A brand new edition of Ruskin Bond’s first novel for childrenLaurie is an English boy who moves to a hill town with his parents when his father is posted to India on work for two years.Laurie makes two new friends: Anil; the son of a local cloth merchant; and Kamal; who lost his parents during Partition and now sells buttons and shoelaces but dreams of going to college. Anil and Kamal introduce Laurie to an enchanted world of beetle races; ghosts; chaat and Holi; and he shares with them the secret pool he finds on the mountainside. At the pool the boys fish; build dams; take midnight dips; wrestle; and ride buffaloes. It is there that they plan their grand adventure: a trek to the Pindari Glacier; were no one from their town has gone before. On the slopes of the beautiful mountain they meet pumpkin-eating bears; and keep a close lookout for the Abominable Snow-woman who feeds children fruit; honey; rice and earthworms.This lost classic is a magical tale of adventure and friendship; told in Ruskin Bond’s inimitable style.
Archives: Books
Rusty Goes To London
Rusty travels abroad to fulfil his dream of becoming a writer Rusty Goes to London is the fourth book in Puffin’s new series of the complete escapades of Rusty; this is the first time that all the Rusty stories are available in chronological order. In his early twenties now, Rusty finally severs ties with Dehra and books a passage to England, with the dream of writing and selling his novel abroad. First in his aunt’s house in Jersey, and then in rented lodgings in London, he works as a clerk by day and writes away in the evenings. Eventually the novel is finished and Rusty even finds a publisher. But this, he discovers, does not mean that his book will see the light of day soon … While in London, Rusty has myriad adventures, each more incredible than the last. Strolling down Baker Street, he runs into Sherlock Holmes, who gives him a few lessons in investigative techniques. At the Victoria and Albert Museum, he is accosted by Rudyard Kipling. And then, of course, there is the strange incident at the Chinese quarter, the Calypso Christmas in his lodgings, and the story of the Vietnamese girl Vu-Phuong. After three years abroad, however, Rusty realizes that he wants to make India his permanent home; all he really needs is a room of his own to live and write in, as the vibrant world that he has known and loved all along unfolds outside. Returning to Dehra, he renews some acquaintances and makes a few new ones, and settles into his role as full-time author. Full of interesting stories and memorable characters, Rusty Goes to London is a book that will delight all of Ruskin Bond’s young fans.
Tales Of The Open Road
I have come to believe that the best kind of walk, or journey, is the one in which you have no particular destination when you set out.’ Ruskin Bond’s travel writing is unlike what is found in most travelogues, because he will take you to the smaller, lesser-known corners of the country, acquaint you with the least-famous locals there, and describe the flora and fauna that others would have missed. And if the place is well known, Ruskin leaves the common tourist spots to find a small alley or shop where he finds colourful characters to engage in conversation. Tales of the Open Road is a collection of Ruskin Bond’s travel writing over fifty years. Here, you will encounter a tonga ride through the Shivaliks, a hidden waterfall near Rishikesh, walks along the myriad streets of Delhi (one of which used to be the richest in Asia), trips down the Grand Trunk Road, stopovers in little tea stalls in the hills around Mussoorie, and an excursion to the icy source of the Ganga at over ten thousand feet above sea level. Enriched by rare photographs that Ruskin took during his travels, Tales of the Open Road is a celebration of small-town and rural India by its most engaging chronicler.
Puffin Good Reading Guide For Children
A comprehensive guide to fiction in English for readers aged four to sixteen The Good Reading Guide for Children is divided into three sections to suit every age group has entries listing over 1000 books is divided into categories with cross-references so that children can read more in genres they like includes both classics as well as the best of contemporary works includes books from all over the world. With an introduction by Ruskin Bond, India’s best known children’s writer in English, The Good Reading Guide is an invaluable resource for children who love books, as well as for parents and friends looking for the right book for the young people in their lives.
The Romance Of Tata Steel
‘Russi has captured the “touch and feel” of events in Tata Steel from its early days . . . he also succeeds in bringing to life the human side of the company in a very readable and cogent manner. The book is a valuable and interesting record of the company’s evolution over its 100-year history, while at the same time being an enjoyable book to read.’ —From the Foreword by Ratan N. Tata
‘The hand of history has woven the tapestry of the Tatas. Just over a hundred years ago Jamsetji Tata requested the Secretary of State in PBI – India, Lord George Hamilton, for the co-operation of the British Raj in starting PBI – India’s first steel works. On the hundredth anniversary of the registration of Tata Iron & Steel Company, the company won the bid to purchase the Anglo-Dutch steel giant CORUS. And so the wheel has turned a full circle.’
