‘This is the story of how my grandmother became a famous artist. It happened somewhere between my seventh and eighth birthdays, so she was really old and also a grandmother, and I didn’t know she was an artist. And, of course, she was not famous. And then she was both, all at once.‘
For Nini, Minima is just her normal everyday grandmother. So when Minima suddenly shows an interest in doing something new, Nini is not sure that she likes it. After all, a grandmother’s first job is being a grandmother, isn’t it?
Catagory: Children
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When Blackbirds Fly
Life is sweet growing up in Aizawl, with his family and friends, and all the narrator wants is a peaceful life. But the independence movement in Mizoram means that regardless of what he wants, he is drawn inexorably into a world where everyone has to choose where they stand …
Set in the initial stages of the two-decade-long struggle for Mizoram’s independence and against the backdrop of the 1966 bombing of Aizawl, this stunning debut novel is an universal story of how individual dreams and lives are shattered when larger conflicts arise.
This book is part of the Not Our War series, which looks at the lives of children in conflict zones.
Manoj Bajpayee/मनोज बाजपेयी
मनोज बाजपेयी नए जमाने के गिनेचुने कलाकारों में से हैं जिन्होंने कम उम्र में ही हिंदी सिनेमा में एक बड़ा कद हासिल कर लिया था। दिग्गज कलाकार और फिल्म समीक्षक उनके अभिनय का लोहा मानते हैं। दर्शक उनके नाम पर थियेटर जाते हैं और वे जानते हैं कि बाजपेयी सिर्फ अपने मन की फिल्में करते हैं। मनोज बाजपेयी की यह जीवनी अभिनय को लेकर उनके ज़िद और जुनून की कहानी है जिसमें पाठकों को कई नई बातें पता लगेंगी, मसलन– बाजपेयी के पिता भी पुणे के फिल्म इंस्टिट्यूट में ऑडिशन का टेस्ट देने गए थे, उनके पूर्वज अंग्रेजी राज के एक दमनकारी किसान कानून की वजह से उत्तर प्रदेश के रायबरेली से चंपारण आए थे और ये भी कि मनोज बाजपेयी का बचपन उस गाँव में बीता है जहाँ महात्मा गांधी ने अपने प्रसिद्ध चंपारण सत्याग्रह के दौरान एक रात्रि विश्राम किया था और फिल्म सत्या के भीखू म्हात्रे का चरित्र मनोज के गृहनगर बेतिया के एक शख्स से प्रेरित था, वगैरह-वगैरह। मनोज बाजेपेयी की यह जीवनी वरिष्ठ टीवी पत्रकार पियूष पांडे ने लिखी है जो उनसे एक दशक से ज़्यादा से जुड़े रहे हैं और ऐसी घटनाओं और किस्सों के गवाह हैं जिन्हें बहुत कम लोग जानते हैं। मनोज बाजपेयी और उनके सिनेमाई सफ़र को जानने के लिए यह एक ज़रूरी पुस्तक है।
Ghatotkach Ke Mayajal Mein
Young Chintamani Dev Gupta, on holiday in a bird camp near Lake Sattal, is transported via a wormhole to the days of the Mahabharata. Trapped in time, he meets Ghatotkacha and his mother, the demoness Hidimba. But the gentle giant, a master of illusion and mind-boggling rakshasa technology, wields his strength just as well as he knows the age-old secrets of the forest and the elemental forces. And in his enlightening company, Chintamani finds himself in the thick of the events of the most enduring Indian epic.
An intense yet tender look at a rare friendship as well as the abiding puzzles of the past, this is a fascinating read.
Chatur Chanakya vs the World Wide Web
Meet the smartest of them all!
The Super Six of Ganesh Colony are back, with new faces and new challenges. Lakshmi is all set to represent Vani Vidyalaya at an inter-school maths tournament, Chanakya is busy learning about the World Wide Web and Arjun . . . well, he’s up to his usual shenanigans.
But Lakshmi seems to be harbouring a terrible secret-she’s being bullied online! As she receives one nasty message after another, she fears being disqualified from the tournament. Can Chanakya and Arjun combine the intelligence of the past and the future to catch the culprit?
Get ready to join the gang on an exciting adventure-cum-whodunnit! Get ready for Chatur Chanakya.
We All Celebrate!
Venture on a rich journey of festivities! From Diwali to Chinese New Year, discover fascinating traditions and customs that unite us all.
Sprinkled with stunning illustrations, We All Celebrate! is bursting with facts about the many cultures and religions of the world. This joyful book offers a glimpse into the beautiful multicultural traditions, language, history, food and so much more-a true celebration of diversity!
Heroes the Colour of Dust
Everything in this book is absolutely true, including the things that happened, the things that didn’t really happen and the things that would have happened if history had been more interested in telling an exciting tale!
Gandhi and his followers intend to set out on their long walk to Dandi to protest a salt tax, but little do they know of the dangers that stand in their way. They mustn’t despair, for a group of fearless sparrows are ready for self-sacrifice and derring-do. They’ve made a resolution, you see, to protect Gandhi from any foe-bird, mutt or Britisher.
Open this book to join the ranks of the Mahatma’s Guards-heroes six, with India’s greatest poet in the mix-as their adventure takes wing!
Ritu Weds Chandni
Ayesha is excited to attend her cousin Ritu’s wedding. She can barely wait to dance at the baraat! But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend, Chandni.
Some have even vowed to stop the celebrations. Will Ayesha be able to save her cousin’s big day?
Centering Ayesha’s love for her cousin as much as it showcases Ritu and Chandni’s love for each other, this warm-hearted story celebrates the power of young voices to stand up against prejudice and bigotry.
The Puffin Book of 100 Extraordinary Indians
The Puffin Book of 100 Extraordinary Indians is a celebration of achievements and personal stories of those who forged new paths for themselves and others in a way that it continues to affect modern lives.
Written as short anecdotal biographical sketches, the book presents lives of scientists, doctors, activists, painters, sportspeople, dancers, political leaders and many more from different walks of life. Among 100 extraordinary Indians are names like Irom Sharmila, Dutee Chand, Bhagat Singh, Gauri Sawant, Virat Kohli, Satya Nadella, Chatrapati Shivaji.
Whether they climbed the heights, swam the depths, mastered science or track and field, picked the baton of education or activism–each of their stories is replete with big and small victories that continue to inspire.
That Year at Manikoil (Songs of Freedom Series)
Madras, 1944
While World War II rages in Europe and the Japanese army draws closer to India, Raji and her sisters are sent off with their mother to stay in Manikoil, her mother’s family village. But with her brother now a soldier in the British Indian Army and refugees fleeing from Malaya, Burma and other eastern countries back to India, Manikoil is no longer the peaceful haven it once was.
And while there is hope of Independence in the air, Raji is uncertain whether it will come to pass-and what it will truly mean for her and her family.
The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.
The series complements school textbooks about the independence movement. As the stories are told from a child’s point of view, these stories bring the facts of the independence movement to vivid life in settings all over the country—and inspire each reader to engage with the idea of India.