Dear Friends and Family,
This has been a busy and fulfilling summer for all four kids! From perennial favorites such as Enid Blyton and Tintin, nostalgic classics like Good Wives and Daddy Long-Legs, to more recent books by authors like Maile Meloy and Rick Riordan, the kids have really enjoyed reading and also sharing some of their summaries with you. We are all truly grateful for your support and encouragement you have given to the kids to complete their Pratham-Read-A-Thon!
Best Regards,
Das and Maitra family

A compilation of books read by the kids (youngest to oldest)-

ESHNA

Week 1

1. The Folk of the Faraway Tree
2. The Magical Faraway Tree
3. Early Starts – Secret Garden
4. Naughty Amelia Jane
5. Amelia Jane Again
6. Magic Tree House – Earthquake in the Early Morning

Week 2
7. Mr. Pink Whistle by Enid Blyton
8. Tintin in America
9. Rainbow Magic – Lindsay the Luck Fairy
10. Rainbow Magic – Brianna the Tooth Fairy
11. Mermaid Tales – Blue Tortoise Dream
12. The Magic Wand by Enid Blyton
13. Horrid Henry Meets the Queen
14. Frozen (yes, it’s a chapter book, too!)
15. Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie
16. Horrid Henry Robs the Bank

Week 3
17. Tintin and the Golden Crab
18. Bimbo and Topsy by Enid Blyton
19. Agatha Parrot and 13 Chicken
20. Judy Moody Girl Detective
21. If I Were President
22. Tintin, Prisoner of the Sun
23. Just Grace

Week 4
24. Still Just Grace
25. The Seven Crystal Balls
26. Judy Moody Doctor Is In
27. Tintin in Tibet
28. Tintin the Castafiore Emerald
29. Noddy by Enid Blyton
30. Weird but True

ARJUN

Week 1 & 2
1. Owls-Tom Warhol (*****)
2. Spy Camp-Stuart Gibbs (****)
3. Lunch Money-By Andrew Clements (****)
4. Last Holiday Concert-By Andrew Clements (*****)
5. Room One: A Mystery or Two -By Andrew Clements (****)
6. Grandma and the Great Gourd- Chitra Divakaruni (*****)
7. North-Nick Dowson (*****)

Week 3, 4, and 5

8. The Jacket- By Andrew Clements (****)
The Jacket is about Philip and how he misunderstood how Daniel got his little brother’s jacket. Philip learns he was wrong to think that Daniel had stolen the jacket and they became friends.
9. The Janitor’s Boy-By Andrew Clements (****)
The Janitor’s Boy is about Jack and how he was embarrassed that his Dad is a janitor in his school. He has to do gum patrol because he gets in trouble and during that time he learns that his Dad has an important and very useful job.
10. Eagles-By Melissa Gish (****)
I like that eagles are predatory birds but hunt so gracefully. Did you know that bald eagles have eyes the same size as humans but their vision is four times sharper than humans? Harpy eagles have the largest wingspan among eagles up to 7 feet wide. Eagles have played an important in Greek mythology as well as U.S. history. Eagles are the national bird of the United States and appear on the Great seal of the country.
11. Savvy- By Ingrid Law (*****)
Savvy is a story narrated by thirteen year old Mibs and how she goes on a roller coaster of an adventure with her brothers and friends. During the adventure, she learns about her ‘Savvy’ which is her unique special magical talent!
12. Scumble-By Ingrid Law (****)
A sequel to Savvy, Scumble is narrated by thirteen year old Ledger, Mibs’ cousin. The story is about how he learns his savvy and tries to ‘scumble’ the secret of his family from Sarah Jane who is a journalist. I learnt the word ‘scumble’ which means to cover up something and make it less obvious.
13. About the B’nai Bagels-E.L. Konigsberg (**** ½*)
This book is narrated by Mark Setzer who is an 11 year old baseball player on the B’nai Bagels team. The story describes how his team goes towards the Championship but Mark has to make an honest decision that might change everything.
14. Tintin in Tibet -by Herge (****)
Tintin in Tibet is a comic book about Tintin’s adventure to save his friend Chang who gets lost in a plane crash on the Himalayan mountains. During his fierce adventure, Tintin, his dog Snoopy, Captain Haddock and Sherpa Tharkey discover clues leading them to Chang and they also encounter the Abominable Snowman.
15. The Adventures of Feluda-The Secret of the Cemetery-by Satyajit Ray (**** *)
This book is about Feluda, a detective, solving a mystery about the spooky Park Street cemetery set in Calcutta with the help of his nephew Topshe and a movie maker Lalmohan Babu. Feluda uses his canny mind to solve who had dug Thomas Godwin’s grave.
16. Celebritrees-Margi Preus (****)
This tree-full story is about the most remarkable and historical trees on earth! These include Hyperon, the tallest tree in the world, General Sherman, the biggest tree, and Bodhi Tree, the tree which Buddhists believe that Buddha gained enlightenment while sitting under it.

