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.

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:

 

Mr. Majeika and the School caretaker by Humphrey Carpenter

The Blurb:
When old Mr Jenks retires, St Barty's School advertises for a new caretaker. Unfortunately there's only one applicant - Hamish Bigmore's Uncle Wilf who is just as rude and bad-tempered as Hamish. When Mr Majeika is hurt in an accident it becomes clear that Uncle Wilf is working for the wickedest of witches, Wilhelmina Warlock! It's up to Mr Majeika to work his magic and put things right again.

How the kiddo liked the book:
My son got this book from school library and thus he had no escape finishing it. He completed the book in 4 days.

The kiddo loved the book - which he generally does with all. I could see he was enjoying reading it and only things which made him to put it down was that he is still not comfortable with novels. Thus I had to push him a little.

He found the book really funny and kept calling me once in a while to re-read a few sections. His favorite character was the bad guy - 'Hamish Bigmore' because he was really naughty and ofcourse 'Mr. Majeika' because he did magic.

Below is the review in his own words! Do show some love to boost him up...



How I liked the book:
As a parent, if my child likes the book, I like it too. I read it too and actually had a nice laugh ad smiles all through it. It is divide din seven chapters with each chapter making sure to not let the child get bored and put it don without finishing it.

The language is also very simple for children to understand. Also, there were a few pictures here and there which the kiddo was always looking forward to.

The book and other books from Humphery Carpenter can be brought from amazon using below links:


        Link to Mr. Majeika Series


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