The Prostitute's Daughter or The Runaway Daughter by Juliet Philip

This book entered into my bookshelf by chance. I was looking through a book store trying to find a book that I can gift my friend and I saw "The Prostitute's  Daughter'. With a name like that, it hard to escape attention.

The book is originally known as "The Runaway Daughter". "The Prostitute's Daughter" is the version which is released in India.

It's a story of 16 year old Kamada, daughter of a high profile prostitute. The girl leaves no stone unturned to escape her mothers name forever. Apart form her a in life, to escape from India, the little soul has to deal with secret of her father, lost relationships. She uses her imagination and daydreaming to divert her mind, but at the same time, very determined in not letting herself forget her target.

I found the book ok. Initially, I was actually taken aback by the over the top exaggeration  of her Imagination. But i was hooked to it once  I reached middle. The story was short and simple.

I also like she cover of book. The French pony tail truly represents an average girl who might or might not succeed in her plans.

My favourite part of the book was when Kamada left her house in outrage hungry and broken. The author has do aptly narrated real feelings of human. I have always failed to understand how people go hungry when they are feeling low. Feeding one's body is an essential. Thus, the rats in Kamada's belly and the thirst to eat that delicious snack the moment she stepped out might sound funny, but that's the basic human nature.
The example of women being molested in public by sick men and the feelings of victimized girl was also very nicely written

The ability of 16 year old to diver her mind in between the biggest problems of her life and let the non living things do the talking, and making humour of it looked a bit indigestible to me. That was the only issue I had.

Yes, I do have some lines form the book which are worth rereading. Read my favourite lines from "The Prostitute's Daughter" or "The Runaway Daughter" here.

Otherwise, the author Juliet has penned down a beautiful fairy tale story.

What amount of effort would do you put up in reaching your dreams?  How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.

The Beginning

Team: WINGS OF CHANGE

Mumbai, Bandra: Friday evening: 10:30 pm

"Papa, we have not packed my piggy poo", they heard Roohi shouting in panic. That was not before the little footsteps jumped into the room. Roohi stood in between the door and giggled. That was the moment when her parents who were taking a deep dive into a passionate kiss noticed her. Shekhar had warned Tara about her to be arrival, but Tara had ignored and pulled him with his blue collar and Shekhar gave in.

"Golu!, wait, mummy is coming to tickle your little tummy", laughed Tara. Tara used to call her Golu owing to her fat during first five years. Then it became a habit and she actually had to make an effort to call her daughter by her name whenever required. Golu aka Roohi ran back to her room and jumped on the bed. Tara followed and the loud laughter echoed throughout the house.

Suddenly, Roohi ran back to Shekhar and said again - "Papa, we have not packed my piggy poo".  Shekhar was in the middle of his article which he was writing for famous fashion magazine Tara's TV channel published every month. It was Tara who convinced him to do so but on the condition that he would choose the topic himself and would not include those skinny models in between for no reason. He loved his freelancing, as it gave him the freedom to choose his work hours. Shekhar left his pen and made Roohi sat in his lap with his contagious smile. He could see that the little mind was worried for no reason. He said - "beta, you know what Kerela is famous for?". "Coconuts.", said Roohi. "Yes, we would get you a soft ball in the shape of coconut. See here in my lappy, ", Shekher opens his laptop to display a colourful study table which had a football shape ball which looked like a coconut. It had. Two green leaves in the form of soft pillows hanged on top of it.  "you would get it for me?". Roohi asked in excitement. Shekhar then put her back on floor and said - "only if you go to bed now and we do not get any more complaints from your school". He pulled one of her pony tail gently as if pulling her ear. Roohi adjusted her distorted pony tail in line with other one at other ear and promised so. "Goodnight papa", she went back to her room. "Good night mummy", she waved Tara as she passed the lobby.

10 minutes later, Tara and Shekhar stood at her door cuddling each other softly. "She looks like an angel while sleeping." whispered Shekher. "An angel who is sure to become miss universe when she grows up as she dreams of", giggled Tara. "oh, I just recalled, you have booked the resort near to my Kerala office?", Tara asked. Shekhar have a small nod and teased Tara with his French beard at her cheeks. Both of them made a small star at Kerala on large India's map hanging in Roohi's room as a symbol of their upcoming vacation, gently closed the door and retired back to their room and kiss which was left between as always.

Shekhar And Tara had to give in the continuous demands of Roohi to go on a vacation. Luckily, both of them had their interests fulfilled. Tara got an opportunity to interview the famous superstar of tollywood. Shekhar booked his appointment with the photographer to set up the shoot for the cover of his first and dream book. Roohi was thrilled for the vacation and has been telling that we re going to Kerala. The purpose behind a deed is not evil until it brings a smile on all faces involved.

