Book Worm

1. Star Struck Author: Subhadra Sengupta Rs.195/-    pp.176
Young Zubaan

Young readers have never had it so good, with bold, original, wonderfully written books such as this set in the real world of today's India. This exciting adventure is the second in a series starring four girls who could be sitting next to you in class. The Foxy Four are the coolest gang of seniors in St.Teresa Convent, New Delhi. Mandy AKA Mandeep Ahuja, is the fashionista beauty, while Padma the computer nerd loves to crunch numbers. Jahan is a budding sprint queen who adores snazzy motorbikes. Charu, the muddle-headed aspiring writer who tells the story, thinks her friends are all a bit crazy in a lovable way.

In this latest adventure, the Foxy Four travel to the holy city of Varanasi to compete in a national quiz. Accompanying them is Prof. Razia, the 'Aunt who Rocks.' and has a wicked sense of humour A rare idol is stolen from a temple and the girls set out to solve the mystery of its disappearance. To complicate things further, a film crew arrives, adding a twist to the tale straight out of Bollywood.

Varanasi is "one freaky city" where the girls see "this ash covered weirdo, sitting out in the open, happily getting high on drugs." Star struck by glamorous actors, Mandy pines to be in movies. Will she get the big break? Will Jahan really have to become Janaki? The Foxy Four follow the clues through picturesque ghats, charming old world havelis, grand temples and narrow lanes where weavers create intricate brocade saris. Can the girls save the goddess before she is smuggled out of the country?

This lively contemporary story boldly touches upon real issues such as drugs, smuggling and the darker side of glitz and glamour.  The author brings a timeless city to life, and peps up the story with authentic dialogues and lively action scenes to further enrich an exciting read.

2. A Clear Blue Sky: stories and poems of conflict and hope    Rs.150/-    pp.111
Puffin

These lovely, thought-provoking stories and poems by eminent authors will help young readers deal with darker side of life and human nature; with injustice, discrimination, and man's inhumanity to man. The title story by award-winning Sri Lankan author Elmo Jayawardene takes us into young Selva's life under Jaffna's "spotless and shimmering brilliant blue" sky. It is a touching story from the point of view of a child soldier, a young boy taught by the sergants to shoot and kill with real guns and bullets and fight in a war which he cannot understand.

In other stories, religious clashes burn Bangalore. The altar cloth of a burnt church falls in the hands of Mubina, whose mother can restore it perfectly. Years after Partition tears a friendship apart, two people try to recover lost happiness. While chasing away young lovers from the Delhi Ridge, a young goonda learns what the true core of Indian culture is all about.

Rayan and Abbas seek help from a 'witch' who hands them a magic amulet and asks, "What use is winning if you cheat?" Can the low caste stone carver Chinnappa create an idol of Lord Vishnu that dances? The stories and poems vary in tone from dark and tragic to light, hopeful and at times even funny. N. R. Narayana Murthy aptly says in his introduction, these stories and poems will help young readers "appreciate the need for compassion, tolerance and understanding."