Catagory: 9-12 years

What if your life depended on being able to tell a good story? Schariar, King of Persia, would marry a woman every night only to chop off her head every morning. He had sentenced the beautiful and clever Scherazade to the same fate. Determined to save herself and other women from this gruesome decree, Queen Scherazade began telling him stories one night — of magic lamps and genies, of fishermen and caliphs, of treasure-caves and strange potions. Tales so wonderful that the one night turned into 1001…. But what would happen when Scherazade ran out of yarns to spin? This new collection of Tales from the Arabian Nights will make you gasp with wonder and laugh with delight and the magical storyteller Scherazade will keep you spellbound for days.

Every 26th January, people gather on New Delhi’s Rajpath amidst a colourful jamboree of fluttering flags, marching soldiers and dancing children. What is celebrated on this day is at the heart of our democracy-the magnificent Constitution of India.

The document didn’t only lay down the law but united India with a vision that took two years, eleven months and seventeen days to realise. Subhadra Sen Gupta captures the many momentous occasions in Indian history that led to its making in The Constitution of India for Children. Populated with facts and dotted with cheerful illustrations, this book provides answers to innumerable questions asked over the years.

Which language is our Constitution written in?
Were women a part of the team that drafted the Constitution?
Why do political parties have symbols next to their names?
What is the official language of India?

An essential handbook for every student and denizen of India, here is a compendium of knowledge that serves as an insightful introduction to the most important document of Independent India.

26/11, 9/11, 7/7-these are dates that have changed the way we see ourselves and those around us. Dates that have changed the world, and not for the better. It’s about time we had an honest conversation about religion, race, caste and the mindsets that divide us.
In this collection, writers from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan-Gulzar, Elmo Jayawardena, Manjula Padmanabhan, Poile Sengupta, Komail Aijazuddin, Bulbul Sharma and others-write about the various kinds of conflicts that plague our world today. There are poems that articulate pleas for peace and understanding as well as stories that make us sit upright and contemplate our own actions. Some pieces are dark, others full of light and hope, and some outright funny as they portray mindless bigots for what they are.
This book shows us that there may be a way for us to better understand different viewpoints, after all.

Thief. Rebel. Bandit. Hero?

Chaya usually has an answer for everything. But stealing the Queen’s jewels, even for the best of reasons, is not something she can talk her way out of. So she makes her great escape on the back of a gorgeous, stolen elephant and leads her friends on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing these jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang?

Like any bored eleven-year-old with an imagination, Prem makes fantastic wishes. So when his father drags him to a monsoon-lashed Mumbai, Prem know it’s futile to dream of home. Instead, he wishes for a genie, a dragon and some superpowers. What he certainly doesn’t wish for is a quest to save some gods who are at the brink of extinction.

He finds that the gods’ last hope lies in the hands of those who channel the mysterious power of the Vedas. Caught in a cosmic crossfire, with a talking fish, some inventive monkeys and a few unexpected allies, Prem learns of his true identity-as a Torchbearer.

Can the Torchbearers stop bloodthirsty demons from getting their hands on the Nectar of Immortality and bring the gods back to power?

Join intrepid heroes and dauntless heroines in their quest for survival against earthquakes, fire, floods and bombs! Live life on the edge with five stories of danger and adventure. Flee with Romi as he rides his cycle straight into the river to get away from a fearsome forest fire; listen in to Ruth’s hair-raising story of escape from rioting
sepoys during the uprising of 1857; read about the author’s miraculous flight from Java as Japanese planes bombard the city; witness the havoc wreaked by the deadliest earthquake ever in Rakesh’s town, Shillong; and watch Sita combat a fatal flood. Written in Ruskin Bond’s inimitable style, with doses of humour and excitement, these
extraordinary stories are simply unputdownable.

Ten unforgettable tales of fascinating human encounters with animals and birds- a man-eater that terrorizes an entire village; the strange and wonderful trust that develops between a fierce leopard and a boy; revengeful monkeys who never forgive a woman who grows dahlias; a crow who genuinely thinks human beings are stupid; and many others- that create a world in which men and wild creatures struggle to survive despite each other: a world where, in the end, one is not quite sure which side one is on.
Panther’s Moon and Other Stories is another marvellous collection of stories from India’s most-loved author that will once again amuse, enchant, and delight readers of all ages.

The squirrel family must move to a new house, but Nonu’s not happy
Little Nonu Squirrel, playful and daring, has just moved into his new house with Papa Squirrel and Mummy Squirrel. As he starts exploring his new neighbourhood, he realizes there are many exciting adventures in store. He learns to skate with his newly-found friend Nicole, enjoys being fed tasty nut cakes by her Grandma, eats juicy mangoes with the Mango Gang and indulges in some crazy shenanigans with Cousin Danny. But life’s not all mangoes and skateboards. Voracious Goonda cat is on the hunt—will Nonu become his next meal?

If a tortoise could run
And losses be won,
And bullies be buttered on toast;
If a song brought a shower
And a gun grew a flower,
This world would be nicer than most!

Beautiful, poignant and funny, Ruskin Bond’s verses for children are a joy to read to yourself on a lazy summer afternoon or to recite in school among friends. For the first time, his poems for children, old and new, come together in this illustrated volume. Nature, love, friends, school, books — all find a place in the poetry of India’s favourite children’s writer.

Somewhere in lifeThere must be someoneTo take your handAnd share the torrid day.Without the touch of friendshipThere is no life, and we must fade away.Discover a hidden pool with three young boys, laugh out loud as a littlemouse makes demands on a lonely writer, follow the mischievous ‘fourfeathers’ as they discover a baby lost in the hills, and witness the bondbetween a tiger and his master. Some stories will make you smile, somewill bring tears to your eyes, some may make your heart skip a beat-butall of them will renew your faith in the power of friendship.