Our world today is filled with distractions that demand our attention every few seconds. The constant messages, notifications and pop-ups have a huge impact on our physical and mental health, making it difficult for us to concentrate on any task. In such a fast-paced world, attention is our most important resource. But we are largely unaware of the key role it plays in shaping our everyday lives.
Here is an interesting test, excerpted from How to Improve Concentration, by memory experts Aditi and Sudhir Singhal, and digital wellness coach Bala Kishore, to ascertain your level of attention.
**
In order to complete the test quickly, you must first go through the questions carefully. It’s a very simple test. Your aim should be to complete it as fast as possible.
Let’s start:
Without looking at your shirt, count the number of buttons on it.
How many zeroes are there in the number 10000000000086?
Circle this instruction.
How many ‘/’ are there in the following pattern?
\\\////\\\\////\\//\////\//\//
Count the letter W in the group of letters given below:
Count the number of vowels in the sentences given below:
Observation is a skill that takes time to hone.
Keep practising, even if you think you will never
improve your concentration.
Draw a star on the upper-right corner of this page.
Convert these four numbers—6, 10, 13, 5—into letters using the coding given below and write the letters in the reverse order.
1=A, 2=B, 3=C, and so on.
Now that you have finished reading all the questions carefully, do only question 4.
SOLUTION
How to Improve Concentration || Sudhir and Aditi Singhal, Bala Kishore
If you solved all the ten questions, we are sure the last one made you laugh. Just because you did not pay attention to the instructions given at the outset (‘In order to complete the test quickly, you must first go through the questions carefully’) you unnecessarily spent so much time and energy on tasks that weren’t even required.
In case you read and followed the instructions carefully, and solved just question 4 to get the answer ‘18’, then congratulations! You did have your attention focused solely on the test.
A Short History of the hOle Books by Sayoni Basu, creator of the hOle books
Chumki and The Elephants || Lesley D. Biswas
When Duckbill was starting, and we were doing a systematic market survey to see what the obvious gaps were in the different kinds of Indian books for children being published, it was easy to spot that one gaping hOle was early chapter books for children. There were lots of internationally published ones, from the UK and US, but a dearth of locally published ones. There were many Indian picture books, and many storybooks, but there was a jump in level between them so that there was no smooth, natural transition We wanted a distinctive identity for the early chapter book series—one of the joys of series publishing is that one can think seriously long term—and the best identity is always through design, so we turned to Gunjan Ahlawat. He said he had always wanted to do books with a hole in them, and so the hOle books were born.
The Clockwala’s Clues || Varsha Seshan
The hOles on each page have been a great source of joy. For editors, it is fun to come up with concepts where hOles could be incorporated into the story. For illustrators, it was fun to make characters jump from one page to another through the hOle or transform hOles into elements of an illustration. We were very clear that the stories would be contemporary, Indian, and with protagonists who were the age of the potential readers (so about seven till nine), facing dilemmas and challenges which the readers would be familiar with. And while the first few books were commissioned and the series ideas carefully explained to the authors, very soon, we started getting manuscripts which were labelled ‘hOle books’, showing that people had started identifying the central characteristics themselves. Over the years, the hOle books have been shortlisted for or won every major book award in India. Several authors have written mini series within-series, such as the adventures of Petu, Timmi, Maya, Peanut and Chumki, who have appeared in two or more books.
The Chirmi Chasers || Arefa Tehsin
We are really thrilled that there are now twenty-five books in the series. Series publishing is the backbone of children’s books all around the world—and it makes us really happy that this series has sustained itself and taken on new dimensions and is known and loved by so many people. It is truly a moment to celebrate.
