SAWNET: Kids Books
Fiction
- A Brahmin's Castles in the Air, by Rashmi Sharma.
Vidya Books, Berkeley, 1993. A poor, young brahmin prefers daydreaming to taking action to better his life. (Ages 4 - 8)
- A Gift for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1996 In the third and last Gita book, Gita is now well settled in Canada and is thrilled that her beloved grandmother, Naniji, is visiting. An unexpected announcement from her father sends Gita's world spinning. She must now decide where her home and heart are. What will Gita choose? (Ages 4 - 8)
- A Group of One, by Rachna Gilmore.
Henry Holt, 2001 An Indo-Canadian girl discovers that both cultures are an important part of her identity.
(Ages 12 - 16)
- A Summer Adventure, by Shashi Deshpande.
India Book House, 1983 (Ages 8 - 12)
- A Wild Elephant at Camp, by Anupama Moharkar.
Tara Books, Chennai. A young boy named Kutti who lives in India within a wildlife sanctuary which is home to wild and domesticated elephants. (Ages 6 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
- Aani and the Tree Huggers, by Jeanine Atkins.
Lee and Low Books, 1995. Illustrated by Venantius Pinto in an amalgamation of five Indian miniature styles of the 17th century. Based on the Chipko Andolan in India in the 1970s, young Aani and the other women in her village defend their forest from developers by wrapping their arms around the trees, making it impossible to cut them down. (Ages 8 - 12)
- All About Nothing, by Neena Sabnani & Deeya Nayar.
Tulika, Chennai Based on an animation film, the book explores the possible origin of ‘zero’ as used in mathematical calculations. The story is a fictional take on actual research done on the subject. A merchant living in Takshashila (north-western India) finds he has to do calculations all the time. But without ‘zero’, it is a complicated process indeed. One night, he falls asleep on his papers. When he wakes up, sunlight is streaming in through the latticed window, throwing circular beams of light on his calculations. An idea is sparked off. Eureka!
The people of the time – trade, trade routes, architecture, dress styles, dyes used, and so on – were also researched for authenticity in the film, which carries into the illustrations. The earthy colours and textures provide a vivid complement to the text. Bhojpatra (birchbark), used for manuscripts those days, has been used as a backdrop for an old-world feel. Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada (Ages 6 - 10)
- Alphabets are Amazing Animals, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Illustrated by Christiane Pieper. Absurd in meaning but syntactically precise, the text introduces first readers to words: their sound and rhythms and how they can combine into sentences. The curious and happy scenes in this book come alive with joyful art. Every page is a story unto itself. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
- Andamans Boy, by Zai Whitaker.
Tulika, Chennai. (Ages 6 - 12)
- Animal Antics, by Debjani Chatterjee.
Pennine Pens, 2000 Chuckle at the crazy antics of the animals in Debjani Chatterjees amazing menagerie: the astro-turtle hurtling through space, the hippo who bellowed, the elephant under the bed, the snake who came to school, the adder who learnt yoga, the rabbit-magician, the bridge-building monkeys, the sloth who loved hanging around, and many more. Poetry. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Animal Crackers, by Narinder Dhami.
Random House Children's Books, UK When Sanjay gets a bump on his head from the school bully, he wakes up to find that everyone in the playground has turned into
an animal! The headmaster's a polar bear and Sanjay's best friend is a sheepdog. Even the ambulance that comes to take him to
hospital is driven by a gorilla and the paramedic is a penguin. Seeing his schoolmates in a new light gives Sanjay a clever idea
about how to defeat the bully. Will Sanjay's wily plan work, or has the whole world gone animal?
(Ages 7 - 9)
- Aruna's Journeys, by Jyotsna Sreenivasan.
Smooth Stone Press, St. Louis. Aruna, an 11-year-old Indian-American girl, reluctantly visits India and in the process discovers more about who she is. Her feminist aunt in India helps her keep true to her own identity. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Ashok by Any other Name, by Sandra Yamate & Janice Tohinaka.
Polychrome Pub. Corp, Chicago. 1992 An east Indian boy wishes to have a more 'American' name and experiences mishaps as he searches for the perfect name for himself. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Atisa and the Seven Wonders, by Anu Kumar.
Puffin Books, Penguin India, 2008 A strange man crash-landing his even stranger flying machine into Atisa’s home opens a world full of wonders for the fourteen-year-old boy…Full of thrills, chills and spills, Atisa and the Seven Wonders weaves fact and fiction to take you on an action-packed, imaginative and informative exploration of the seven wonders of the ancient world. (Ages 10 - 15)
- Beastly Tales from Here and There, by Vikram Seth.
Ten enchanting tales in verse. "Of the ten tales told here, the first two come from India, the next two from China, the next two from Greece, and the next two from the Ukraine. The final two came directly from the Land of Gup.", says the author. Illustrated by Ravi Shankar, the well-known cartoonist.