As Shekhar let his tongue in Tara's mouth, both of them could not stop the electric wave into their bodies. Tara made the first move and unbuttoned his blue semi see through shirt. "Some one is in different world today", teased Sekhar as he pulled her on the mattress. "Sshhh...", Tara put a finger on his lips and joked -"This poor bed need to worry much since we would spare him soon - 7 days to go.".

Read the next part of the story here

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Top Post On Indiblogger

Yes! Finally, I was on front page on IndiBlogger. Although it was only for some time and the promoted votes were also not very great, but I was extremely happy  to receive this email from IndiBlogger team.

PS - I saw this email while I was in a meeting :P

I managed to take the snapshot before it was gone...;)

Thank you so much for all who promoted the post and for those who did not find it good enough to promote, I promise I am working hard to improve...:)

Thank you IndiBlogger for the space in hall of fame... I hope to be a regular face in this hall.

Have your posts been on the home page of some site? How did you feel for it for the first time? Were you as delighted as me? Waiting for your responses.

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson

It seems that the author has mastered the art of KISS - Keep It Short And Simple
I was recommended this book by one of my colleagues and the ebook kept lying in my folder until i decided to open it and go through.

It's a story of 4 living beings. 2 mice and two little humans. The story revolves around their attitude towards life and it's biggest challenge - Change.
As quoted in the book, “Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life – whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money or a possession, health or spiritual peace of mind. The maze is where you look for what you want – the organisation you work in, or the family or community you live in."

To be honest, i have mixed thoughts on the book.
First reaction was the immediate one -
1. It's great. It teaches a great lesson in life that change is unavoidable.
2. It teaches to be motivated and not to loose hope
3. I completed the book in 3 hours shuffling in between my work...:P

The second and more thoughtful reaction was that
1. it depends on the perception of reader. One reader might consider the cheese to be challenge and move along with it with open eyes and other one with closed eyes. The one moving blindly is in great danger as that person might be accepting change without regard to whether it is appropriate or not.

Thank god i am not reviewing it and only posting my views. I am saved from the deli-ma...;P
Don't have patience to read, I found many videos on YouTube and here is the one with maximum views. Have a look and decide for yourself.

Al-though a bit confused, I had no difficulty in finding my favourite lines from the book - My Favourite Lines Form Who Moved My Cheese

How do you react to challenges in life? How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.

Book Review: Private India by Ashwin Sanghi & James Patterson

About the Author(s): Ashwin Sanghi—entrepreneur by day, novelist by night
Read more about Ashwin at his website: http://www.ashwinsanghi.com/

James Patterson -  The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing," and that Time magazine hailed him as "The Man Who Can't Miss."
Read more about James at his website: http://www.jamespatterson.com/

The Blurb:
In Mumbai seemingly unconnected people are dying, strangled in a chilling ritual and with strange objects carefully arranged with the corpses. For Santosh Wagh, head of Private India, the Mumbai branch of the world’s finest investigation agency, it's a race against time to stop the killer striking again. In a city of over thirteen million, he'd have his work cut out at the best of times but this case has him battling Mumbai's biggest gang-lord and a godman who isn't all he seems and then he discovers there may be an even greater danger facing Private India. Hidden in the shadows is someone who could destroy the whole organisation along with thousands of innocent Mumbai citizens.

Review: ★★★

The Cover Page: I feel bad to say this, but I did not find it captivating  enough to make me pick it from a pile of books and try it. Even after reading the book, It made me no sense to put gateway of India except that it's in Mumbai. Definitely, it could have been much better.

What I felt about the book:
First, one word summary, no, two words - "Bollywood Blockbuster". That is given the condition, that it fell into right director and absolutely stunning performances. A single leak  into the condition can make it fall on its face and the biggest disaster ever. I could imagine sexy, witty, bitchy drop dead gorgeous women roles. Males in all shapes and sizes would definitely fit into one or another roles.  

To be honest, I did not read the blur. Yes! It sounds false, but I did not. When I saw it's availability on blogadda, I thought it to be some kind of patriotic book about India by its name. Sooner I realised that it was a fiction...;-P

Coming back to the book, it was good. Very good in-fact at some points. I wonder how did two writers managed to come up with a single story - that too a serial killer! Or, having more than one mind at would have helped. One made a plot and the other made it even more spooky!

I don't know why, but at some point in the beginning of story, if reminded me of the movie 'Samay''. The killer leaving some hints for the experts. Human mind is always fascinated by puzzles. The moment it spots a piece, it tries to find another and continues the struggle to connect them. The two authors were utterly successful in getting a - "Oh yes, I knew it. How come it didn't come to mind" - reactions many times. 