Deanne Panday tackles all facets of modern life in her new book, from home-cooked food and finances to spirituality and joy, nudging us towards a holistic approach to wellness. Here is a glimpse into her insights on climate change:
~
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we experience life in so many ways. One of the most drastic impacts was on the environment when half the world was forced to stay home, and reduce movement and travel. All those days, I woke up to a clear, blue sky instead of the smoggy, unclear one I’ve gotten used to in the years I’ve lived in Mumbai. With no vehicles on the streets and polluting industries shut, people were able to breathe probably the cleanest air of their lives. It’s a pity it took a life-threatening virus to steer us to a way of life we should anyway strive for.
Our reckless and ignorant attitude towards the environment has brought us where we are today. We are all guilty of willingly choosing the things that convenience us, no matter how much it endangers others. As long as it doesn’t harm us, as long as our needs are met, we’re ready to turn a blind eye to the destruction we leave in our wake. I see children learning about various subjects in school and then spending more hours gaining more knowledge, but yet not enough to change their lives in a way that they can reduce pollution in their surroundings and work to reverse it.
According to the National Green Tribunal, more than 60 per cent of sewage generated by urban India is untreated and enters water bodies, such as rivers, making the water in them unfit for consumption.1 We somehow think that whatever we throw away will be cleaned by someone else. It’s an ignorant attitude, and we need to raise our children to be responsible for their own actions. Littering, even if it is a small packet of single-use plastic, doesn’t do any immediate harm, but this attitude is part of the reason we are the fifth most polluted country in the world. People blame it on several things, but it’s never themselves. The power to reverse ecological damage lies with the people, but we often forget the responsibilities that accompany that power.
Balance||Deanne Panday
I learnt a lot more about our impact on the environment when I took up an online course offered by Harvard University during the lockdown. I discovered just how badly we have abused our planet without realizing that we have abused ourselves in the process. Working out regularly and eating healthy can mean very little when the air we breathe is of poor quality. We are all partly responsible for that unbreathable air. By not taking care of the environment, we are endangering the lives of our children and our grandchildren. If you’re as old as I am, think back to your childhood. Wasn’t the environment much cleaner then? In just thirty to forty years—barely a blip when we consider the age of the Earth—we have damaged our planet to such a grave extent that we, along with other living creatures, are all struggling to live. If just a few decades can do this, imagine how bad it will be in the next couple of decades. I shudder at the thought.
That is why I decided to include this chapter in my book. Turning a blind eye towards climate change does not make you immune to it. I hope better awareness will help you take a step towards a better life for yourself and the coming generations.
…While governments need to bring out drastic changes in policy to go green, on an individual level there is a lot we can do too. After all, when a toxic environment can affect our health so badly, how can we not make changes to our lifestyles? We can all contribute in the simplest ways, whether it is by walking or hopping on to a bicycle instead of taking the car to places that are close to us. Not only will this result in more exercise, but it will also ensure the air we breathe is cleaner.
A clean environment is one of the vital foods of a balanced life. As we work internally and externally on making ourselves happier and our lives more fulfilled, we also have to be mindful that our existence doesn’t impact the world adversely. After all, all that we do today affects our children’s and grandchildren’s lives in the future. I don’t want my loved ones to struggle to breathe clean air because of our ignorance and mistakes. Do you?
… I strongly believe that once our mindset changes, everything else will follow. In school and college, we’re taught about finance, science and history, yet spreading knowledge about the environment is overlooked and treated as less significant. We are raising our children to be intelligent enough to hold top rankings in prestigious universities around the world but ignorant of how the world is inhabited, polluted and taken for granted. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It’s time we inculcate respect for the planet in our lives rather than just our test papers and studies, and understand that every negative action of ours has an equal or more drastic effect on our planet. Climate change is more real than ever now. It is time to act.
~
Balance focuses on thirteen key elements that we all need for a happier, healthier life. It is customized to our benefit, and also serves as a guide to managing the deteriorative aspects of our life – anger, stress and dissatisfaction.
The one certainty in life, the one appointment which each of us will just have to face, is the one for which we do the least to prepare-death.