(Ages 8 - 12)
- Bhangra Babes, by Narinder Dhami.
Random House, 2006 (Ages 12 - 16)
- Bindi Babes, by Narinder Dhami.
Delacorte, 2004 Three fun-loving Anglo-Asian sisters rule the roost since their mom died. They've got a reputation at school for being the coolest babes in town, and what they don't need is an interfering Auntie-ji from India cramping their style. The girls decide the only way out of the problem is an arranged marriage -- for their aunt.
(Ages 12 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
- Binya's Blue Umbrella, by Ruskin Bond.
Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Bollywood Babes, by Narinder Dhami.
Random House Children's Books The girls school is desperate for money and their formidable young auntie has volunteered to do some fund-raising. The sisters can't help but be impressed with her plan for an end-of-term Bollywood party. Then inspiration strikes Amber. What could be more glamorous than a real, live, Bollywood film star at the party? Except that if the so-called star is now ancient, foul-tempered, and demanding, is it really such a great idea? (Ages 12 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
- Born Confused, by Tanuja Desai Hidier.
Scholastic, 2002 Dimple Rohitbhai Lala comes of age and discovers unexpected true love, and her place in the world, in the context of the South Asian club and music scene in New York City. (Ages 14 - 18)
- Bringing Asha Home, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Lee & Low Books, 2006 It's Rakhi, the Hindu holiday special to brothers and sisters, and Arun wishes he had a sister with whom to celebrate. Soon it looks as if his wish will come true. His parents are going to adopt a baby girl named Asha. She is coming all the way from India, where Arun's dad was born.
The family prepares for Asha's arrival, not knowing it will be almost a year until they receive governmental approval to bring Asha home. Arun is impatient and struggles to accept the long delay, but as time passes he finds his own special ways to build a bond with his sister, who is still halfway around the world. (Ages 3 - 7)
[Sawnet Review]
- Camel Rider, by Prue Mason.
Charlesbridge, 2007 (orig. Penguin
Australia, 2004). Adam and his family live comfortably in a compound with other foreigners who work in the Middle East. When war breaks out and all foreigners try to escape, Adam runs away in an effort to save his dog, which has been left behind. Alone and without resources in the desert, Adam meets Walid, an abused camel boy who has run away from his cruel masters. Together they struggle to bridge wide gulfs between their cultures and languages in order to survive. Ultimately both boys learn about true friendship.
(Ages 10 - 14)
[Sawnet Review]
- Chachaji's Cup, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Children's Book Press, 2003 Illustrated by Soumya Sitaraman
Why does Chachaji always insist on drinking his chai from the same chipped china teacup? A young boy learns the history of his family, uprooted during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Cherry Tree, by Ruskin Bond.
St Martin's Press, 1991 Six-year-old Rakhi follows her grandfather's suggestion and plants a cherry seed. She learns to care for it through its difficult life as she grows up herself. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Climbing the Stairs, by Padma Venkataraman.
Penguin USA During World War II and the last days of British occupation in India, fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of attending college. But when her forward-thinking father is beaten senseless by the British police, she is forced to live with her grandfather’s large traditional family, where the women live apart from the men and are meant to be married off as soon as possible.
Vidya’s only refuge becomes her grandfather’s upstairs library, which is forbidden to women. There she meets Raman, a young man also living in the house who relishes her intellectual curiosity. But when Vidya’s brother makes a choice the family cannot condone, and when Raman seems to want more than friendship, Vidkya must question all she has believed in. (Ages 12 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
- Crocodile Fever, by Zai Whitaker.
With Rom Whitaker. Orient Longman, Hyderabad. 1998 (Ages 8 - 12)
- Dahling, if you Luv Me, Would you Please, Please Smile, by Rukhsana Khan.
Stoddard Kids A Muslim girl growing up in Canada finds that pleasing her peers and her older sister just isn't worth the effort. (Ages 14 - 18)
- Excuse me, is this India, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai Illustrated with exquisite textile art, this is a story of travel through a child's imagination. The brilliant nonsense verse captures the surreal mixture of places, people and creatures that make up India. (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
- Fine Feathered Friend, by Jamila Gavin.
Egmont, 2001; Crabtree, 2002 In India, Raju is angry about spending two months on his aunt and uncle's farm while his family attends a wedding in England, but things looks much brighter after he becomes mother to a newly-hatched chick.
(Ages 8 - 12)
- From Out of the Shadows, by Jamila Gavin.
Egmont, 2002 Trapped in someone's shadow? Pushed around? Know you're nothing like the person everyone else wants you to be? These stories will make you feel free, whether it's the feeling of the wind in your hair, hanging out with your friends or just smiling a mysterious smile! (Ages 12 - 16)
- Goddy Tales, by Shinie Antony.
