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  (This book review was first written for Amritabharati) Summer’s Song Title: Bena’s Summer Author: Shibal Bhartiya Pages: 247 Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’s Books From its first page, Bena’s Summer draws you into a world that is fast fading away -- of innocence, believing in and doing the good, trust and happiness. The story is a visual treat of a summer that promises fun with cousins, climbing trees, eating raw mangoes and reveling in the pleasure of having outsmarted elders. Set somewhere in the 80s, Bena’s Summer travels to Gaya in Bihar, where her paternal relatives stay in Altamash Manzil and later to Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where her maternal grandparents and aunt live.   A largely autbobiographical story of Shibal Bhartiya, her protagonist Bena or Benzair Altamash is a precocious eight-year-old. Bena is generous to a fault and believes in the goodness of all; sometimes she does stumble and makes an unkind remark, but apologises straight from the heart when she realise

  (This book review was first written for Amritabharati) Title: Saira Zariwala is Afraid Author: Shabnam Minwalla Pages: 352 Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Book   Right there…behind you An ordinary school girl’s life gets enmeshed with wannabe stars, the rich and happening set of Mumbai and the result is an edge-of-the-seat whodunit murder mystery. Saira Zariwala gets a silver iphone for her 15 th birthday, but her excitement is elbowed out when she realises that her mobile number previously belonged to one Akaash and all the messages that pour in are for him. ‘Who is Akaash and where is he?’ Saira wonders as the evil forces quickly zero in on the teenager, who at first, is clueless about her role in the scheme of things. Saira’s history of panic attacks, protective parents, her outwardly cool but watchful elder brother, and a set of school friends and frenenemies keep the plot churning in Saira Zariwala is Afraid . The book teems with characters, but not one is ‘unneces

  Tanu Shree Singh talks about her book Darkless. The interview was published in Sakal Times Ambika Shaligram Published on :  19 Jan, 2020 , 8:57 am Darkless. If you are in a hurry, you are bound to read and mutter to yourself, Darkness. Let us tell you that it’s a common enough mistake, surrounded as we are by situations that are anger and sorrow inducing. Why blame Ani who is awake one night when the moon shines on and little specks of light dance on the ceiling? In the morning, when the sun peeps in, the boy whispers, ‘It’s dark. Still dark.’ When Nani exclaims that it’s a bright, sunny day, just right for ice cream, Ani keeps quiet. It seems that everything has lost its colour. Why is the boy so dispirited? It’s because Ani is missing his Mumma. ‘I wish she comes home,’ he whispers to Dobby, his dog. And, when he sees the familiar car, Ani rushes inside his home and straight into her arms. Mumma is home, but her hair is gone...She is ill with cancer and that’s why Ani is desolate.