Preparing for Death explores the questions that have puzzled humanity from the very beginning as evinced by the rituals, texts and philosophies that surround death. From the lives and last days of the Buddha, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Gandhiji, Vinoba; from our religious texts and teachings of great meditation masters; from santhara to sannyas , Arun Shourie explores all these, for their views on how to prepare oneself for the end.
Perhaps some of the most lucid and stark discussions as to the nature and inevitability of death exist in the teachings of the Buddha. With a lyrical look at the final discourses of the Buddha, Shourie offers guidelines on how to live so that one prepares oneself to face death with equanimity.
Worldly troubles plague even the Perfect Ones
‘Ananda, I am now old,’ the Buddha says, ‘worn out, venerable, one who has traversed life’s path, I have reached the term of life, which is eighty . . .’ And pain is a constant blight: ‘It is only when the Tathagata withdraws his attention from outward signs, and by the cessation of certain feelings, enters into the signless concentration of mind, that his body knows comfort.
Both in life, and in the preparation for death it is wise to withdraw the need for outside support, to removes one’s dependence on another’s existence and to find refuge within oneself
Therefore, Ananda, dwell with yourselves as your own island, with yourselves as your own refuge, with no other refuge; dwell with the Dhamma as your refuge, with no other refuge That is why, the Buddha counsels, it is well for a monk—and surely, for each of us—‘to review, from time to time, his own faults . . . another’s faults . . . his own attainments . . . another’s attainments’. And to dissolve by mindfulness the obsessions and ill-intentions that arise.
A certain purity of thought and intention allows one to face death with equanimity.
And the Buddha draws a lesson from Devadatta’s fall, a lesson apt for the way we live our lives. Devadatta went to perdition, the Buddha says, because he had been overpowered by thoughts of gain and loss, of fame and obscurity, of honour and infamy; because he had been consumed by evil intentions and poisoned by evil friendship.
Death invariably seems something that happens to other, so the first acceptance of the temporality of all things-including oneself
Ananda, have I not told you before: All those things that are dear and pleasant to us must suffer change, separation and alteration? So how could this be possible? Whatever is born, become, compounded, is liable to decay—that it should not decay is impossible.
The idea of ‘preparing for death’ also encompasses an acceptance that there are no guarantees, no certainties as to when and where the final moment will occur. Thus our lives itself are ordered in a way that one is, by necessity-preparing for death.
As the Buddhist teachers say, even though we see death every other day, our general attitude is, ‘Yes, yes, I know I will die. But I won’t be dying this year, certainly not this week. In any case, not today.’ The Buddha placed great emphasis on reversing this complacence. He wanted us to always bear in mind: death is certain, but its manner, place, time are absolutely uncertain. He wanted us to internalize these facts, and order our lives accordingly.
Death ultimately subsumes all possessions both material and immaterial.
Each of the ones now lying on the pyre or on those wretched rails had come empty-handed, each is going empty-handed. The assets they had acquired, the honours they had won, the services they had performed, the high positions they had held—none of these could save them, nor was any possession or honour accompanying them.
Death is inescapable, even for the enlightened who have freed themselves from all material fetters, even for the Tathagata himself.
Even in the case of those Bhikkhus who are arahants, whose taints are destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and are completely liberated through final knowledge: even for them this body is subject to breaking up, subject to being laid down.
Preparing for death is in itself a discipline-as the Buddha’s address to his monks at Vesali before departing for his final pilgrimage suggests.
Ripe I am in years. My life-span’s determined.Now I go from you, having made myself my refuge. Monks, be untiring, mindful, disciplined,Guarding your minds with well-collected thought. He who, tireless, keeps to law and discipline, Leaving birth behind will put an end to woe.
The one certainty in life, the one appointment which each of us will just have to face, is the one for which we do the least to prepare-death.
Preparing For Death
Preparing for Death explores the questions that have puzzled humanity from the very beginning as evinced by the rituals, texts and philosophies that surround death. From the lives and last days of the Buddha, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Gandhiji, Vinoba; from our religious texts and teachings of great meditation masters; from santhara to sannyas, Arun Shourie explores all these, for their views on how to prepare oneself for the end, and to face death with equanimity.