6 tales for ages 8 - 12. "Meet Goddy. he is cool, he is funny and he is, ahem, God. When God makes a friend, size and lineage don't matter. Hence Goddy's best friend is a tiny creature, very common, but not exactly loved by mortal souls. Along with his father, best friend and sundry angels, Goddy deals with everyday problems just like u and me in this sneak preview of heaven..." (Ages 6 - 10)
- Grandpa Chatterji, by Jamila Gavin.
Methuen, 1993 Neeta and Sanjay discover their loving and surprising Indian grandfather. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Grandpa's Indian Summer, by Jamila Gavin.
Mammoth, 1996 Neeta and Sanjay go to visit their grandfather in Calcutta. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Haroun and the Sea of Stories, by Salman Rushdie.
Granta Books + Viking, New York. 1990. Whimsical fantasy novel with lovely spoofs on names and places in the Kashmir Valley , never fully marketed to the young audience it was intended to reach. (Ages 8 - 18)
- Hen Sparrow Turns Purple, by Gita Wolf.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Designed as a scroll, HenSparrow Turns Purple also makes a long wall picture. This cheerful adaptation of a folk tale tells the story of HenSparrow, who falls into a vat of dye, and turns quite purple. The illustrations recall the exquisite art of Indian miniature painting. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
- In the Dark, by Gita Wolf, Sirish Rao, Rathna Ramanathan.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Five men are out walking on a moonless night, when suddenly they bump into something. Each of them sees something different, yet each is convinced that he is right. How is that possible? And what could this thing be? In the Dark is a tale of wisdom for all ages. This witty and unique version of a traditional Sufi story is hand calligraphed and illustrated in the style of traditional woodcuts. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
- Indian Summer, by Pratima Mitchell.
Walker Books, 2009 Sarla, a Londoner, spends the summer with her mother's family in Daroga, India. She and her cousin Bina, who is quiet, studious and traditional, are very different indeed. When Sarla learns that Bina has a deep, dark secret - concerning her mother, a murder and bandits in the surrounding hills - she is determined to find out exactly what it is.
(Ages 13 - 17)
[Sawnet Review]
- Kali and the Rat Snake, by Zai Whitaker.
Tulika Books, Chennai Kali hates school. And school hates him, he thinks, for he has no friends. The children there find him strange. He wishes his father
were an 'ordinary' bus-conductor or postman instead of a snake-catcher, even if one of the most celebrated in the Irula tribe. He
worries that others will see him eating fried termites (his favourite snack!) and laugh. And then one day, a large rat snake creates
havoc in the classroom . . . and Kali becomes a hero!
Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, English (Ages 5 - 10)
[Sawnet Review]
- Keeping Corner, by Kashmira Sheth.
Disney - Hyperion, 2007 Pretty as a peacock, twelve-year-old Leela has been spoiled all her life by everyone in her Gujarat village. She has never been interested in school and barely takes notice of the growing unrest between the British colonists and her own countrymen. Why should she? Her future has been planned since her engagement at two and marriage at nine. And now, as the day she moves in with her husband's family draws near, she's too busy collecting bangles and ribbons to care about much else.
But when Leela's husband dies, her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with gifts and affection, she is is forced to shave her head and give away her beloved saris and bangles. Leela is considered unlucky now, and will have to stay confined to her house for a year to keep corner in preparation for a life of mourning for a boy she barely knew.
When her schoolteacher hears of her fate, she offers to give Leela lessons at home. For the first time, despite her confinement, Leela begins to open her eyes to the changing world around her. India is suffering from a severe drought, and farmers are unable to pay taxes to the British. She learns about a new leader of the people, a man named Gandhi, who starts a political movement and practices satyagraha, a non-violent protest against the colonists as well as the caste system. The quiet strength of satyagraha may liberate her country. Could it be that she can use the same path to liberate herself (Ages 9 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
- King of the Skies, by Rukhsana Khan.
Scholastic, 2001 Set around the festival of Basant in Lahore, the "King of the Skies" is a young boy in a wheelchair, who is collaborating with his brother and sister to collect the most kites from the traditional aerial kite-battles. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Kolaba, by Sandhya Rao.
Tulika, Chennai. Sonabai lives beside a tree that bears delicious red berries. Every day she picks the berries and makes sweets to sell in the market. She is very contented . . . until Kolaba the fox sneaks into her life. This Marathi folktale has enthralled several generations of children. Ranjan De's papercuts add to the mystery and bring Kolaba to life.
Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, English.
(Ages 3 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
- Lights for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1994 Newly arrived from India, Gita longs to celebrate Divali, the Festival of Lights, with the traditional fireworks. But the ugly November weather interferes and the friends she's invited can't come to her party. To make matters worse, the power goes out, plunging the city in darkness. How will Gita manage to overcome the darkness and find the light? (Ages 4 - 8)
- Look, the Moon, by Sandhya Rao.