There were obviously some turn-offs which make me say that the book is good and not awesome, mind bowling.
First one was my inability to find the reason behind two concepts - serial killing and terrorism clubbed into one. I think they were better narrated separately. While it was very interesting to read about the background of plot and characters, the need to get ISI, Pakistan and terror attacks did not sound captivating to me.
Second, only 11 favourite lines from that thick book. Yeah, I had a tough time finding my favourite lines without letting the suspense out. Never the less, whatever the number is, I bet you won't regret reading them and reading them and smiling at different angles with some of them. Read my puck of favourite lines from "private India" here - Quotes from Private India.

Altogether, it was a good and worth one time reading book. I enjoyed the thrill and excitement. 
On a scale of five, I have 3 points for this piece of writing by  Mr. James Patterson and Mr. Ashwin Sanghi.

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers by Blogadda.

Participate now to get free books. 

How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.

Book Review: Ramayana-The Game of Life: Rise of Sun Prince by Shubha Vilas

About the Author:  a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker, holds a degree in engineering and law with specialization in Patent Law. Read more about him at - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7705105.Shubha_Vilas

The Blurb:

Ramayana: The Game of Life (Book 1), one of the world's great literary masterpieces, skillfully retold for modern audiences. Epics like the Ramayana have been recounted infinite times. Is there a need for another chronicle in the presence of so many? How is this one different? And is it relevant to our ever-changing modern lives?...

The narrative closely follows Valmikis Ramayana, gently weaving in folk tales as well as the beautiful analogies of the Kamba Ramayana. The first of this six-volume series, Rise of the Sun Prince, takes you through the divine story of Lord Rama from His birth up to His marriage. Through these pages are revealed the tales of Dasarathas leadership, Vishwamitras quest for power and the intriguing story of a little-known stone maiden. Ramayana: The Game of Life has all of this and much more - food for contemporary thought drawn from an enduring masterpiece.

Review: ★★★½

Thanks to blogadda for letting me read this epic. I would never have pick a mythological book and purchased it.

Book Cover: The cover is traditional, yet says a lot about the contents. Sun Prices are crafted very beautifully and I am sure it would be able to attract any reader interested in methodology.  I actually liked the demons at the top after i knew why they were there.

What I felt about the book:

Ramayana is kind of story one never gets bored of. It can be relished time and again. One can find as many books on this as one want in the market. I was very sure that since I have read and seen so many versions of Ramayana, i would already know all the little details about this beautiful story. But, Shubha Vilas proved me wrong.

There were so many small and intricate details about almost each twist of story i was so unaware of. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the saga. Some incidents have been marvellously described.  To name a few are:

1. The reason Dsahrata forbid sonic archery in his kingdom – I was not aware of this aspect at all. The reason specified completely justified it.

2. The joy of becoming a father - i wonder if my husband felt the same on birth of our son

3. The dash one feel on separation from our children

5. The law of sharing.  The law of dependence.. The law of balance.

The author has a different style of writing. While most authors describe the side stories or assumptions or their share of beliefs within the lines of story itself, Mr. Vilas did it differently. The numbered bundles of knowledge, references etc. made me remember the famous Mahabharata serial which started with "Main Samay Hun.". Jokes apart, it actually made my task of collecting great lines from books a lot easier. The detailed version of each scene also depicts vast knowledge of author on the subject.

Most of Ramayana stories are centred on Lord Rama and neglects other characters detailing.  This book illustrated all characters in much required details. The best of them were the leadership qualities of Dashratha and his Big M’s.

I was worried that I would end up noting down a quote or my favourite line from each page.  Frankly speaking, I had to hold my-self back from writing many of them fearing that the post might reveal too much about the book. Click here to read some of my favourite lines from “Ramayana-The Game of Life: Rise of Sun Prince”.

I would definitely refer the book to anyone looking for some change in reading and obviously it’s an icing on cake read for mythological lovers.

If I have to rate it, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5. 

This review is part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers by Blogadda.

Participate now to get free books.

Which is your favourite character in Ramayana? How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.

Book Review: The Deliberate Sinner by Bhavna Arora

This was the first time i read a first book from an author...;)

About the Author: I better let Bhavna speak about herself - Here is the link from her website - About Me

Review:
First and foremost, very congratulations to Bhavna Arora for her debut writing. A debut which challenges the norms of society. A debut which speaks of women empowerment.

Book Cover: A picture speaks a thousand words. So does the cover of book. It forces the reader to try and make several assumptions about the contents.