But to get back to the incidents. They are a consolation, they put our difficulties in perspective: if even the Buddha had to contend with such mundane troubles, who are we to complain? In any case, even the most fleeting glimpse of these great souls has always bewitched me. On occasion, therefore, I have included longish extracts from contemporary accounts: we see them in their natural habitat, so to say; we hear them talk, we see how they spent their day, what they ate, sometimes even what they lookedlike. Our Adit is forty-four now, but he is small for his age— bound as he is to his wheelchair, he weighs just about 112 lbs; and so I was astonished out of my wits when I read in Pyarelal’s The Last Phase, that when, just a few days before he was assassinated, Gandhiji was weighed, he was just 109 lbs. A man of a mere 109 lbs—‘a little man,’ as British commentators used to call him, all of 5’4’’—had brought down the imperial fortress. So, I have included extracts that have details which I hope will entrance the reader too. But there is another reason also. At first glance the extracts from diaries and the rest will seem far removed from the subject of this book—death. And yet, one of the exercises for the reader is to always keep asking what that seemingly irrelevant detail or event—the equanimity with which the Buddha bears calumny, for instance—tells us about how the personages attained the way they died.
Final lessons
In our present context, reading about their last days is especially instructive. And it is natural to seek lessons from their dying. Indeed, as we shall see, when their end came, the Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramana deliberately kept their disciples and even lay followers close by so that the latter may learn the final lessons from their life, that is, from their dying. The Buddha had asked a disciple to fold the cloth in four and spread it on the ground between two sal trees. He lay down. He sent for the disciples. As they stood around him, one of the most revered Tibetan monks of the last century, Pabonka Rinpoche, told the thousands who had gathered to hear him—the Buddha pulled away his upper garment so that they could see his body—‘It is only rarely that anyone gets the chance to see the body of a Tathagata.’ And the Buddha said to them, ‘This too. You too’—this happens to Buddha too; it will happen to you too. So, to the last years and days of a few great men, and one woman who was ‘ordinary’ enough that she could have been our mother. What happened in the last few months and days? What choices had they to make? What painful decisions had relatives, disciples and associates to make? Did they slide into death or did the ‘delusion of reprieve’ alternate with despair? How did doctors respond? Were they of one mind, or did their diagnoses differ? Would new treatments show improvement? Would the improvement last, or would the hopes it had triggered be dashed in a few days?
Most important for our subsequent discussion, in those final days:
What could they no longer control?
Over what did they retain control?
What had prepared them for the control that they retained till the end?
What stages did their bodies pass through, and their minds, before they eventually died? What decisions did they have to take on the way? That such and thus medical procedure must not be undertaken—in one instance an injection, in another amputation. To take at least water or not even that? For such are the decisions that we will have to take, in some instances to enforce on those looking after us in those final days.
No matter how deeply we believe we know someone, there is always something that eludes us. Yahvi eluded Garv, and she’s nowhere to be found. Get a taste of Novoneel Charkaborty’s latest thriller Cross Your Heart, Take My Name with this excerpt:
~
‘Let’s play a game.’
‘Game? Whoa, all right.’
‘Yeah, a game. A game of any sort always makes the moment interesting.’
‘Second that. So . . . ’
‘So, the game is that we don’t give out any details about ourselves. The other person has to guess intelligently from whatever he or she can deduce.’
Impressive, I thought and said, ‘Bring it on.’
‘I’ll start. Then we can alternate.’
‘Got it.’
‘The fact that you haven’t brought your phone out in the last ten minutes or so tells me you aren’t into social media. You are the type who uses it when you need it,’ she said.
Wow! Is the game more interesting or the woman? I wondered and said, ‘Bang on. I really don’t like to . . . ’
‘We don’t have to give any justification or explanations. Just say true or false. Your chance.’
I took a few seconds before responding. I didn’t want to sound dumb with my observation.