ANANYA

Week 1 –
1. Pollyanna- A little orphaned girl who always tries to be glad goes to live with her sour-tempered aunt, and cheers up the world around her- to be met with a dreadful accident.
2. The Throne of Fire-Siblings Sadie and Carter Kane awaken Ra, the sun god, with help from their new and old godly friends, Bast and Bes.
3. The Serpent’s Shadow- Sadie and Carter try eliminating Apophis, the ruler of chaos, using his shadow.
4. One Wish- Tanya can see fairies, so when she goes to Spinney Wicket on a holiday and sees the wishing tree, which grants every body one wish, she must decide to use it on herself or a new friend.
5. A Single Shard- Orphaned Tree-ear lives under a bridge and loves watching the potter Min work, so he is excited when Min sends him on a mission.
6. The Black Pearl- The heir of a pearl industry finds the legendary black pearl, the best pearl in the world, to find it brings luck and wealth, and also jealousy and even death.

Week 2-
7. Johnny Tremain- An apprentice silversmith back when America was under the British knows he is better than the others. But then Johnny’s hand gets crippled, bringing him in touch with Revere, Adams, and Hancock.
8. The Magician’s Elephant- Orphaned Peter gets told by a fortuneteller that his sister is still alive, and an elephant would bring them together.
9. Anne of Avonlea- Anne will have a lot to do in Canada with six-year-old twins staying at Green Gables, and her determination to win the heart of all her students, especially trouble maker Anthony.
10. The School for Good & Evil- Best friends Agatha and Sophie go to a school for good and evil that teaches fairy-tale characters. It seems like Agatha will be evil, and Sophie good, when their fortunes get reversed.
11. Big Questions for Little People- This nonfiction book answers many kids’ questions, from why the adults are in charge to how cars work.

Week 3-
12. Good Wives- The 4 March sisters are growing up with marriage, travel, and love.
13. Little Men- In Plumfield many little men are growing up in an easygoing boarding school with Mother Bhaer and Uncle Fritz (Jo and her husband.)
14. Jo’s Boys- Demi, Nan, Daisy, and the rest are finding themselves new homes.
15. Into the Unknown- 14 remarkable adventures are narrated in this book traveling in sea, air, space, and land, all across the world.

Week 4-
16. Best Friends- Gemma and Alice are exceptionally close friends and feel like they couldn’t live without one another- until Alice has to move to Scotland.
17. The City of Ember- Doon and Lina live in the great city of Ember, where the lights are always shining- but will not shine much longer.
18. Walls Within Walls-C.J., Brid, and Patrick find a mystery in Brooklyn and its buildings that starts from their own apartment.
19. Bed-Knob and Broomstick- Carey, Charles, and Paul find out that elegant Miss Price is a witch. In order to keep the children quiet Miss Price allows them to visit anywhere in the world.
20. The Horse and His Boy- Shasta, Bree, Aravis, and Hwin set off to find Narnia and the North.
21. Prince Caspian- Prince Caspian is trying to become King in spite of his uncle.