R.M. Lala traces a hundred years and more of the exciting history of Tata Steel—from men searching for iron ore and coking coal in jungle areas, traversing in bullock carts before the site was found, to the company’s modern status as a PBI – World-class company. He brings to life a seldom-voiced account of the courage, vision and commitment of the men who created PBI – India’s first modern industrial venture which was to be the fountainhead of its industrial growth. The story Lala recounts is an eventful one of struggle for finances, of survival under unimaginable government controls, the evolution of incredibly humane labour practices (like an eight-hour work day much before it was a Western concept), the effort to compete as liberalization was ushered in, and Tata Steel’s ultimate triumph. For over a hundred years, Tata Steel has promoted a culture of philanthropy perhaps unequalled in the corporate PBI – World.
The Romance of Tata Steel is a moving and fascinating account that draws upon extensive archival material and rare photographs to paint a compelling story that all PBI – Indians can be proud of. This informed and objective book is a fitting tribute to an exceptional PBI – Indian company in its centenary year.
Ruskin Bond’s Book Of Verse
Ruskin Bond’s Book of Verse
Author: Ruskin Bond
This leaf, so complete in itself, Is only part of a tree. And this tree, so complete in itself, Is only part of the mountain. And the mountain runs down to the sea. And the sea, so complete in itself, Rests like a raindrop On the hand of God. Ruskin Bond’s Book of Verse brings together the poetry of one of India’s best-loved writers. This charming collector’s edition is a treasury of poems on love and nature, travel, humour and childhood, and will be a lasting source of delight to readers.
Flight Of Pigeons
Set in Shahjahanpur during the revolt of 1857, A Flight of Pigeons is Ruskin Bond’s classic novella about the twists of fate, history and the human heart.
When Ruth Labadoor’s father, a clerk in the British magistrate’s office, is killed in an attack by sepoys, her family seek refuge with their trusted companion, Lala Ramjimal. From here they eventually hope to escape to their relatives in Bareilly. But their plans go awry when Javed Khan, a fiery Pathan opposed to the British, abducts Ruth and her mother and takes them to his haveli. To their surprise, it is not hate that impels him in this time of war, but an almost crippling passion for Ruth. It will be months before the fall of Delhi to British troops brings them freedom—from fear, bafflement and despair, not only their own but also Javed Khan’s.
Based on true events, A Flight of Pigeons is a haunting story, rich in detail and drama, told with simplicity and deep humanity.
Filmed as Junoon
The Book Of Nature
A delightful read… no one understands nature like Ruskin Bond and it takes his ability to put this wonder into words’-Deccan Chronicle For over half a century, Ruskin Bond has celebrated the wonder and beauty of nature as few other contemporary writers have, or indeed can. This collection brings together the best of his writing on the natural world, not just in the Himalayan foothills that he has made his home, but also in the cities and small towns that he lived in or travelled through as a young man. In these pages, he writes of leopards padding down the lanes of Mussoorie after dark, the first shower of the monsoon in Meerut that brings with it a tumult of new life, the chorus of insects at twilight outside his window, ancient banyan trees and the short-lived cosmos flower, a bat who strays into his room and makes a night less lonely… This volume proves, yet again, that for the serenity and lyricism of his prose and his sharp yet sympathetic eye, Ruskin Bond has few equals. ‘Once again this writer from Mussoorie captivates with his collection of nature pieces -Sunday Midday ‘Bond uses his pen as a brush to paint sensuous images of his experiences with nature and beckons his readers into his imagination … a book that relaxes the eyes, rests the mind, lulls the noise and lets one drift into the idyllic life with nature that most of us are unable to lead’-Dawn
Book Of Humour
A delectable offering from a writer who not only knows how to make us laugh but also knows how to laugh at himself Playful tigers; ‘ghosts’; elephants; crows and old favourites like Uncle Ken; Miss Bun; the author’s slightly eccentric grandfather and Bond himself weave in and out of the pages of this wildly eclectic; thoroughly delightful and absolutely irresistible anthology featuring previously unpublished pieces like ‘Respect Your Breakfast’ and ‘Uncle Ken Goes to Sea’ as well as beloved classics from Bond’s books.Marked by the signature charm and subtle wit of one of India’s best-loved writers; Ruskin Bond’s Book of Humour; will make even the hardened among us crack a smile.
A Town Called Dehra
In this delightful collection; Ruskin Bond introduces us to the Dehradun he knows intimately and loves unreservedly—the town that he had spent many years of his childhood and youth in. A town which; when he knew it; was one of pony-drawn tongas and rickshaws; a town fond of gossip but tolerant of human foibles; a town of lush lichi trees; charming winter gardens and cool streams; a small town; a sleepy town; a town called ‘Dehra’.
With classic stories and poems like ‘Masterji’; ‘Growing up with Trees’and ‘A Song for Lost Friends’ and previously unpublished treasures like ‘Silver Screen’; ‘Dilaram Bazaar’ and ‘Lily of the Valley’; this anthology is replete with journal entries; extracts from the author’s memoirs and; of course; poetry; non-fiction and stories set in or inspired by Dehra.
Evocative; wistful and witty as only Ruskin Bond can be; A Town Called Dehra is a celebration of a dearly-loved town as well as an elegy for a way of life gone extinct.