In the village of Kote, females are forbidden to read and write. Only the Blessed Child can lift the taboo and free their country from the rule of the Ag-yanees. The problem is, they don’t know why the Omniscient One (their God) chose a girl to be the Blessed Child. Doesn’t he know that girls aren’t allowed to read or write?
Books help address the topics most parents as well as children find awkward. We often get #kbcqueries on this topic. We’ve curated this list of helpful books related to puberty, recommended by fellow parents.
Queen of Fire by the brilliant historian Devika Rangachari is the third in the ‘Queens’ series and unfolds the tale of the feisty, bold Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. I was intrigued when I got it as unlike the other two queens Dida of Kashmir and Prithvi Mahadevi, who were lost in the pages of history, Rani of Jhansi was a rather well known queen. I wondered what else could I discover about her…
Abbakka is your typical warrior princess in training, a skilled archer, fierce, courageous, witty and embodies an easily likeable character as the protagonist. A girl thirsty for any sort of adventure as she sets out into dangerous missions to track down spies in her seas. She accompanies her mother whom she has a strong bond with in stopping the firangis (Portuguese) from capturing their precious pepper crop.
Satyajit Ray in 100 Anecdotes is a delightful collector’s item, both for children and adults. It demystifies this genius through anecdotes, some little known secrets and some well known ones, which are already in the public realm. It’s an easy, memorable read. You really don’t need to worry which page you are on, as each page is a story in itself.
I started reading the book which at first, looks like a page from everyday life that revolves around this teenage boy Taran and his family. Starting out with a peek into sibling rivalry and taking us through the colours of Ganapati visarjan, the story efficiently unfolds its adventure and fantastical elements with a quick turn of events. Soon enough, Taran finds himself charged with a mission by the Lord Ganesha himself!