INDRANI

1. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis (****)
Set in 1963 during the time of segregation, this book is about how Kenny Watson’s family takes a trip down to Birmingham. During the trip, Kenny learns that people have many layers of personality-including his 13 year old arrogant brother named Byron.

2. The House of a Million Pets by Ann Hodgman (***)
This true story is about Ann Hodgman, and how she claims every stray animal she sees and somehow manages to take care all of them at once. Not only did she have the everyday pets, but she had crazy pets like pygmy mice and sugar gliders, too! Though I felt the way she cared the animals was a little over the top, you just can’t get enough of Ann Hodgman!

3. The Julian Chapter by R.J. Palacio (*****)
In the awesome story, Wonder, the book consists of eight parts, each narrating a different character’s point of view, but none of the parts belonged to Julian, the bully in the book! So in this parallel story, you find out what really happened on Julian’s side, and if everything was his fault.

4. Where The Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (*****)
This book is about Minli, a girl from a very poor family. After listening to her father’s stories many times, she decides to go to the Old Man of The Moon, a person mentioned many times in her father’s stories, to change her family’s fortune.

5. Out of My Mind (*****)
Melody Brooks is insanely smart. But she has never been able to express that because she has cerebral palsy. So when her “special needs” class participates in an inclusion program, Melody tries really hard to blend in- yet stand out at the same time by participating in a competition.

6. When You Reach Me-By Rebecca Stead (****)
This epistolary* novel is about how twelve year old Miranda is receiving anonymous letters that seem to suppress the rules of time. While carrying on with her everyday routine, Miranda follows what the note is saying so she can find out who that person is.

*-epistolary- A new word I learned, meaning that a novel is written as a series of documents, such as letters, telegrams, and diary clippings.

7. Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster (****)
This is another epistolary* novel, and orphan Jerusha (Judy) Abbott is writing letters about her college experience to her benefactor who she calls Daddy Long-Legs. This book was an easy and enjoyable read, with a surprise ending!

8. Escape by Sid Fleischman (*****)
Would you believe that someone could be locked up in a straightjacket and escape in less than a minute? Well, Escape by Sid Fleischman proves that Harry Houdini did! This biography is about escape artist Houdini’s mesmerizing escapes and breakthroughs, and his success and failures.

9. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (****)
Hatchet is a survival story about 13 year old Brian Robeson who was in a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness and is left with just a windbreaker and a hatchet. Brian is very shocked at first, but he gets into full Caveboy mode and makes weapons and gets food from things surrounding him.

10. The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (****)
Janie Scott and her friend, the Apothecary’s son, Benjamin Burrows use the Pharmacopoeia, a book full of potions, to look for the Apothecary, who has been kidnapped by Germans, and save the world in the process.

11. The Apprentices by Maile Meloy (****)
In this sequel to The Apothecary, Janie finds herself in grave danger. Benjamin, his friend Pip, and Janie go on a wild goose chase around the world trying to reunite with each other.

12. The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (***)
The Emerald Atlas is a mystery about orphans Kate, Michael, and Emma using time travel to keep the dark side from getting what they most want to take over the world- The Atlas.

13. Odette’s Secrets by MaryAnn MacDonald (****)
This book is about how five year old Odette Meyers is sent away from Paris to live in the countryside since she is Jewish. As she learns the ways of the Christians, Odette must hide her biggest secret of her Jewish heritage.

14. The Witches by Roald Dahl (**)
This book is about a seven year old boy who gets turned into a mouse, and has to rack his tiny but clever mind to defeat the malicious witches

15. Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (*)
This book is about how Mr. Hoppy tries to win Ms. Silver’s love, who is actually in love with her tortoise, with his clever plan, involving hundreds of tortoises.

16. Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Divakaruni. (***)
An Indian Folktale about an old woman using her canny mind and a huge gourd to get past the dangerous animals of the forest while visiting her daughter’s house.

Dear Friends, Thank you for being so incredibly generous and supportive of the Read-A-Thon. Here is Indrani and Arjun’s first bi-weekly update.
Thank you so much.