Tulika Books, Chennai A picture book which urges a child to look out of the window each night to watch the moon. Illustrated by Trotsky Marudu.
(Ages 3 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
- Maya Running, by Anjali Banerjee.
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House Thirteen-year-old Maya was born in India and has grown up in Canada. She loves Manitoba, land of ice and snow, but sometimes she's not sure just where she belongs. The arrival of her glamorous cousin Pinky on a visit from India leads Maya to ask the Hindu god Ganesh, the Remover of Obstacles, to change her life. (Ages 10 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
- Milk Rice, by .
Perera Hussein Publishing House
Perera Hussein Publishing Hou Journey to a strange village and learn the secret of their hats or travel in time to towns in Sri Lanka with a genie. Read about the dilemma of a cat that is forbidden to kill or dream about building an aeroplane that will fly over golden paddy fields. In this collection MilkRice enthusiastically presents nine stories for children from new and established Sri Lankan writers. (Ages 5 - 10)
- Monkey's Drum, by Anita Moorthy.
Tara Books, Chennai. When Monkey gets a thorn in his tail, he asks the village barber to remove it for him. But the barber shaves the tip of Monkey's tail off by mistake. So Monkey demands the barber's knife in exchange for the missing hair. But it doesn't stop there...
This traditional rhyming story of the trickster monkey has always been a favourite grandmother's tale. Illustrated by Soumitra Sarkar.
(Ages 4 - 8)
- Monsoon, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Farrar, Straus, Giroux Illustrated by
Jamel Akib.
In a hot, dry city in northern India, a young girl
waits for rain. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Monsoon Summer, by Mitali Perkins.
Delacorte, 2004 Fifteen-year old Jazz Gardner leaves California for a life-changing summer in an Indian orphanage. (Ages 12 - 16)
- Motherland, by Vineeta Vijayraghavan.
Soho Press, 2001 A coming-of-age tale of an Americanized teenager making a summer visit
to
grandparents in India. A lively fifteen-year-old, Maya would
rather be with her New York friends, but her mother wants her to
embrace her Indian heritage and to appreciate
the great love and sacrifice of the relatives who raised
her until she was four.
(Ages 14 - 19)
[Sawnet Review]
- Naina's Adventure, by Enakshi Choudhuri.
Orbolo Books
Available in English-Hindi, English-Bengali, English-Gujarati and English-Tamil. All text is in English script. A full glossary and pronunciation guide is provided.
Summary: Naina, a little girl who lives in America, longs to visit her grandparents who live in India. One night her wish comes true when she goes on a magical journey on the Goodnight Express to spend the day at her grandparents? home in India. During her adventure, Naina learns that as the Earth spins, day and night occur at various times in different parts of the world. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Naming Maya, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Farrar, Straus, Giroux. 2004 Maya is made to spend part of her summer in Chennai, India, with her mother, who is trying to sell her grandfather's old house. Soon Maya is drawn into a complicated friendship with eccentric Kamala Mami, who has been a housekeeper and cook for years in Maya's extended family. At the same time, Maya is thrust into an ocean of memories, all coming at her too quickly for her to understand. In particular, she is forced to examine the history of her parents' divorce -- all the more painful because she believes the trouble began with the choosing of her name. For years the tension has simmered in a cauldron of anxiety, secrets, and misunderstandings. It is only with the help of Kamala Mami and Maya's cousin Sumati that Maya is able to see what happened to her parents.
In this compelling first novel, a young Indian American girl finally learns that she can choose which memories to keep and which to let go. (Ages 9 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
- Neela: Victory Song, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
Pleasant Company Publications, 2002 It is 1939, and 12-year-old Neela Sen and her family are preparing for the wedding of Neela's older sister. Neela knows her parents will soon be arranging a betrothal for her, too. She is far more interested in thinking about other things, including India's growing movement for independence from Great Britain. When her father is jailed following a march against British rule, Neela takes matters into her own hands and goes to Calcutta to find him. (Ages 9 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
- One, Two Tree, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai Illustrated by Durga Bai, a tribal artist from the Gond region of Central India. This visually stunning read-aloud book invites young children to count the improbable number of animals
that clamber up an ever-expanding tree.
Illustrated with art from the Gond tribal tradition of central India, One Two Tree! is at once a number book, a picture book, a nursery rhyme tale and a fable of living together.
A unique and accessible way of introducing even very young children to exceptional art. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
- Paper Boat, by Rabindranath Tagore.
Illustrated by G. Bochak A child launches paper boats hoping someone in another country will find them. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Picture Imperfect and other Byomkesh Bakshi mysteries, by Saradindu Bandopadhyay.
Penguin Books, 1999. Translated from Bengali into English by Sreejata Guha. Written long before Satyajit Ray's Feluda Series, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay's Byomkesh Bakshi mysteries heralded a new era in Bengali popular fiction. Set in the old-world Calcutta of the Raj, these stories featuring the astute investigator and his chronicler friend Ajit are still as gripping and delightful as when they first appeared. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Premlata and the Festival of LIghts, by Rumer Godden.
