Category Personalities

What are 3 interesting facts about Enid Blyton?

Enid Blyton’s birth anniversary was observed recently. Though the British author who has penned more than 600 books has been called out for racism in recent years, the magic she wielded over generations of young readers cannot be disputed. Let’s sift through the pages of six of her famous series.

 

The Secret Seven

The Secret Seven constitute a group of seven adventurous duldren who go about solving mysteries. They have their own set of rules. There is a shed with a door that has “SS” marked on it. This is where the children meet. One can access this space only through a password and one needs to wear badges as well. The group comprises Peter, his sister Janet, and their friends Jack, Colin, George, Pam and Barbara. They hunt for clues and solve mysteries and suspicious occurrings in their local community such as burglaries, cases of missing children and so on. All thanks to the Secret Seven, there are such societies all over the world formed by children inspired by the book series. The series consists of 15 books and the first in the series titled “The Secret Seven” was published in 1949. Time to form your own secret society, is it?

St. Clare’s series

The first St. Clare’s book “The Twins at St Clare’s” was published in 1941. Even today, the books are popular among the children. The plot of the book series revolves around the many adventures a group of girls go through as they navigate life in a boarding school. St Clare’s is a boarding-school for girls and our stories follow the twins Pat and Isobel O’Sullivan, who arrive at the school in the first book. The book follows them from first form and upwards and ends at the fifth form. Amidst midnight feasts, sports matches, exams, and fun and friendship, Enid Blyton weaves a bewitching story that can hook the young readers. Another similar series that you can check out is the “Malory Towers”.

Noddy Series

“The Noddy” series by Enid Blyton is famous to a point that Noddy is an icon. For many children. Noddy is the first character that introduces them to the author’s world. Noddy was created in wood by Old Man Carver. He then goes to Toyland and this is where the adventure starts. The many colourful characters in Toyland, a land that brims with towns and villages populated by toys, add charm to the series and makes it a wonderful read for kids. The first title “Noddy Goes To Toyland” was published in 1949.

The Wishing-Chair

Picture this. A chair which will fly you to wonderful places. The stories revolve around the adventures of Peter and Mollie. One fine day, the duo walk into an antique shop to buy a present for their mother’s birthday. But their lives change with just one visit. They acquire a wishing-chair which develops wings and flies them wherever they want to. They travel to many unique lands and interact with a multitude of vibrant characters who take the children as well as the reader on a journey laden with adventures. The first book in the series “The Adventures of the Wishing Chair’ was published in 1937. Pick up the book and traverse the Land of Dreams, Village of Slipperies and Land of Goodies, besides indulging in the exploits with the children.

The Famous Five

 The Famous Five is a mystery-solving gang of five siblings. They go about on a range of adventures. The famous five includes Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog. They embark on an adventure every school holiday. The first book in the series was published in 1942 and the adventure began with the book “Five on a Treasure Island”. The book became a huge hit and Enid Blyton went on to write 20 more books in the series. Their adventures include finding hidden treasures, stumbling upon secret passageways, caves and so on as the children go about to catch the villains. Here, the children have absolute freedom as they solve mysteries, hopping on from one adventure to another.

The Naughtiest Girl series

There is a naughty girl in every classroom. The spoilt and defiant Elizabeth Allen is every bit the naughtiest girl you will encounter. Tired of her antics, her parents decide to send her off to a boarding school. That’s how the Naughtiest Girl series begins. The first book in the series “The Naughtiest Girl in the School” was published in 1940. Elizabeth hatches a plan to be very rude and disobedient so that the she will get kicked out of the school. But Elizabeth is in for a sweet surprise at the boarding school “Whyteleafe” which is unlike any boarding school one comes across. Join Elizabeth as she embarks on a whirl-wind journey and even starts to enjoy life at the school.

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What was the non-violent movement led by Mahatma Gandhi?

This book tells the story of Arun Gandhi’s experiences growing up as the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned leader of the Indian independence movement and an advocate of non-violence.

In the book. Arun Gandhi shares his memories of living with his grandfather at the Sevagram ashram in India. He describes the profound lessons he learned from Gandhiji, including the principles of non-violence, love, and truth. The story also explores the challenges young Arun faced as he struggled to understand and embody these principles in his daily life.

Grandfather Gandhi offers young readers a glimpse into the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi through the eyes of his grandson.

