‘Hope is a Ferris wheel’
Robin Herrera’s book is about a 10-year-old girl, Star Mackie, who, along with her mother and sister lives in a trailer park. Her friends make fun of her because of the place where she lives and her blue-layered hair. But gradually, Star learns lessons about herself and becomes hopeful about life when she starts a poetry club.
Abigail A, class XII, SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai
‘rashmirathi’
This year, summer will be special for me as my Boards have ended and after a punishing work schedule, it’s time to relax. I am an ardent follower of Hindi poetry and during this summer I plan to read Rashmirathi by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. I like his writing style and the emotional touch in his works.
Jayanth Bhardwaj, class XII,
Venkateshwar Intl School, Dwarka
‘I am malala’
Reading is my biggest passion. This summer, my book list has so many interesting titles, I just can't wait to read each one of them! There’s Inferno by Dan Brown, The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner, Tides Of Memory by Sidney Sheldon, I am Malala, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and my all-time favourite... Private Series by Kate Brian! Although I will be hard-pressed to finish these books, I would love to read Divergent, Hunger Games and The Sins of the Father by Jeffery Archer!
Alisha Deshmukh, class X, Cambridge Public School-HSR, Bangalore
‘Colour Purple’
I want to read Colour Purple by Alice Walker during these holidays. The book is in the form of letters and deals with the issue of how women all over the world deal with universal problems, even though the book was written keeping in mind the plight of African women. I would also like to catch up on some light reading like PG Wodehouse’s Joy in the Morning and Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods.
Preethi S, class X, DPS-Hyderabad
‘The Srinagar Conspiracy’
The Srinagar Conspiracy by Vikram A Chandra is a book I am looking forward to reading because it is a thriller, set against the backdrop of insurgency in Kashmir, which really interests me. It is also about the lives of people in these areas and how their lives were shaped by events over which they had no control. The book also emphasises how war has brought misery and yet a sense of patriotism in these people.
Spoorthi Anur, class X, National Hill View Public School, Bangalore
‘Once Upon a Road Trip’
I have heard a lot about Angela Blount’s book from my friends. It’s an honest account of an 18-year-old girl who gets bored with life. As a result, she embarks on a solo two-month road trip, which is full of twists and turns. This is a wonderful story about determination, soul searching, and finding out just what life and God has in store for us. Hence I would love to read it this summer.
Niharika Sharaff, class X, SOS, Nagpur
the lowland
This vacation, The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri is on my list of must-reads! A woman author of Indian origin, her books have been shortlisted for Man Booker Prize and Pulitzer Prize. Nevertheless, her characters are rooted in India — reading her book will be enlightening! Second on my list is Growing up Bin Laden by Jean Sasson, the reason being that this book is a documentation of late terrorist Osama bin Laden's wife and son, the one of many. It would be an insightful journey into the brutal world of terror.
Garima Pura, class XII, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh
bad science
Reading Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science this summer will be helpful for me because I am learning how to evaluate information about health. Sometimes doctors and quacks spread rumours about fatal diseases like cancer. The book stresses why we must verify the authenticity of medical prescriptions.
Soumo Sekhar Gangopadhyay, class XII, Birla High School, Kolkata