Greenwillow, 1996 A heroine with heart, young Prem braves the dark, and the wrath of the nasty Paru Didi, to get Diwali diyas for the house. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Priscilla Rebels, by Maya Chandrasekharan.
Priscilla is an American girl who studies at Grayfield Manor, a boarding school in Ooty, India. (Ages 8 - 12)
- Rangbibi and Langra, by Sohaila Abdulali.
Ford Foundation The books touch on issues such as tribal displacement, sexual abuse and access to health care. They involve an old woman, RangBibi, and a crippled monkey named Langra. The books are set in the desert, the forest and an urban slum. Each book involves a child or children in a crisis, and the stories show the children solving their problems with RangBibi's magical help.
These books are available in English, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil. They were widely distributed to rural health and education groups,
as well as in urban bookshops. Available from Sohaila Abdulali's website.
(Ages 8 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
- Ravi's Diwali Surprise, by Anisha Kacker & Kusum Ohri.
Modern Curriculum Press, 1994. Ravi is anxious to spend time with big brother, who is away for college, during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Robi Dobi, by Madhur Jaffrey.
Dial Books, NY 1997. An Indian elephant befriends a mouse, a butterfly and a parrot, and together they have many adventures. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Roses for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1996 Several months after moving from India, Gita longs to plant roses, to create a garden just like her grandmother's in India. But Mom is busy with her studies, and Mr Flinch, the mean old man next door won't even let Gita look at his lovely garden. Will she ever be able to plant the first rose she longs for? Will she and Mr Flinch ever be friends? (Ages 4 - 8)
- Ruler of the Courtyard, by Rukhsana Khan.
Viking Children's Books, 2002 Saba, a girl in rural Pakistan who is afraid of chickens, is faced with what she thinks is a snake but turns out to be the 'nala' of Nani's salwar.
(Ages 4 - 8)
- Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind, by Suzanne Fisher Staples.
Random House Children's Books When eleven-year old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, she must either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her father's wishes. (Ages 12 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
- Shine, Coconut Moon, by Neesha Meminger.
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009 SHINE, COCONUT MOON, a debut novel by Neesha Meminger, deals with the Sikh experience post 9/11, as well as issues of family and belonging. The main character, Samar Ahluwahlia (Sam), is Punjabi and Sikh and lives with her single, divorced mother who works very hard to assimilate her daughter into American culture so that Sam might be spared some of the racism that her mother experienced growing up. Sam's mother cut off all ties with her family when Sam was two. But the week of the September 11th attacks, her turbaned uncle walks back into their lives, wanting to reconcile the family, and changes everything for Sam and her mom. (Ages 14 - 18)
[Sawnet Review]
- Silly Chicken, by Rukhsana Khan.
Viking Children's Books, 2005 Rani, a girl in Pakistan, thinks her mother loves her pet hen more than she loves her in this story about sibling rivalry. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Sonu: Adventures of a Lively Child, by .
Navneet Books Stories about Sonu, a lively child.
(Ages 8 - 10)
- Sorry, Best Friend, by .
, edited by Tulika, Chennai. Concerned by the divisive forces of communalism, and its influence on children, the Centre for Science, Culture and Education conducted a workshop to examine ways of dealing with the situation. This collection of short stories focusing on communal harmony is an offshoot of this workshop. It is the first in a series on affirmative themes. (Ages 8 - 14)
- Thama and the Little Boy, by Kamala Laxman.
IBH Publishers, Bombay, 1983. Illustrated by her husband, the cartoonist R.K. Laxman. (Ages 4 - 8)
- That Summer at Kalagarh, by Ranjit Lal.
Tulika, Chennai. A gripping tale set in the lush forests of the Kumaon hills -- Corbett country, brought to life with naturalist-author Ranjit Lal's photographic eye for detail. (Ages 10 - 14)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Aditi Stories, by Suniti Namjoshi.
Tulika Books, Chennai
- Aditi and the One-Eyed Monkey. An enchanting modern fairytale involving an unlikely foursome. A monkey sets out to explore the
world, joined by a curious ant and an elephant trying hard to be aggressive. They come across a
princess with a mission and rally around to help her. Armed with a cloak of invisibility, a sword of
courage and a ball of magic clay, the friends journey to the den of a fierce dragon who must be
tamed. Poor dragon! [Sawnet review]
- Aditi and the Thames Dragon. In this delightful sequel to Aditi and the One-Eyed Monkey, the postal parrot brings a cryptic letter
with a British stamp for 'Aditi and Friends' -- an urgent call for help from twins Roshan and Rohit
in London. A River Dragon is in trouble!. The five friends set off and their adventures finally land
them on primetime television news!
