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Storytelling is an art which seems to have died. Before television invaded the households, children gathered around their grandparents after dinner and grandpa or grandma would spin yarns. Stories were passed down the generations. The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories is an excellent attempt by the author to keep these stories alive. Some stories never grow old, and Murthy has captured the very essence of these tales. The stories are eminently readable, beautifully spun and will have a mass audience. The king who finds his successor by a simple honesty test, the witty and wise Haripant, the clever princess who marries the man whose question she cannot answer, the lonely washerman and his donkey, a princess who thinks she was a bird and others are stories included in this book and prove to be a delightful read. The stories are all set in India. The characters have been given Indian names and the places and kingdoms are also Indian. These are stories of kings, wise ministers, ordinary men and women and lazy people. The stories are not fairy tales and lack the magic perspective. There are no evil goblins, ugly gnomes, crafty elves or magic potions. The characters are all human who solve their own problems and leave the readers with a moral. The tales are about day-to-day life and provide rich values to the children. Some are fables while others are full of humour and wit. Murthy retains the simplicity of the stories, while enhancing the lessons these stories impart. It is a good book that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The great value of these stories will only be understood after you read them. The stories are an amalgamation of values and wisdom. You Moved My Life After the family, an educational institution is the next primary group a child comes in contact with. The institution becomes his`A0second home and his peers and teachers his extended family members. The teachers become the mentors of the students and play a vital role in grooming them. Each teacher brings to the classroom an`A0educational philosophy`A0that influences the children’s learning experiences. The school effects many aspects of development and the student-teacher relationship goes a long way in shaping the character of the student. You Moved My Life is a collection of thirty-nine biographical stories and essays about teachers who influenced various personalities. All narrators in the book reminiscence with admiration the teacher who inspired and influenced them either in school, college or university. The narrators include CEOs, vice-chancellors, novelists, bureaucrats, scientists and stalwarts in other walks of life. The stories bring out the devotion and dedication of those teachers for whom teaching was not a profession but their calling. A word of encouragement here, a nod there, a smile that broke the ice in a formal classroom ambience. The teachers in these narratives went beyond normal classroom teaching. They used novel methods that held the interest of their students. They put in a lot of efforts and made the young scholars work hard. These model teachers tapped their latent potential and acted as storehouses of information. They were the force that allowed their students to dream and urged them to follow their vision. These mentors bridged the teacher-student gap. They helped their students to adjust to the alien environment whether it was adapting to the urban culture, making friends or understanding the nuance of the English language. These are stories of dedication and selflessness of teachers who shaped many lives. This book is a tribute to the`A0priest who cycled to a student’s house to coach him, a Sanskrit teacher who aroused curiosity, a teacher who tutored the rookie in school and urban culture and to all the teachers who shaped many a life. Each narrator has written his story in his own distinctive style. The book is about role models who tutored young minds and produced proud citizens. Hidden within the stories are techniques which these innovative teachers used. This book will be an inspiration not only for teachers to deliver but also for the students to follow their dreams. Devil’s Garden Pappu, the protagonist lives in Pappudom, a sleepy village on the banks of the musical river. Pappu’s family includes his father, a busy doctor, his mother who watches ample TV serials and a brother who concentrates too much on having a good physique. Woof! Sorry, I forgot to include Hitler, Pappu’s cute pooch. Chekuthan Thodi or Devil’s Garden is the forest that borders the village. According to local lore, spirits abound the jungle. A pact has existed between the villagers and the inmates of the forest which has created an imaginary border. None of the sides transgress this border. A Guard of the Bridge has also been appointed to keep watch against such transgressions. Someone has entered the forest and violated the understanding`A0between the two worlds. Queer things happen in the village. Pappu sees a monster in the Trangam river, a village animal is brutally killed and then a boy from the village goes missing. Pappu enters the forest along with his friend KP hoping to find the lost boy. The missing boy is found and returns home with KP. Pappu is left behind in the Devil’s Garden and embarks on an adventurous journey of his own. He meets Chaver Appan, his ancestor. Accompanied by the fat dhoti-clad ghost of his great granduncle Grand Pappu and the lovable Hitler, Pappu enters the interiors of the forest. He bravely faces marching trees that attack, a toothless tiger with no pupils, a horrific bird, a tapping spirit, the Transformer Spirit and other magical creatures. Varma has beautifully entwined the characters of the enchanted forest`A0in his story. The writer is at his
descriptive best as he introduces the amiable Ammoomma, wily Jones, Ammu
the journalist in the making, crafty Mr Lo, freaky Rambo. The young
readers will be easily able to identify with`A0characters like
themselves who go to school and surf the Net. Young Pappu and Grand
Pappu’s visit to the Jones camp is infused with snappy humour. The
book has magic, mystery, ghosts and spirits. Read on further and meet
Pappu and his friends. If Pappu asks you, do join him`A0on his next
visit to the forest.
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