‘Since you brought along an old Samsonite, I believe you don’t travel much. Else you would . . . ’
‘True!’ She didn’t let me complete my sentence. But a childlike happiness filled me when she confirmed my guess.
‘My turn,’ she said and added, ‘You aren’t a reader.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Someone who gets a flimsy magazine to pass time before a delayed flight is more about pictures than words.’
‘Kind of true.’ I was looking straight at her and yet wasn’t able to decipher much from her expression. That was a problem with me. I couldn’t understand what a person was thinking from his or her face. I knew a lot of people who could. And it was a helpful skill as it let you get ahead in conversations like these.
‘Kind of?’ She sounded bemused.
‘All right, I don’t read much. In fact, I didn’t buy the magazine for the pictures either.’
‘Ah, you were seeking some kind of company.’
‘Maybe. Weren’t you?’
‘That’s the game. What makes you think I was?’
I knew I had to think on my feet. And I did.
‘Why else would you sit here with a stranger and play a game? You also want to pass time like me. I had my magazine. You have me.’ The remark was a bit flirtatious, and I didn’t know if it was too direct or made her uncomfortable.
‘A magazine can be flipped through at will. Not a human being.’
The change in the tone of her voice took me by surprise. If she was a book, even though I was not much of a reader, this was when I would conclude that ‘she’ was unputdownable.
…‘Time to leave,’ she said and excused herself to join the queue. The way she went off, without a care, told me she was good at severing connections. In today’s times, I thought, that was one helluva skill to have. The ability to detach oneself just like that. I too stood up and walked towards the gate.
Cross Your Heart, Take My Name||Novoneel Chakraborty
… Garv was feeling lonely. The way you felt when you had someone in your mind but not beside you. And then there were questions to make the loneliness worse. What had she meant by that message? They did meet. They had tea together. She kissed him as well. He couldn’t possibly have imagined all these things. She told him loud and clear that their plan to disappear had to wait for some time. And he understood. Like he always did, without questioning her. This was not a Mills & Boon romance. Both of them were married to different people.
The note Garv had written and placed under the vase of fresh lilies was for his wife, Nihira. He’d taken an entire day to think what he could write to justify his act. What could a husband say to a wife before leaving her abruptly for no fault of hers? He simply didn’t have the courage to tell her the truth. That was wrong, he knew. And he’d convinced himself that a note would make up for it. After dwelling on it for a long time, he thought the best thing, instead of a long emotional message, would be to write three simple words: I am sorry. To tell Nihira that he still loved her, he kept the note under the vase with lilies, her favourite. Few words; old- fashioned symbolism—the end of a relationship.
Nihira was supposed to fly back from Bengaluru today. And what did he have for her? A note stating that he was sorry. The more Garv thought about it now, the more ridiculous he felt. How had he come to this decision? Was he simply being impulsive? As he tore up the note and threw it in the dustbin, Garv realized he had something more important to find out: Where on earth was Yahvi? He had been messaging her since last night; he had tried her number twice in an interval of three hours but there had been no response. The first time it rang but the second time the number was switched off. Had the battery drained out or had she intentionally switched it off? Garv wondered but concluded she must be up against some problem. And beyond a phone call or a WhatsApp message, there was no way he could reach her. Yet this was the person with whom he had decided to ‘disappear’ for the rest of his life and create an alternate reality.
… Garv drove to the Pune airport to pick up Nihira. This was the longest they’d gone without meeting. and the first sight of her made him feel guilty.
… Right then, Nihira’s phone rang and she excused herself to answer it. Garv could make out it was a work call. He drove to their apartment in silence.
As they neared their gated apartment block, they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance. Garv honked his way in. He wasn’t interested in knowing what the bedlam was about, but Nihira immediately jumped out once the car stopped and walked to the main gate. Perhaps it was this insatiable curiosity that made her want to get involved in people’s stories. and that is why she was doing so well at the NGO.