What I felt about the book:
The blurb says "Is there an acid test to gauge the success of a relationship?". I so wish there was. The success or failure of relationships is never guaranteed.
The book was actually a roller coaster ride and i could not close it before finishing. I finished the book in 2 stretch... The best part was that although i predicted the climax, but i still enjoyed reading it to end. The characters are nicely written and well crafted.

I hate the parts in books which spoil the 'Love Making' snapshots. Thank god, The Deliberate Sinner did not went into that section. The scene was described very beautifully.

As the pages turned, the main character evolved along with her challenges and agonies of life. Almost every girl would be able to relate to the plots in some way or other. The way Rihana copes up with life is actually quite practical and every second girl on this planet tend to make the same moves. May be that is the reason the book seems so practical.

I need not mention that a girl's life takes a completely unknown turn the moment she says yes to marry. So did Rihana's life. I really appreciate and bow to author Bhavna Arora for making her lead strong headed and ambitious.

It's sad but true that women in this society are not allowed to make mistakes. They are meant to be perfect. The story lines very deliberately portrays this cruel concept of society as well. The book displays women as strong and ambitious but also soft at heart. She is actually a girl next door from inside.

Author Bhaavna Arora has molded the characters quite well and i had some takeaways from the book:
1. Sixth Sense - believe it or not every girl on this planet has this as a strong capability
2. Learn from you mistakes
3. Women have to be bold and independent in order to survive in this cruel world.
4. "Pain and pleasure are inseparable"
5. "...if girls were not narrated stories of a prince rescuing the damsels in distress, they would not have waited for miracles to happen but instead been a little more realistic..."

There were many incidents which made me smile. I would definitely ask my husband to go through the book...;)

Thank you so much Blogadda team for the wonderful book. One could not ask more than a free copy of book. This adds to my collection. Last, but not the least, thank you for selecting me for the review.

Would Rihana be able to change her husband? Would her husband understand her needs and make deliberate efforts to fulfill them? Would their marriage survive? Would she surrender to the circumstances?
Read out the book to find answers...

I note down the lines which make me read them again from the books I read.
Here are my favourite lines from 'The Deliberate Sinner'.

Phew... finally I reached 500 words!

This review was written as a part of blogadda review program.

Have you committed a sin deliberately? How did you like the book? Would you go ahead and read it after my thoughts on it? Write your heart/mind in comments section. I would be glad to read out your end of thinking on the book.

What the Bat - Black WishList

Name any 5 black things u would love to posses.
I asked this question to my friends (). Believe me, it was fun. All the answers were divided into 2 groups- girls and boys. The winner according to me was my brother. Although, his answer also lied into guys answer, but he had one unique point - theme. He seems to be obsessed with batman these days, so his black wish list had batman in each pick. Here was his list:

1. Bat Car
All the guys named a car on their list as first wish. I had dreams starting from audi, lemosen, Farari jaguar, name it. All stands zero in front of this black beauty.

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2. Bat Bike
I have not met a guy in my lifetime who does not dream to own an eye popper sports bike. Hayabusa topped the list. I am sure they did not look closely at this black diamond. Very true, one need an eagle eye to spot diamond in between a pile of coal from miles above.

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3. Bat suit
Remember the Kareena Kapoor dialog from movie kabhi kushi kabhi gam? The guy to get on her top had to be 10 on 10 in three things - Good looks, Good Looks and GOOD LOOKS.
Well, what better piece of cloth than the bat suit to make the damsels go week in their knees. Do not forget the cost of being the wannabe man..;)

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4. Bat Copter
Whole world is fascinated by choppers. All Bollywood Heros make their grand entry from a helicopter. All Hollywood action Heros do their best stunts while under the giants fans. Who on the planet would not love to have the stunning black copter in his name?

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5. Bat Wings
When everything is super fascinating, the bat wings have to be with him. After all, flying is one of the top things man has not been able to do without the help of giant machines.

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That was the small wish my brother had. After 2 minutes, he added - "Black Money too". I completely agree, it would be needed to support the lifestyle that comes as a package with such marvelous wish list.

What say guys?

This post is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at Blogadda.com

What would be you wish list for a particular colour? I am sure it would be interesting to read. Pen them out in comments section.

RELIGION - My Definition

Religion
Definition: A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.

Re-read the definition - Beliefs, Cultural Systems, and the world views that relate humanity. Humanity, yes all the collections relate to Humanity. Thus, for me, there is only one religion and that is "Humanity".

Actually, till date i have not come across any line in any holly book from any religion which teaches to divide people. All of them at one point or other asks their followers to be kind to other humans.

