modified as per the story.

The books end with some light on the publishing too. Be warned that it's not a guide to get published. It's just a moral booster about why it takes time to get published and be ready for the rejections. I think as a child, this information is sufficient. Children need not know more than that and other technical/logical steps should be left for parents to carry forward. 

The book ends with an amazing postcard which I am still figuring out what to do with. I obviously don't want to loose it and keep with me forever. I might post it to our own home addressed to my elder son. I think he would like it as he has not received a letter ever (thanks to the current digital kids!). Oh! as I type this and look at the postcard, I noticed that it says "Dear Mr. Bond,"! So I would try to give the book to kiddo and see if he agrees to send a note to the author. That means I would have to part with this. No worries! The kiddo would send his first real letter in this way. Thanks to the team for this!

Adults might find the book quite monotonous and repetitive explanation of all the quotes and advice scattered all over internet. But then the team is targeting an innocent mind and they did a good job in that. I think this is a must read for any child who aspire to write a book someday. It would definitely boost the child's confidence and guide him/her to the right path. Simple language makes it a self read book for children. 

Ideally a children book but it is a very basic stepping stone for budding writers. It's a ageless book which can be placed right there on the workstation with any page opened.

If you decide to buy this book, you may go ahead and do the same via below link on amazon:

Note: I may get a small commission if you purchase using them - WITHOUT YOU BEING CHARGED AN EXTRA PENNY.

Theme Reveal - A to Z Challenge 2021

 Hola dear reader!

It's been a long time since I posted something - feels like ages. It is because of this reason, I thought that it would be good idea to participate again the "April A to Z Challenge". I have done it before and I completed it only once. I know this does not looks very promising. But still - I am back with this. Here are the themes/posts I have choosen before (I have 2 blogs and a website)):

Amita's Pen

2015 -  WOMEN IN A TO Z PROFESSIONS

2016 - WOMEN and ISSUES AROUND THEM

2019 - BOOKS FROM MY CHILDREN'S BOOKSHELF

Quotes

2015 - PREGNANCY

2019 - Books and Reading

Coming back to the theme for this year. For 2021, I would be sharing "Our Favorite Children Books"

I tried a similar theme in 2015, but did not complete. This time, I would try to do it a little differently. I would seek my kiddos help - they are their books. So, I would post about 26 books that the kiddos love. Sounds pretty simple? Well, I am going to find out very soon. I cannot promise that it's going to be in alphabetical order.

I would have to really look in all the cupboards and collect their books so that they can have a look and decide which one's they like the most.

Honestly, every book they read - it becomes their new favorite. So, I am pretty sure they would find it really difficult to choose just 26 books.

Fingers crossed. Wish me luck.

Yes, I am trying to participate on my other blog too - Hop on to read about their themes:

Quotes - Motherhood

Learned and Shared - well, it's a little professional blog, so I am not posting a theme reveal post there, but I would try and put up as many posts over there too. Follow the link if you are interested in technical stuff...

With all this on plate, April 2021 is going to be one busy busy month. Wish me luck readers!

Are you participating in April A to Z Challenge? Have you chosen a theme? Remember, theme is absolutely not required! Do let me know in comments section. I would love to read about as many as I could.

Twelve Years A Slave by Solomon Northup

Imagine you are living your life as usual with a family to come home to and work that you look forward to. The future seems bright and suddenly one day you wake up as a slave. You try to get out of that nightmare, but the harder you try, the more the reality hits right on your face. That's exactly Solomon Northup experienced, and his misery lasted for whole big 12 years before he was finally rescued.

Based on a true story, this book is a memoir of those twelve years spent by the author. Born a free man in New York, Solomon Northup was lured to Washington, D.C., in 1841 with the promise of fast money, then drugged and beaten and sold into slavery.

While we sit in our cozy beds and curl up with a book - this book; we feel terrified and extremely sorry for the misery they must have gone through. It is that moment of truth we must realize and thank the generations before us for making us come to a world where we can raise our voice - where we do not need to prove that we are free!

The story is heart wrenching and keep the reader on its toes. The best part is that is unexaggerated - the author has very clearly stated bad ad bad and good as good. Yes, a slave he was - but he was glad to be a slave to a good human at heart.

Then, there is a short story inside about a mother and her two children. The lines below left me sore in throat. I was speechless. This violation of innocence is the worst part about child trafficking. Poor little souls have no idea wat they have been tricked or forced into. All they want is love and that warm hug from their family. I always have goosebumps thinking of the sudden and cruel realities of evil being thrown upon them. I am sure I cannot even imagine a child earning to obey out of fear when just hours or days before everyone was at his or her service.

"The lad was a sprightly child, that answered to the name of Randall. Most of the time he was playing about the yard, but occasionally would cry, calling for his mother, and wondering when she would come. His mother’s absence seemed to be the great and only grief in his little heart. He was too young to realize his condition, and when the memory of his mother was not in his mind, he amused us with his pleasant pranks."

It was not only the child, the plea and wails of the mother too - which obviously fell on deaf ears and blind eyes. I could not help but cry my heart out on those pages.

"Life is dear to every living thing; the worm that crawls upon the ground will struggle for it."

The book is full of lines and phrases I went back and reread to confirm if I comprehended it correctly. This was such an eyeopener and realization of sad realities and bitter truth. We are sitting in the comfort of our house and wonder if we are doing too much work or too little! Imagine a slave who is forced to do some work which he is constantly dreading upon to not to be in less amount than the day before and at the same time praying that it's not more too - for that would set the new standard right then and there.

