Book in Focus

The Secret Life of Debbie G.
Author: Vibha Batra
Design: Kalyani Ganapathy
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
(Pp 292, ISBN 978-93-5357-465-9, Rs 499)

The Secret Life of Debbie G. is the story of a sixteen-year-old who becomes an online sensation overnight. Except, it’s her online persona that hits big time. Set in contemporary times, where the number of likes, comments, shares, DMs and followers determine a teenager’s sense of self-worth, the story takes a close look at how social media influences their behaviour and affects their emotional health.
Equal parts poignant and fun, this is a bittersweet coming-of-age story.

Learned Men and Women of Ancient India
Author: Sreelata Menon
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
(Pp 260, ISBN 978-93-5357-933-3, Rs 250)

Discover the lives of the great learned men and women of ancient India who could control their minds to achieve anything they desired. From pioneering surgical techniques to solving mathematical puzzles and even attempting to turn metal into gold, read about the incredible contributions of Vyasa, Sushruta, Valmiki, Surya Savitri, Chanakya, and others.

Superfoods for Superheroes
Author: Namita Moolani Mehra
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
(Pp 73, ISBN 978-93-9022-179-3, Rs 399)

Superfoods for Superheroes features ten fun stories about a little boy (who loves superheroes!) who discovers the surprising superpowers of everyday foods. Each illustrated story is followed by fun facts about the superfood and a kid-friendly recipe.

The book aims to help children make healthier food choices, educate families about the power of kid-friendly superfoods, create a positive and meaningful dialogue around healthy eating, break out of the typical informational nature of the health-food category and create an interesting narrative that puts the child at the centre.

Bena’s Summer
Author: Shibal Bhartiya
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
(Pp 256, ISBN 978-93-5357-639-4, Rs 299)

Eight-year-old Benazir, Bena to friends and family, is perhaps the happiest child you know, fond of jalebis, limericks and raw mangoes. She is surrounded by friends and family, and her life is everything an idyllic childhood should be: protected, loved and edged with rainbow-gold. One summer that bubble bursts when Bena is witness to riots, death, destruction and abuse, in a setting that explains little, and expects children to forget it all. But Bena, defined by her grit and audacity, is different.
This, then, is the story of Bena’s Summer….

100 Love Stories That Will Touch Your Heart
Author: JP Vaswani
Publisher: Gita Publishing House
(Pp 336, ISBN 978-93-86004-06-2, Rs 300)

From one who has mastered the mantra “Be Love, Live Love”, a treasury of love stories… of a different sort, harvested from a hundred years of practising love, one hundred tales that showcase what love really means. Open any page of this book— and feel love drenching you like the first showers of the monsoon.
JP Vaswani is a spiritual luminary, a practical philosopher and a touchstone of positive change for thousands around the globe.

Did you Know?
March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s (Theodor Seuss Geisel) Birthday, which is a nationwide reading celebration in America that takes place annually. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books. His fampus books include If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1955), If I Ran the Circus (1956), The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), and Green Eggs and Ham (1960). He published over 60 books during his career.