Even one of the most debatable religion Islam has below lines:
“Whoever kills a person who has a truce with the Muslims will never smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

But, before people misinterpret it to be kind only to Muslims, better they read below:
“Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.”

The holly Bhagwad Gita also says that Work is worship - "Karm hi dharm hai".

Below is my own definition of Religion I could think of:

R - Right
E - Enlightenment of
L - Love,
I - Influential enough to be
G - Generous &
I - Irrational with
O - Open-minded 
N - Nourishment

Religion is over-rated only in the mind of some greedy people who do not have anything else to do in this world - Empty head is a devil's mind. In fact, I am in agreement with father Mahatma Gandhi when he said "The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives.".

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Do we stop working with a colleague if he/she is from different religion? I am sure - no- because we get paid to work. Then, why does this word comes as an hindrance when it comes to personal matters? If that is so, then I am sorry but I have to say that we are taking the path to hell. Because, all religions ask us to become selfless.

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Guys, it's actually high time to move on from this word and let come light come in.

This post is written in response to Indispire - Topic - "Is religion over-rated? what is your take?"

How would you define 'Religion'? Put in your definition in comments section.

For The Love of Books & Kids

The moment I read this topic, i recalled my thoughts. I often say that I really want my kid to be a reader. I don't mind if he becomes a bookworm - obviously out of textbooks as well. Ironic but so true it is that kids who read books have always been treated as socially incapable nerds without the realization that probably these were the kids who made history.

Reading books has reduced dramatically in today's youth. This might be true to some extent pertaining to other sources of inculcating this blissful hobby - eBooks, internet, fancy newspapers, and many more. For those who say that they do not have time to read a book, I say that you do not want to. If i want to read a book, I read it anywhere and any time - finish a chapter sitting on toilet seat, trying to read while in cab (which I always fail after 5 minutes - to dizzy), reading some lines in between my computer recognizes my commands, family watching TV- I reading book in between them, thinking that this is last chapter Ii read for the day at night (not closing until I  cannot recognize words) - anywhere!!!

Coming to the reading habit in kids, it's true that some kids might develop this hobby by themselves. There are definitely some ways we can try to make out kids start reading and love books:

1. Narrate Stories ASAP

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Kids love stories. ASAP means as early as possible. I started telling small poems and stories to my son as soon as he started grasping things. Although he cannot speak as of now, he is still learning to do so, he can narrate some 2 or 3 stories to me in actions! How i do that? I ask him which story he wants to listen today? He says - bho bho - i narrate him "The Greedy Dog". He says - peehoooooo - I narrate him - "Rabbit and Turtle with a peacock friend added in between". He says - kho kho - I narrate him - "The cap seller and Monkeys", the cap-seller becomes his favourite animal or a smart kid.









2. Buy Them Books with pictures ASAP

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Remember the movie - Baby's Day Out? The kid could not have survived if he had not seen the bo bo book.
As soon as my kid started showing interest in cars, I bought him a transport book with big pictures. Kids have some fancy with animals so I also bought him an animal book. Everyone was surprised that he was able to recognize almost all animals and vehicles from the book in days.
as he grows up, i am starting to buy him small story books with interesting pictures, colours and graphics. Kids tend to get attracted to the images rather than the text.









Well above two have been applied by me till now, there are other tips as well. Read below:

3. Read with them

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"When I say to a parent, "read to a child", I don't want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate. " — Mem Fox
If we tell the kids to do something and we never do that ourselves, they would definitely come back ans say - "But you do not read!." i am sure we would not have an answer to that. Reading with the kids is a great idea. A team always score more as opposed to an individual.
Read with emotions and emphasize on words rather than plan reading. Picture this- "A big jungle" and "A big (eyes and hands wide open) JUNGLE (with force in voice)" and see the difference.
As kids grow up, try setting a time on how many pages one can read, just for fun.







4. Gift a book

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Instead of buying them an expensive video game or toy, buy them a new  colourful book every month. Kids have a short attention span and thus get bored with the same kind of stuff. It is likely that they have not finished reading a particular book, yet they don’t want to continue. A new book every can also serve as an incentive for them to finish their current reading material as soon as possible.











5. Try Reading  with Role Play

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Any child would love to see their mom and dad making funny noises or acting. Interactive and informal games that are fun and enjoyable could also do the trick. we can use a combination of interactive storytelling with interesting props, role play and open-ended questions that give full freedom to the child's imagination.





In short, make them feel that reading that book is real fun.

Remember - "Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift." — Kate DiCamillo

This post was written in response to Indispire - Topic 20

Do you love books? What do you think is the key which can make kids love books more? Drop in the comments.