Read on Twitter
My piece for @bsindia: As adults try to strike a balance between taking care of their family & fulfilling their professional obligations, it is critical to think seriously about how to provide opportunities for children to not only learn but also imagine, dream, ponder & create.
What is the emotional impact of prolonged school closures during a pandemic? How do children process the ordeal of being cut off from their peers and playmates? Can an endless stream of online classes, assignments & tests ever replicate the experience of school at home?
*Ammu and the Sparrows* by Vinitha R & Jayesh Sivan is a book about a child waiting desperately for his parents. Without mentioning the words 'divorce' or 'separation', this book from @prathambooks conveys the child’s sadness & his attempts to rationalise their absence.
. @vishakasarah's book *House of Uncommons*, published by @karaditales in partnership with @parinetwork is set in “an institution for HIV+ children whose parents passed away because of the virus, and whose extended family members didn’t have the resources to care for them.”
@ParoAnand's book *Nomad’s Land*, published under @speakingtiger14's Talking Cub imprint, revolves around two girls who belong to families that have been forced to migrate to escape persecution. The adults are caught up in the past but these children want to heal & move forward.
In @menakaraman's book *Loki Takes Guard*, published under @speakingtiger14's Talking Cub imprint, the 11-year-old protagonist is a talented cricket player but the local team is unwilling to admit her after she attains puberty because all her teammates are boys.
Parents who feel tongue-tied when it comes to the topic of sexuality can use @yaminivijayan & @aindrizzle's book *Your Body Is Yours* published by @prathambooks. It encourages children to appreciate their body & the changes they observe + use names of body parts, not euphemisms.
In Lavanya Karthik's book *When Adil Speaks, Words Dance* for @puffinbooks, the protagonist isn't reduced to his disability. Sign language is presented not as something he must learn to fit in but as something others must educate themselves about in order to start a conversation.