Books read by Indrani (Rating out of 5 stars)

1.Odette’s Secrets by MaryAnn MacDonald (****)
2.Escape by Sid Fleischman (*****)(non-fiction)
3.Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Divakaruni (***)
4.The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (***)
5.Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (****)
6.The Apothecary by Maile Meloy (****)
7.The Apprentices by Maile Meloy (****)

Books read by Arjun (Rating out of 5 stars)

1.Owls by Tom Warhol (*****) (non-fiction)
2.North by Nick Dowson (*****)(non-fiction)
3.Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs (****)
4.Lunch Money by Andrew Clements (****)
5.Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Divakaruni (*****)
6.Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (****)
7.Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements (*****)

INDRANI’S BOOK CRITIQUES

Odette’s Secrets is a novel in verse. It is based on a real 5 year old girl named Odette Meyers, who lived in the horrible times of World War II, when the Nazis invaded Paris, capturing innocent Jewish people including her father. Odette and her mother were forced to do many difficult things, such as wearing a yellow star, and seeing her relatives being sent away to concentration camp. Finally, Odette’s mother got very scared, and sent Odette away into hiding in the countryside. Months passed by, and Odette learned the ways, the prayers, and beliefs of the Christians while hiding her biggest secret that she was Jewish. One day, finally, the Nazis were defeated, and Odette’s father was freed. She moved back to Paris, and she lived happily ever after with her family. I think it is remarkable that Odette actually managed to convince the townspeople that she was a Christian, especially considering she was only five years old. I love that Odette always found a tiny ray of hope in even the worst problem. She reminds me a lot of Kek from Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate.

Would you believe that someone could be locked up in a straitjacket, and escape in less than a minute? Well, Escape, by Sid Fleischman, proves that Harry Houdini did. No straitjacket, manacle, or handcuff could hold him. Once, Houdini was chained up, and he jumped into the freezing water in the city of Detroit. Eight minutes later, when everyone was sure he had drowned, Houdini came up, chainless, yet quite breathless. I thought Houdini’s most amazing feat was when he was put into a water tank upside down, and the top had been locked with six padlocks. After three extremely tense minutes, he had escaped. Houdini discovered that there was a flaw in English handcuffs. If you gave it a sharp blow in a certain place, they would crack open. Houdini didn’t escape every restricted device, though. There was one time where there were chains bending his back over, and his legs and arms were chained together. Finally, Harry asked in anguish to be let go. Harry was very kind and generous in general, especially to his mother. His salary was very high, and he would send a lot of it to her in Manhattan. However, he could also get nasty when someone forced him to do an escape act. I thought Houdini was very cool and should every magician’s lifelong idol.

Grandma and the Great Gourd, an Indian Folktale is about an old woman who everybody calls Grandma. One day, Grandma is very excited to receive a letter from her daughter asking her to visit, but there is one big problem! Her daughter’s home is on the other side of the forest, which is full of hungry and intimidating animals. But Grandma musters all her courage to go into the forest, where she meets a fox, a bear, and a tiger, all set on eating Grandma. She gets past them by saying that she is much too thin, and she will be plumper when she comes back. And after days of eating and eating, she is very plump, and wants to go home. So Grandma uses her canny mind to search for an enormous gourd. When she finds one, she sits inside and seals the gourd up. Rolling along, she fools both the bear and the tiger, but not the fox. Uh-oh. The fox unseals the gourd instead. Will Grandma use her crafty mind to get past the fox? Or will she become his satisfying entree? Find out in Grandma and the Great Gourd! I like Grandma because she’s very clever. When she met the animals, she didn’t panic. Instead she said a perfectly sensible point, and the animals let her go.