My Gandhi Story by Nina Sabnani and Ankit Chadha with illustrations by Rajesh Chaitya Vangad

This picture book is a great choice for reading aloud to children. It’s a collaborative effort involving a Warli artist, a storyteller, and an animation film-maker. The book features beautiful traditional Warli paintings by the artist Rajesh Chaitya Vangad, illustrating Gandhiji’s life.

The story is presented through short snippets and questions from a childlike narrator, with Gandhiji providing the answers. For example, when asked if he worked hard in school, Gandhi replied that he was not lazy but found multiplication difficult and was shy.

Three voices tell this story: the narrator, the curious child, and Gandhiji himself. Together, they introduce children to the political leader making him relatable to young readers.

Great Lives: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi by Aditi De and illustrated by Pooja Pottenkulam

This book has a unique style, combining descriptive text with a format similar to graphic novels or comics books, which easily captivates children. Every few pages, the story switches to a comic book format, complementing the text. The first chapter describes Gandhiji’s birth and family, while the comics depict scenes from his childhood, such as his vow to care for his parents inspired by a tale from the Ramayana. It also portrays his first encounter with the injustices of untouchability and the caste system when his mother prohibited him from sharing sweets and playing with his friend Uka, who belonged to an oppressed caste.

When asked why today’s children should read about the leader even more than 150 years after his birth, the author, Aditi De, explains, “Children today have few icons to look up to. barring sports or screen stars. Once high school students realise that young Mohandas had dilemmas and fears like theirs, they identify with him powerfully. During my workshops on this book, whether at Bangalore or Ambala, young readers have often chosen Gandhian tools to resolve our polarised world’s problems. That filled me with wonder.”

Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation by Subhadra Sen Gupta

Written by an accomplished author who has received the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Award, this biography of Mahatma Gandhi is an engaging book for readers of all ages. It invites readers to imagine what Gandhiji’s era was like evoking laughter, deep contemplation. and wonder SUBHADRA SE PTA

Throughout the book, Gandhiji’s principles on various topics, such as equality, secularism, humour, kindness, simplicity, non-violence, self-reliance, education, and empowerment, are presented in an engaging manner.

The author even delves into the Mahatma’s dietary habits, noting, “His meals were so plain that people avoided sitting next to him because he would offer them his plain boiled vegetables without salt, oil, or spices, along with bitter neem chutney, which he claimed aided digestion.” Despite his simple lifestyle, Gandhiji’s popularity was immense, as “people would travel for days and then patiently wait under the scorching sun for hours just for a chance to catch a glimpse of him.”

The Mahatma and the Monkeys edited by Anu Kumar

This book brings together the most Captivating moments that shaped Gandhiji’s life and highlights his most significant sayings. It explores his relentless pursuit of truth, equality, and freedom. drawing valuable lessons and powerful words from his remarkable journey. Gandhiji never gave excuses like, “What can I do, I’m only one person.” Instead, he asserted. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” He proved this to be true. That’s why, even years after his passing, his actions and words hold great significance in our world today.

At the end of each chapter, you will find a collection of thought-provoking quotes from Gandhiji, and there’s also a fun quiz for young readers towards the end of the book.

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PHYSICAL COPY OFMARTIN LUTHER KING’S I ‘’HAVE A DREAM’’SPEECH?

African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream” emphasized the unrealised promise of economic freedom for black Americans – and the White House dreaded the consequences. The physical copy of this speech is widely regarded as one of the most influential documents in American history. Read on to discover the surprising journey of this historic document In the annals of history, August 28, 1963, stands as a pivotal moment-a day when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his timeless oration, “I Have a Dream,” to a crowd of nearly 2,50,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Little did anyone know, amidst the fervor of that day, that the physical copy of this iconic speech would embark on a journey of its own, passing through the hands of an unlikely guardian.

George Raveling’s brush with history As King concluded his speech and stepped away from the podium, he found himself face to face with George Raveling, a former Villanova University basketball player assigned to provide security. In a serendipitous moment, Raveling, moved by the speech, asked King if he could have the folded papers (that had the written oration). Without hesitation, King handed over the speech to the young volunteer, unaware of the significance of this exchange.

The speech finds its voice

For nearly two decades, the speech remained tucked away in a Harry Truman biography, as Raveling pursued his career in NCAA basketball coaching. It wasn’t until 1984, during a conversation with a journalist, that Raveling revealed his possession of the historic document. Prompted by the journalist’s interest, Raveling retrieved the speech and had it professionally framed.