Garv was unlocking the main door of their flat when Nihira came up, her eyes clouded over.
‘A woman died in the afternoon. Didn’t you get to know when you left the building to come to the airport?’ Nihira asked.
‘No, I came straight from office.’
‘I see.’
‘Some Yahvi Kothari,’ Nihira said. Garv froze for a second before recovering quickly and turning the key one last time. The news left him numb.
~
The excerpt is not enough, we know. Cross Your Heart, Take My Name will keep you racing through the pages.
‘Tis the season to be jolly – and what better way to be jolly than with some new books! Here’s what’s new at Penguin Random House this month. Choose to gift a fellow bookworm, or treat yourself!
From Pony To Unicorn
From Pony to Unicorn || Sanjeev Aggarwal, T.N. Hari
From Pony to Unicorn lucidly describes the X-to-10X journey that every start-up aspiring to become a unicorn has to go through. The book effortlessly narrates the fundamental principles behind scaling. Peppered with anecdotes, insights and practical wisdom, the book is a treasure trove of lessons derived from the authors’ rich personal experiences in both building and guiding several start-ups that went on to attain the ‘unicorn’ status and became public-listed companies.
*
The Impeccable Integrity Of Ruby R.
The Impeccable Integrity Of Ruby R. || Moni Mohsin
Ruby Rauf is an idealistic, industrious scholarship student with a fixed plan. She is going to ace her exams and get a decent job so she never has to suffer the daily degradation of poverty again. Yet, when she meets the compelling actor-turned-politician Saif Haq, her world is upended. Dazzled by his charisma, inspired by his zeal, she quits her degree midway to join his campaign as his social media manager.
With quicksilver dialogue, shrewd political insight and a thoughtful take on the MeToo debate, this sparkling novel reveals Moni Mohsin on top satirical form.
*
Masala Lab
Masala Lab || Krish Ashok
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a science nerd’s exploration of Indian cooking with the ultimate aim of making the reader a better cook and turning the kitchen into a joyful, creative playground for culinary experimentation. Just like memorizing an equation might have helped you pass an exam but not become a chemist, following a recipe without knowing its rationale can be a sub-optimal way of learning how to cook.
*
Not Many, But One Volumes I & II
Not Many, But One Volume 1 || G.K. SasidharanNot Many, But One Volume 2 || G.K. Sasidharan
Sree Narayana Guru (1855-1928) was a spiritual leader and social reformer who led powerful movements to promote social equality. Not Many, But One brings together his work in two rich volumes of translation and interpretation, pieced together for a modern readership.
*
Your Best Day Is Today!
Your Best Day is Today! || Anupam Kher
Your Best Day Is Today! is a compendium of experiences, lessons, and positive takeaways that will help you deal with the dark times in your life. It is a guide to getting in touch with your inner self and finding solutions to the problems that arise with adapting to changes in life. It is also a reminder of how you are not alone and there is always a way to make the best of any situation life throws at you. This book will inspire you and fill your heart with immense love, faith, and joy.
*
Non Obvious Megatrends
Non Obvious Megatrends || Rohit Bhargava
For the past ten years, Rohit Bhargava’s signature annual Non-Obvious Trend Report has helped over a million readers discover more than 100 trends changing our culture. Now for the first time, Rohit and his team of Non-Obvious trend curators reveal ten revolutionary new Megatrends that are transforming how we work, play and live.
*
Deadly Cross
Deadly Cross || James Patterson
A scandalous double homicide opens the psychological case files on Alex Cross… When a glamorous socialite and high school principal are found murdered, lying half naked in a car, the shocking double homicide dominates tabloid headlines. In a world of trouble, corruption, and secrets, Cross is left facing a desperate choice between breaking a trust and losing his way…
*
Paris By Starlight
Paris by Starlight || Robert Dinsdale
Every night on their long journey to Paris from their troubled homeland, Levon’s grandmother has read to them from a very special book. Called the nocturne, it is a book full of fairy stories and the heroic adventures of their people who generations before chose to live by Starlight. And with every story that Levon’s grandmother tells them in their new home, the desire to live as their ancestors did grows. And that is when the magic begins…
*
Ready Player Two
Ready Player Two || Ernest Cline
Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday’s vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous—and addictive—than even Wade dreamed possible.