This book was written for the children of Blue Gate Fields Junior School in London. The children
had read the first book and very much wanted Aditi and friends to come to London. Suniti Namjoshi
weaves fantasy, philosophy and feeling so deftly into a story that will keep readers enthralled.
[Sawnet review]
- Aditi and the Marine Sage. Aditi and friends are on a mission again, this time to the depths of the Great Barrier Reef. From flights on dragonback over blue-green oceans to trips underwater there is much excitement in store. Only the elephant is worried. Will she finally find her name?
(Ages 6 - 10)
[Sawnet Review] - The Amazing Adventures of Little, by Swagata Deb.
Rupa, 2005 A girl called Little, her brother Pickle, and their Uncle Jojo, who is a scientist, an inventor and explorer. He takes them to new worlds, invents time machines...among the characters are a boy who comes from the future to taste alu parathas, and a thief who steals Pickle's Smell.
(Ages 8 - 12)
- The Blood Stone, by Jamila Gavin.
Egmont, 2003 Filippo has never seen his father. Before he was born, his father left their home in Venice to travel to the court of the Great Magul Emperor Shah Jehan. He never returned. Twelve years later, a stranger brings a message that Filippo's father is in the hands of bandits. Filippo follow's his father's journey, into the intrigue of the Emperor's court and on into Afghanistan... (Ages 12 - 16)
- The Buggles, by Antara Ganguli.
Rupa, 2001 A fantasy novel with one central human character who finds herself in a frightening, magical underground world.The heroine is a fiesty ten-year old Indian girl and the rest of the characters are non-human. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Closet Ghosts, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Chilldren's Book Press, San Francisco. 2006 Moving to a new place is hard enough without finding a bunch of mean, nasty ghosts in the closet. This looks like a job for Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god who can change shape in the blink of an eye and chase goblins and demons away with his thundering voice. When Hanuman answers Anu's plea for help, she rejoices — until she realizes those pesky ghosts don't seem to be going anywhere.
Illustrations by Shiraaz Bhabha (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
Millbrook Press, 2003 The story opens in a poor section of Kolkata, where 12-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell imbued with mystical powers. Anand's task is to return the shell to its rightful home high in the mountains. Will he succeed? Accompanied by a mysterious stranger and a resourceful street urchin, Anand will encounter good and evil - both in himself and in those around him.
(Ages 9 - 12)
- The Feluda Stories, by Satyajit Ray.
Penguin, India, 1988. First published in Bengali by Ananda Publishers, 1971 A collection of detective stories starring Feluda and his partners, Topshe and Jatayu, set in Calcutta.
- The Adventures of Feluda. [Review at Parabaas]
- The Mystery of the Elephant God: More Adventures of Feluda
- Feluda's Last Case
(Ages 8 - 12)
- The Forbidden Temple, by Padma Venkataraman.
Tulika, Chennai How was everyday life for children long ago? Did they have pets? Did foreign students feel homesick? What was it like to go
shopping in a big city? What sort of games did they play?
In this book, imagination takes off from carefully researched fact to create ten fascinating stories of children from times past,
panning India's history from around 3500 BC onward. Alongside are bits of interesting information -- easy to absorb, just enough
for added atmosphere. Finely etched pictures come together in collages to illustrate each story. A perky ant leads the trail through
a very visual activity section that makes tracking history so much fun! (Available from Tulika or orders@padmasbooks.com)
(Ages 10 - 14)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Giant Who Looks for his Temper, by Santhini Govindan.
Scholastic India, 2001. Hindi Edition Boomba Chala (Ages 4 - 8)
- The Happiest Tree, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Lee & Low Books, 2006 Meena is excited about the class play, a new and improved version of Red Riding Hood. But when she learns that she must play one of the trees in the forest, Meena's excitement vanishes. She is just too clumsy to be a quiet, steady tree.
One day at the Indian grocery store, Meena sees a yoga class in progress, and the store owner convinces her to try the children's class. Little does Meena know she is about to find a way to grow from the inside out, just like a tree, and move beyond her feelings of clumsiness and frustration.
The Happiest Tree is a gentle and empowering story of a young girl's road to self-confidence. It is sure to spark interest in yoga, and provide comfort to all children as they struggle to overcome the everyday obstacles to growing up.
Illustrated by Ruth Jeyaveeran
(Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Hidden Treasure, by Shashi Deshpande.
India Book House, 1980 (Ages 8 - 12)
- The House of Djinn, by Suzanne Fisher Staples.
Frances Foster/FSG, New York, 2008 It has been ten years since Shabanu staged her death to secure the safety of her daughter, Mumtaz, from her husband’s murderous brother. Mumtaz has been raised by her father’s family with the education and security her mother desired for her, but with little understanding and love. Only her American cousin Jameel, her closest confidant and friend, and the beloved family patriarch, Baba, understand the pain of her loneliness. When Baba unexpectedly dies, Jameel’s succession as the Amirzai tribal leader and the arrangement of his marriage to Mumtaz are revealed, causing both to question whether fulfilling their duty to the family is worth giving up their dreams for the future. A sequel to Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli. (Ages 12 - 15)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Magic Liquid, by Jamuna Rangachari.