Below are some lines so aptly describe the reason of being someone so cruel ad stonehearted. As we say - it's not a person who is wrong it's the education and environment around him/her that's to blame:

"It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears, that the rod is for the slave’s back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in mature years."

While the author was rescued and became free, I could not help but wonder about the fate of his fellow mates specially those who were the slaves of some cruel men!

Would I recommend it to my friends: YES! BUT WITH A WARNING OF BEING READY TO BE SCARED AND BE THANKFUL TO TIMES THEY ARE LIVING IN.

I picked up the free copy from Amazon classics. The book is currently in public domain and can be easily read free of cost. If once does wish to go ahead and buy it – it’s a great book to add to that bookshelf as-well.

IF you wish to add “Twelve Years A Slave by Solomon Northup” to your bookshelf, visit the links below to purchase the book from Amazon. Below are some links. Alternatively, go to the Amazon search results and pick the publisher or price you are comfortable with:

    

Note: I may get a small commission if you purchase using them - WITHOUT YOU BEING CHARGED AN EXTRA PENNY.

to you, with love by Shravya Bhinder

The Blurb: Right from their childhood, Sahil and Arya have been very different from each other. While Sahil is careless, carefree, 'new money' and 'the brat', Arya is too sensitive, reserved, shy and not easy to talk to. And that is probably what attracts Sahil to her. Slowly and very delicately their story progresses, and in comes love and things begin to take on a golden hue.

However, soon their life begins to unravel. Sahil learns why Arya is so private when the most damning truth about her life is revealed. And as soon as they cross that bridge and move on, another cruel blow threatens to tear them apart.

It's now about a life beyond life, and about a love somewhere among the stars . . .

How Did I Like The Book:

A love story after so long! I am a sucker for romance books and ‘to you, with love by Shravya Bhinder’ gave a much-needed refresher I need to get back to reading. 

It is a cliché love story which we all pretend to detest yet enjoy it to our heart. These are the stories we relate to the most.

 What I liked:

1.    Easy read - It was an easy to finish book. The author chose not so fancy language and writing style.

2.    Notes - Yes, yet again the use of little love notes made me fall for the book.

3.    Ending - second half of the last chapter was the one I liked the most. 

 What I did not like:

1.    Predictable - the story line and incidents were too predictable. I did not mind them, but some unexpected turn of events would have added the icing on the cake.

2.    Use of phrases like, I would not want to share the personal details, I would come to it latter etc. They could just have been avoided.

3.    Spelling mistake - Page 120 - “I lifted the back rimmed glasses off her face...”

 There were not many lines I felt like noting down. Here is one. 

 It’s a book for someone who wants a small break and can be enjoyed over a cup of coffee.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Hmm... maybe not. 

But that does not mean that I did not like it. I did enjoy reading it. It made me smile and cry once or twice. It’s an average love story and is worth a try.

IF you wish to add to you, with love by Shravya Bhinder to your bookshelf, visit the links below to purchase the book from Amazon.

      

Note: I may get a small commission if you purchase using them - WITHOUT YOU BEING CHARGED AN EXTRA PENNY.

Homeschooling Activity For Kids - Move Like An Animal

Homeschooling is the in term these days and parents are bound to work on it willingly and unwillingly. For us, it has turned out to a time we do various activities at home (mostly assigned by school only) for fun learning.

 Here, I would be writing about one such activity which looks very simple and just for fun, but has it's own set of educative value.

 All we need for this activity to do is an enthusiastic child, paper and pen/sketch pen/pencil. Here it goes.

1. Cut the paper into small pieces/chits.

2. Draw an animal and write the action to be followed. Below are some samples, but any animal and it’s activity which seems easy to imitate can be written:

a.    Slither like a snake

b.    Chomp like an alligator

c.    Swing like a monkey

d.    Stretch like a Giraff

e.    Roll like a pig

f.    Roar like a lion

g.    Hop like a bunny

h.    Leap like a frog

i.      Chew like a cow,etc

     3. Fold the chits.

 

Child/player will pick one chit then he/she will name the animal and read the sentence (parents can help the learners – this would be needed only once or twice after that they would remember it with animal image). Then child does the action written in the chit Repeat until all animals in the chits are done.

Here is our DIY video for the same. I did the cutting if chits, writing and drawing. The kiddos helped me color the same. Elder siblings can be asked to the parts of cutting, drawing and writing. It would give them a lot of confidence and that sense of responsibility.

Do watch till end to see the enthusiasm and big smiles on kiddos faces. We have the chits saved and it’s a go to game anytime anyday.

 

Child/player will pick one chit then he/she will name the animal and read the sentence (parents can help the learners – this would be needed only once or twice after that they would remember it with animal image). Then child does the action written in the chit Repeat until all animals in the chits are done.

Here is our DIY video for the same. I did the cutting if chits, writing and drawing. The kiddos helped me color the same. Elder siblings can be asked to the parts of cutting, drawing and writing. It would give them a lot of confidence and that sense of responsibility.

Do watch till end to see the enthusiasm and big smiles on kiddos faces. We have the chits saved and it’s a go to game anytime any-day.

This is a simple and fun activity which helps the children develop their listening skills, teaches them to follow instructions and enhances their vocabulary in early years.

Playing this fun game brings a lot of laughter into the house and makes the sibling and friendship bond stronger.

As the children move and jump sound, they get to exercise their tiny bodies.

Do let us know if you decide to try it out. We would love to her out how it went...