In the cliff-hanging mystery, The Emerald Atlas, Kate, Michael, and Emma P’s parents have disappeared. For ten hectic years, they are dragged from orphanage to orphanage. One day they are sent to a mysterious orphanage called Cambridge Falls. It’s ruled by the peculiar Dr. Pym, and has a photographer named Abraham. While exploring, the kids discover that Abraham’s photos can transport them to the time and place the picture was taken. One such photo leads them to the vile Countess and her Screechers. They learn how she is separating children from their parents, and if that doesn’t work, she simply kills them. Using more photos, they make many new friends, like the explorer named Gabriel, and the dwarves, Robbie McLaur and Wallace. Suddenly, their adventure turns into a journey through time, with them discovering corners of the world that they didn’t know existed. Changing history completely, Kate, Michael, and Emma learn that if Dr. Pym’s prediction is correct, only they can save the world, by keeping the Countess from getting what she most wants: The Atlas, a book would allow her to transport through time. To find out if the kids, with the help of their new friends, accomplish their goals, or let the Countess get the Atlas, read The Emerald Atlas. My favorite character was Emma, because she is witty, arrogant, and devoted all at the same time. She is also the comic relief of the book.

Hatchet is a survival story, about a 13 year old boy named Brian Robeson. He was on a single engine plane to his father’s home in Canada, but the pilot has a sudden heart attack, and the plane crashes. Now Brian is alone, with nothing but a ripped up windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave to him as a present. Besides, of course, nature in every corner. On top of everything, Brian has to deal with the awful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent’s divorce. But he has no time to feel bad about himself, and cry all day. Brian has to get into full Caveman mode, and use everything he has to live in this place, like making tools and weapons out of wood, and the most difficult part: finding food. Let’s not forget about wild and hungry animals, like wolves and bears, roaming around. But after forty seven days of living in the Canadian wilderness, this place is starting to feel like home more than ever. I really liked the book, because it was very emotional and you were always grabbing your hair from the suspense- “Is he gonna do it, is he gonna do it??” I really like that you never know what’s going to happen next. This book is unpredictable!

In the Apothecary, an exciting mystery set in 1952, 14 year old Janie Scott and her family move from Los Angeles, to the other side of the world in London. There, she makes a new friend named Benjamin Burrows, who is the son of the Apothecary, and is never afraid to share his opinion. One day, when Benjamin and Janie are in the basement, the Apothecary is kidnapped by Germans because they want one of his most prized possessions in order to take over the world: The Pharmacopoeia! Janie and Benjamin are now left alone with the Pharmacopoeia, a wondrous book full of outstanding concoctions, which has been in the Apothecary’s family for 700 years. They use some of these remarkable potions, which first appear unbelievable, to go on a risky, dangerous journey to help save the world. I liked Benjamin because he was not afraid to share what he felt about things. I also really like Pip, a secondary character, who is a clever orphan, and always manages to charm people into giving him what he needs.

The Apprentices is the sequel to The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. It’s 1954, and Janie is going to boarding school. It has been two years since she has seen the Apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows. Janie is working on an almost impossible chemistry experiment on her own, but this attracts dire people, and suddenly Janie finds herself in grave danger. Meanwhile, one the other side of the world, Benjamin is treating the sick and wounded in Vietnam during a horrible war. He also is making a formula that will help him communicate with other people in his mind. One day he uses it to see Janie, and he finds out she is in huge trouble. He sends a telegram to his friend Pip for help, and they all go around the world, chasing their tails, trying to reunite with each other. I like this book because at the beginning, you think that a person is a certain identity, but at the end that person completely surprises you. The Apprentices is full of unexpected surprises that completely baffle you. I love that.

 
ARJUN’S BOOK CRITIQUES

Owls by Tom Warhol
I learnt a lot of interesting facts about Owls! Did you know that Owls are not always nocturnal? Some are Crepuscular which means they are active at dusk and dawn and others are Diurnal which means that they are active during daytime. For example, Snowy owls which mostly live in Arctic and Scandinavia have to be diurnal since the sun never sets in winter! Owls are the only birds that have eyes in the front of their face rather than to the side of their faces because they are predatory birds and can focus on their prey better. I also learnt some new words-Sonorous, Nimble, and Scopus which is “To see” in Greek. The words ‘microscope’ ‘telescope’ ‘otoscope’ all came from Scopus!

Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Divakaruni and illustrated by Susy Waters
Grandma and the Great Gourd is a Bengali folktale about a character named Grandma who has two dogs, Kalu and Bhulu. One day she gets a letter from her daughter to come visit her. On the way she meets some ferocious characters such as Bear, Tiger, and Fox. They all want to eat her! Grandma comes up with a cunning response that they should not eat her because she is too thin but she will be plump when she comes back from her daughter’s house. She has a great time at her daughter’s house but when it is time to go back home she remembered the deal she had made with Bear, Tiger and Fox. Her daughter comes up with a clever idea to put her inside a giant gourd. She gets past Bear and the Tiger but she could not fool the Fox. Just as the Fox is about to eat her up, Grandma calls on her dogs and the dogs attack the Fox. The Fox runs away and never comes back again. I liked grandma’s astute ideas. I also liked the bright colored illustrations in the story.
There were lots of examples of onomatopoeia in the book: Khut-khut (made by her stick); Gheu Gheu (made by the dogs); Khash-Khash (made by giant lizards); Thup-thup (elephants lumbering by); Dhuk-Dhuk & Dhip-Dhip (Grandma’s heart); Kutur-kutur-kut (sounds made by mice and birds eating the vegetables); Gur-gur Gur-gur (the Great Gourd rolling down); Daraam-daraam (the Great Gourd bouncing); Dhap-Dhapaash (Grandma falling down); Hoosh-hoosh (Dogs running as quick as the wind).

North by Nick Dowson and illustrated by Patrick Benson
North is about the greatest expedition on earth. It is about more than 180 species voyaging from the South to the Arctic Circle during spring. Animals such as caribou, gray whales, and white cranes and of course arctic terns travel all the way from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle. Other examples are walrus, bowhead whale gray tusked narwhal sharks silver herring shoal heads godwits and snow geese.
P.S. These aren’t all 180 species.

Spy Camp-By Stuart Gibbs
Being a Spy is not that easy! Its summer and Ben Ripley instead of going home has to stay back at Spy School and learn how to survive in the wilderness. The book is about how Ben rescues his friends from the evil organization called SPYDER. I like how Ben was very courageous in the book. Part of the book is set in Shenandoah National Park and I have stayed there with my family.
New words I added to my vocabulary: Collaboration, Manifestation, Negotiation, Interrogation, Confrontation, Infiltration, and Reconnaissance! These are all words related to Spies!

Lunch Money- Andrew Clements
Earning money is not as easy as it looks. Greg Kenton is a huge money fan and comes up with the idea of selling Chunky comic books in school at lunch time. The students use their extra quarters to buy the comic books. When Greg’s neighbor Maura Shaw gets inspired by his idea, she starts making her own mini picture books and selling them. They get into a huge fight but Greg admits that Maura’s books are different from his comic books. I liked how Maura and Greg started collaborating to make their own minibooks and earned a fortune.

Room One: A Mystery or Two- Andrew Clements
Ted Hammond is a 12-year-old detective who lives in Plattsford, Nebraska. One day while coming back from delivering newspapers he sees a mysterious face in an abandoned house. He investigates and finds out that a girl named April and her family lives in the house. He helps them survive by giving them food and water and then helps them get back to where they belong (Colorado). I loved the book because it was entertaining. I also liked how Ted is both very curious and generous.

The Last Holiday Concert-by Andrew Clements
The Last Holiday Concert is about a cool guy named Hart who goes to sixth grade in Palmer Intermediate. One day, Hart shoots a rubber band at his music teacher Mr. Meinert and he gets mad at Hart. On the same day, the principal tells Mr. Meinert that the budget is running low and the school does not have enough money to afford an art and music teacher. Mr. Meinert asks the sixth graders to organize their own holiday concert and Hart is nominated to be the director. The class works very diligently and had a successful concert. I liked the book because Hart and his classmates showed good teamwork.