Rupa, New Delhi. 2005 Taro is on a mission to rescue his planet. With the help of Raju, he explores the planet Earth while searching for the elixir of life.
Taro is from the planet Zyrus and Raju is a student of doorstep school in Mumbai (Ages 7 - 12)
- The Mahatma and the Monkeys, by Anu Kumar.
Hatchette, India, 2009 This book, for today’s kids with an introduction by Anupam Kher, brings together the most interesting incidents that shaped Gandhiji’s life and his most important sayings. From his quest for truth, non-violence, equality and freedom, from the lessons he learned, and from his powerful words, you too can learn to be a little bit like Gandhiji. Through what he did and what he said Gandhiji inspired millions of Indians and made one of the mightiest empires in the world bow to his dream: freedom for India. That’s what made him an uncommon man and the greatest leader of the millennium. And that’s why, even decades after his death, his work and his words matter in today’s world. Mahatma Gandhi never said, “What can I do, I’m only one person.” Instead he said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” And he did. (Ages 12 - 15)
- The Milkman's Cow, by Vidya Pradhan.
Children's Book Trust, 2005 Mother Cow refuses to budge from the middle of the road. A number
of grown-upsranging from a milkman to a wrestler and a policeman try to
force the cow to move, but they fail. Finally it is a young boy who solves
the problem. (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Monkey in the Stars, by Jamila Gavin.
Mammoth, 1998 Combines mythological elements in a contemporary story. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Moon Over Crete, by Jyotsna Sreenivasan.
Holy Cow Press, Duluth, Mn. 1994 A time-travel adventure novel with a feminist theme. Lily, the heroine, has an Indian mother and a Jewish father, and travels back in time to ancient Crete where men and women were equal. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Hatchett Books, USA Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.
(Ages 10 - 15)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Hatchett Books, USA The fabulous foursome readers embraced as The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search--a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids' adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.
With only one week to find a captured Mr. Benedict, the gifted foursome faces their greatest challenge of all--a challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and will require them to fight for the very namesake that united them. (Ages 10 - 15)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Narayanpur Incident, by Shashi Deshpande.
India Book House, 1992. Reprinted by Puffin, 1995 8 August 1942. Quit India! Gandhiji warns the British. As he and most leaders are put in jail the very next day, the people rise in protest. As schools close down, and family moves to Narayanpur, a sleepy little village seemingly untouched by the turbulence in the country. But Narayanpur is seething within, and it all comes to a head when a group of children dare to confront the police.
(Ages 8 - 12)
- The Only Witness, by Shashi Deshpande.
India Book House, 1982 (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Parrot's Training, by Rabindranath Tagore.
Translated by Debjani Chatterjee. Tagore Center, UK. 1993 (Ages 4 - 8)
- The Rainbow & Other Stories, by Maneka Gandhi.
Puffin, 2000 A collection of fairy tales. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Road to Mumbai, by Ruth Jeyaveeran.
Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Along the road to Mumbai, Shoba and her monkey, Fuzzy Patel, make many new friends—mysterious monks, a curious camel, and a snake with a sensitive stomach, just to name a few. Shoba and Fuzzy are on their way to a top-secret monkey wedding. But you shouldn’t expect an invitation. According to Fuzzy, it will be the most boring wedding in the history of the universe. But magical things can happen on the road to Mumbai—and when trouble threatens to ruin the big event, unexpected friends come to the rescue. In vivid paintings filled with color and light (and more than one uninvited guest!), Ruth Jeyaveeran brings the beauty and excitement of India alive for children everywhere to enj (Ages 5 - 8)
- The Roses in my Carpets, by Rukhsana Khan.
Fitzhenry and Whiteside An Afghani boy in a Pakistani refugee camp cares for his mother and sister, until he finds work as an apprentice carpet weaver. The roses he weaves are a contrast to the starkness of his life, in this unsentimental, compassionate story about hope amid adversity. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Singing Bowls, by Jamila Gavin.
Methuen, 1989 A British teenager explores his father's adoption from India. (Ages 8 - 12)
- The Song of the Scythe, by Debjani Chatterjee.
SIMT & Sahitya Press, UK This picture storybook tells the
charming ghost story of Rashi's visit to Abbeydale Industrial Museum in
Sheffield. It is available in 5 dual language editions: English with
Bengali (trans. by Rashida Islam), English with Urdu (trans. by Basir
Sultan Kazmi), English with Arabic (trans. by Abdul Razak
Said), English with Cantonese (trans. by Cheung Lee) & English with
Somali (trans. by Mohamed M Noor). Illustrated by David Lumley. (Ages 6 - 9)
- The Sower of Tales, by Rachna Gilmore.