With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest—a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize.
*
Dearly
Dearly: Poems || Margaret Atwood
Before she became one of the world’s most important and loved novelists, Margaret Atwood was a poet. Dearly is her first collection in over a decade. It brings together many of her most recognisable and celebrated themes, but distilled — from minutely perfect descriptions of the natural world to startlingly witty encounters with aliens, from pressing political issues to myth and legend. Dearly is a pure Atwood delight, and long-term readers and new fans alike will treasure its insight, empathy and humour.
It’s Decembrrrr, but we have wonderful new reads for you that will keep you warm through the chilly days. Welcome to a new month of amazing stories and illustrations that will keep you engrossed!
~
Of Revolutionaries and Bravehearts||Mallika Ravikumar
Of Revolutionaries and Bravehearts: Notable Tales from Indian History
by Mallika Ravikumar
History is often narrated as sagas of kings and queens, legends of battles and wars, or chronicles of art and architecture. But history is more than that. It is the story of ordinary people; their food and language, their thoughts and beliefs, their livelihood and culture. Tales of sweepers and sculptors, robbers and merchants, sailors and saint-why, even pirates!
In this book, Mallika Ravikumar pens eight historical stories that help you look upon the past, as less of a dry-as-bone set of facts, and more of a dynamic shift that shapes our present. Told through the lens of class and conflict, symbols and language, creativity and enterprise and power and perspective, these stories help younger readers see why history is relevant and meaningful.
The Chirmi Chasers||Arefa Tehsin
The Chirmi Chasers
by Arefa Tehsin
A sitola match between two rival schools is more than a game for Nanka-if they lose, he and his father have to leave town! Can Nanka and his unlikely teammates do it? Arefa Tehsin’s book is a classic underdog story featuring a ragtag group of friends fighting against prejudice.
The Clockwala’s Clues||Varsha Seshan
The Clockwala’s Clues
by Varsha Seshan
Jasmine and Sheba want to spend the holidays finding homes for stray puppies. But to do so, they have to first solve a series of puzzles set by Sheba’s father, Clockwala Uncle. Can they do this in time?
Chumki and The Elephants||Lesley D. Biswas
Chumki And The Elephants
by Lesley D. Biswas
Dadi forgets everything, including Chumki’s name. When elephants escape from a nearby reserve, can it be a blessing in disguise and help Dadi remember? A fun story about a young girl, her forgetful grandmother and elephants, Chumki And The Elephants is a perfect read for young readers who are progressing from picture books!
Sudha Murty’s stories are eternal. We finish the books, we keep them back in the shelves, but we can never forget the wonder inspired by her stories and the fascinating characters she crafts. Here are some of her timeless classics that we keep returning to:
How The Onion Got Its Layers||Sudha Murty
How the Onion Got Its Layers
Have you noticed how the onion has so many layers? And have you seen your mother’s eyes water when she cuts an onion? Here is a remarkable story to tell you why.
India’s favourite storyteller brings alive this timeless tale with her inimitable wit and simplicity. Dotted with charming illustrations, this gorgeous chapter book is the ideal introduction for beginners to the world of Sudha Murty.
Grandma’s Bag of Stories||Sudha Murty
Grandma’s Bag Of Stories
Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals.
Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun?
The Daughter From A Wishing Tree||Sudha Murty
The Daughter from a Wishing Tree
Did you know that the Trinity often turned to goddesses to defeat the asuras?
Did you know that the first clone in the world was created by a woman?
The women in Indian mythology might be fewer in number, but their stories of strength and mystery in the pages of ancient texts and epics are many. They slayed demons and protected their devotees fiercely. From Parvati to Ashokasundari and from Bhamati to Mandodari, this collection features enchanting and fearless women who frequently led wars on behalf of the gods, were the backbone of their families and makers of their own destinies.
