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  • Writer's pictureTulika Publishers

Leading Reading Schools of India Award winners

Young India Books organised a nationwide competition called the Leading Reading Schools of India. The schools were given a list of recommended books from which children were invited to write a review, illustrate a scene, design a book cover or create a game or puzzle based on a book.


We were very impressed with the entries for Tulika books! Here they are at a glance:


GAMES - Senior category


2nd Prize: Awarded to Karina Samani, a student of Aga Khan School, Chitravad, for Advaita



ILLUSTRATIONS - Junior Category


1st Prize awarded to Ayana Shah, a student of Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, for The Why-Why Girl


2nd Prize awarded to Vedant Doshi, a student of Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, for Advaita


3rd Prize awarded to Taarini Gurjar, a student of Bombay International School, Mumbai, for The Sweetest Mango and jointly with, Simran Khatri, a student of Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra West, Mumbai, for Mukand and Riaz




SCENE ILLUSTRATIONS- Junior category

2nd prize awarded to Mamata Jalgaonkar, from Muktangan, Mumbai, for Putul and the Dolphins



BOOK REVIEWS- Senior Category


3rd prize awarded to Shreya Punjabi, a student of Arya Vidya Mandir, Juhu; Mumbai, for Mayil Will Not Be Quiet!


“Appa gave me this notebook saying I should write every single day. He said that I could talk non- stop in it and give everyone's ears a rest! In this book I'm going to write about everything I think of and nobody's going to ask me to keep quiet.”


Ever asked your teacher why King Dasharatha didn't want a daughter? Ever punched a boy in the face? Ever had an annoying little brother steal your doll? Well, Mayil has!


Take a peek into Mayil Ganeshan's ordinary but not- so- ordinary life. She paints a vivid and delightful painting of her family, and transports us into the world of a young pre- teen girl with all the complexes and problems that we have while growing up. The way she describes her grandfather's love for her grandmother, is truly touching. Her relationship with her brother perfectly sums up sibling rivalry, with a touch of love. Her mother's character is a very understanding one, perfected with wonderful parenting skills- the way she understands just what Mayil is feeling, and gives her her own space just when she needs it.


Crushes, disappointments and friendship problems- this book is an all in one. Everything from Mayil's random thoughts about the boy she likes to the incidents that disturb or upset her are in here. Family issues, such as her father losing his job, and friendship issues, such as breaking friendship with her best friend, are all a part of Mayil's life. She describes her complexes about not looking pretty enough and not having nice hair. She does things like sneaking for a movie without telling her parents, trying on some Fair and Lovely cream, taking french lessons and making her very own game. This book is a perfect bundle of emotions that a pre-teen/ teenager might experience.


More than anything, this diary is a step towards her becoming 'Mayilwriter' and completing all the stories she never never managed to finish. She jots down some of her stories in her diary, and her imagination is wonderful. It makes you want to fly away with her into a land where the first people on earth were called 'Maaa' and 'Baaa', and God is a giant chicken who lays eggs everywhere!


Mayil's entries are truly hilarious and the drawing that top them them off just make me want to laugh more! The way she titles her entries! From 'Ma Rocks my Socks' to 'Marshmallows and MSG', they were all great. Plus, the double and single underlining to emphasize on the words, and the mention of 'Bama Vijayam' and 'Nilambhari' make it so authentic that you can perfectly imagine being Mayil. Hilarious sentences and amazing illustrations, make it a great read. So, open the book and listen to Mayil, for now she will not keep quiet!


BOOK REVIEWS- Junior category


1st Prize awarded to Krusha, a student of Abacus, Chennai, for Gulla and the Hangul


“ I liked the starting of the story and the drawings. And I liked the houses but I felt bad when the earthquake came and destroyed the village. And when Gulla went to the forest to save a deer from the wild dogs. And in the morning the deer turned into a sheen (the Spirit of the Eternal Snow) and the deer was near the sheen and the sheen asked to the boy to ask a wish and the boy asked that there should be no more earthquake in the village, And that’s what made me happy. “


3rd Prize awarded to Isha Karwa, a student of Bombay International School, Mumbai, for Putul And The Dolphins


“This story is about a girl named Putul. She lived next to the Ganga. One day she was waiting for her father to come back from town, suddenly she heard a squeak and so she looked and saw there was a flood of dolphins that entered their hut. She told her mother. Her mom was happy and said: Soon we’ll get to eat the dolphins for breakfast. On the other hand Putul liked the dolphins and she tried to shoo them away saying: Baba will kill you. Go now. They were about to leave when guess what happened? Putul’s mother scolded her and put rice in the water. The dolphins started eating. So Putul made squeaking noises and went out in the current, she was followed by the dolphins. But she was about to drown. Her head was half way in the water. That must have been scary don’t you think? But Putul was rescued by the dolphins and was brought to land safely from that day on the people never killed dolphins. And I hope people never kill living creatures again.”


This last review was by Simran Khatri who won 3rd prize for her cover design of Mukand and Riaz


"I liked the book because it spoke about true friendship.They author of the book showed that true friends never forget each other though they are apart. The author (Nina Sabnani) has written this emotional an interesting book about true friendship. I didn't like the part where Mukand got a fracture because it reminded me of my accident, but otherwise it was a great book."


March 13, 2014

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