Fitzhenry & Whiteside King's men on horseback, riding through the Plains. Rumors and fear. Fingers flicked to ward off evil, whenever the Sorcerer Odhran is mentioned. Something is definitely not right, and Calantha isn't the only one to feel it. The Seers and the Gatherers all agree - the Essences have become twisted, hard to read. But why? No one seems to know.
Trying to shut out the discord, Calantha loses herself in the tales of the story pods - the story pods whose seeds are scattered nightly by the Sower of Tales. But then the unthinkable happens. There are story pods in the fields as always, but there is no new growth. Where are the seeds? What will become of the Plains folk without the Tales to bring them together? Has the Sower of Tales abandoned them?
In desperation, Calantha sets off on a harrowing journey to seek the Sower of Tales, only to be burdened with a terrifying task. Others will help her, if Calantha can trust them. Her dearest dreams - and her worst nightmares - will guide her, if Calantha can face them.
And she must. For the fate of the Plainsfolk, the fate of the Sower of Tales herself rests in Calantha's hands. And her one passion, the Tales, will make her more vulnerable - and more powerful - than anyone could have known.
(Ages 11 - 14)
[Sawnet Review]
- The Sunita Experiment, by Mitali Perkins.
Scholastic An Indian-American girl whose grandparents come to visit from India. Also about cultural conflicts she faces, and her maturing relationship with her mother. (Ages 12 - 16)
- The Surya Trilogy, by Jamila Gavin.
Mammoth, 1994-1997. This trilogy is the story of the interlinked lives of two families living in India and England between 1947 and 1951 The books provide a compelling account of life in India around the time of partition, thoughtfully contrasted with British life in the aftermath of the Second World War.
- The Wheel of Surya. Marvinder and Jaspal flee from their burning village after Partition, and make their way to England to find their father. Methuen, 1992
- The Eye of the Horse. Jaspal's and Marvinder's father is in prison. In different ways they both feel drawn toward India. Methuen, 1994.
- The Track of the Wind. The Singh family is reunited. Mammoth, 1997.
(Ages 8 - 12)
- The Umbrella Thief, by Sybil Wettasinghe.
Kane/Miller Publishers, NY. 1987 When each of the umbrellas he brings back to his village disappears, Kiri Mama devises a plan to track down the thief. A tale from Sri Lanka. (Ages 4 - 8)
- The Village By the Sea, by Anita Desai.
Allied Publishers, 1982. Lila is 13 and her brother Hari 12, yet as the eldest children of a family fallen on hard times they feel responsible for looking after their young sisters. Their mother is seriously ill, and their father, out of work, spends most of his time drunk. Lila and Hari desperately seek to keep the family together. Then one day Hari goes to Bombay, and suddenly things begin to change. The story is set in Thul, a small fishing village near Bombay. It won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award in 1983. (Ages 12 - 16)
- The Why-Why Girl, by Mahasweta Devi.
Tulika, Chennai. Moyna lives in a little tribal village. She cannot go to school because she has to tend the goats, collect the firewood, fetch the
water… But she is so full of questions that the postmaster calls her the "why-why girl"!
Mahasweta Devi is one of India's foremost writers. In this delightful story, her first picture book, and the only children's book
she has written in English, she tells us how she meets Moyna (and her mongoose!) and helps her find answers to all the
why-whys in books, that Moyna herself learns to read.
Available in Tamil (translated by Ambai), Hindi, Malayalam (translated by Paul Zacharia), Kannada (translated by Girish Karnad),
Marathi, Gujarati, English. (Ages 6 - 10)
- Tiger on a Tree, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004. Illustrated by Pulak Biswas. About a tiger who gets stuck in a tree. (Ages 1 - 5)
[Sawnet Review]
- Tigress, by Helen Cowcher.
A ranger and his herdsmen concoct a plan to save a tigress, her cubs, and other animals as well. (Ages 4 - 8)
- Usha the Mouse Maiden, by Mehlli Gobhai.
Hawthorne Books, 1969 (Ages 8 - 12)
- Yoga Class, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Bebop Books/Lee & Low, 2000 A young girl tries out a series of yoga asanas, and finds out who she really is. (Ages 2 - 5)
- YoungUncle comes to Town, by Vandana Singh.
Viking Children's Books/Penguin USA In a small, sleepy town in northern India, three children gaze out onto a rain-drenched street, waiting for a most unusual guest. Who is Younguncle? Was he really kidnapped by the monkeys when he was little? Can he truly make a noise like a sewing machine? Will he ever Settle Down and Get Married? When he finally arrives, Sarita, Ravi and the baby know instantly that their lives will never be the same again...
(Ages 8 - 12)
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Last updated 29 Aug 2010
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