India’s much-loved and bestselling author Sudha Murty takes you on an empowering journey -through the yarns forgotten in time-abounding with remarkable women who will remind you of the strong female influences in your life.
The Magic of the Lost Temple||Sudha Murty
The Magic Of The Lost Temple
City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents’ village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends.
Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.
Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable.
Grandparents’ Bag of Stories||Sudha Murty
Grandparents’ Bag of Stories
It’s 2020 and children are stuck indoors as the novel coronavirus finds its way into India. A nationwide lockdown is announced and amidst the growing crisis, Ajja and Ajji welcome their grandchildren and Kamlu Ajji into their house in Shiggaon.
From stitching masks, sharing household chores, preparing food for workers to losing themselves in timeless tales, the lockdown turns into a memorable time for the children as they enter the enchanting world of goddesses, kings, princesses, serpents, magical beanstalks, thieves, kingdoms and palaces, among others. The myriad stories told by their grandparents become the biggest source of joy, making the children compassionate, worldly-wise and more resilient than ever.
Following the trail of the best-selling Grandma’s Bag of Stories, India’s favourite author Sudha Murty brings to you this collection of immortal tales that she fondly created during the lockdown period for readers to seek comfort and find the magic in sharing and caring for others. Wonderfully woven in her inimitable style, this book is unputdownable and perfect for every child’s bookshelf!
~
Our bookshelves have an entire section dedicated to Sudha Murty. That’s just how our young readers like it! What about you?
Entrepreneurs are bringing education online, connecting families at the touch of a button and revolutionizing the shopping experience-in short, they’re changing the way we live.
Following the success of Become a Junior Inventor, Vrunda Bansode gives every kid a hands-on crash course in entrepreneurship in her new book, Become a Junior Entrepreneur. Here is a checklist on how you can convert an idea into a venture, from the book.
Think of all the things that you can build on to develop your business as an entrepreneur and note them down. Right now, do not think of constraints. Just think of all that you would like to do. Innovate. Invent. Dream big! Now comes the reality check. Let us think of what you can actually work towards and have a good chance of succeeding at. How does one figure that out? Try to answer these questions for each of the businesses you have listed:
Do I myself have the skill of making this product or delivering this service?
(Hint: If you want to start a baking business but do not know how to bake, the answer would be No. If you want to start a web design service and are good at using design softwares yourself, your answer is Yes.)
Do I know who might be the customers for my business and can I reach them easily?
(Hint: If you are developing a book-trading app and know that many of your friends will use the service, your answer is Yes. But let’s say you are considering starting a garden clean-up service and don’t have any houses with gardens around you, the answer is No.)
Do many people need this product or service?
(Hint: Everybody needs and buys toothbrushes regularly, so the market is large. But not everyone needs dental braces, so the market is much smaller.)
Roughly how much money is needed to start this business and will I be able to get it through my savings, allowances and borrowings from family and friends?
Can I start working towards this right away – at least within a few months?
For any idea that you end up with more No-s than Yes-es, mark it as a passion to be pursued later. Where your Yes-es are more than the No-s, get going! If you have a Yes for all five questions, that’s a great place to start. But if you had to scrap all of your ideas, don’t be hassled. Just start again or see if you can modify an idea you like even a little until you get all five Yes-es.
Another great way to start is to team up with your friends. You will have more helping hands and great ideas on board, and there’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun on the side. Many great start-ups started with a team of founders rather than a single founder.
If it is not just you, but you and a group of friends who want to start a business together, then do the above as a group exercise. The group together will then have the skill of ideation, knowledge, access to prospective customers and the ability to get the money or seed capital—as it is called in the business world—to start your new business.
From sifting through ideas to running a business, Become a Junior Entrepreneur accompanies the reader through every stage of turning a nascent dream into a commercially viable start-up.