Safeguarding a national treasure As Raveling began to grasp the importance of the speech, he decided to secure it in a bank vault in Los Angeles. Despite receiving lucrative offers from collectors, including a staggering $3 million bid in 2014, Raveling remained steadfast in his decision to preserve the speech’s integrity. Instead, he entrusted Villanova University with the responsibility of safeguarding this invaluable piece of history.

A homecoming

In August 2021, Villanova announced its role as the custodian of King’s speech, which made its public debut at the National Museum of African American History and Culture later that month. Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the march in Washington, the speech returned to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on August 7, 2023. This temporary exhibition provided an opportunity for visitors to connect with the speech’s profound impact on American history. As the world continues to cherish and commemorate King’s legacy, the physical copy of his iconic speech remains a poignant reminder of the power of words to inspire change and unite humanity.

DID YOU KNOW?

• It was actually gospel singer Mahalia Jaskson’s cry “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” that prompted King to improvise the line I have a dream.

• In 2003 Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous words were inscribed into the spot where he gave the iconic speech.

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What is the history of heroes?

In the hindi movie Three Idiots, remade in tamil as nanban, a character remarks that the world only remembers those who come first. He says nobody knows the name of the second person to land on the moon, because he is not important. This cannot be farther from the truth. In fact, the person who landed second on the moon in the celebrated hero and, in some accounts, a controversial figure. Interestingly, he was the first person to do something unique in space. Can you name him?

Answer. “Buzz” Aldrin third from left in the above picture, is an American hero, who has made three spacewalks. A Presbyterian elder (elected member of the crurch), Aldrin was the first person to hold a religious ceremony on the moon when he privately took communion. Before he headed into space in 1969, He got special permission to take bread and wine with him to space and give himself communion. He has been accorded numerous honours, including the presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. Rumours were rife in 2020 that buzz had reported to NASA that he saw aliens on his way to the moon. It was later proven to be false.

In the 1950s, when racial segregation of white and black communities was the norm in the U.S., it was illegal for a black person to sit next to a white person. If a white person had no seat, black passengers had to vacate their seat and offer it. In 1955, one lone black woman passenger refused to abide by this irrational norm. She refused to stand up and offer her seat to a white person, triggering a massive protest that culminated in the U.S. civil rights movement. Can you name this person?

Answer: Rosa Parks was an American civil rights activist who played a crucial role in the Montgomery bus boycott movement. Her actions inspired the local black community in Alabama to organise the movement, which was led by a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Though Parks lost her job as a consequence of her dissent, the U.S. Supreme Court, finally, ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. In 1999, Parks was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honour the United States bestows on a civilian. Dr. King, of course, went on to become an American hero.

He was nicknamed “Africa’s Che Guevara” for his stance on the West and his fierce anti-colonialist ideology. A military leader, he changed his country’s name from the colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso – “the land of honest men”. He initiated several progressive reforms in his country, from promoting vaccinations for babies to banning the horrendous practice of female genital mutilation, and improving access to education. Can you name him?

Answer: Thomas Sankara was a Marxist leader who came to power in 1983 following a leftist coup that overthrew the moderate military faction ruling Burkina Faso. Much like Che Guevara, this frugal-living, motorcycle-riding, guitar-playing leader became a symbol of hope and resistance throughout Africa.

Once, when a reporter asked him why he did not want his pictures hung in public places, he famously said, “because there are seven million Thomas Sankaras here”. A proponent of Pan-Africanism, he was murdered just within four years of coming to power. Sankarism, currently, is a popular political trend in Africa. They believe his murder was orchestrated by imperialist forces.

Bangabandhu, as he is fondly referred to, was a revolutionary who fought for the liberation of East Pakistan. He was the founder of Bangladesh and served as its President and Prime Minister until he and his family were assassinated in 1975. Only two of his daughters, who were abroad at the time, escaped the attack. One of them, Sheikh Hasina, is currently the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Can you name this leader?

Answer: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a socialist revolutionary who was among the leaders of the freedom movement in Bangladesh. Though the leader of a Muslim majority country, Mujib, as he was known among his friends and followers, aspired to build a sovereign and secular country. “First I am a human being, then a Bengali, and after that a Muslim,” he had once famously remarked. Mujib admired Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s view that humanism is always greater than nationalism. Many believe his assassination to be linked with his progressive push to develop Bangladesh as a liberal nation. With the assassination of Mujib, Bangladesh slipped into political regression. Secular values of the State degraded gradually and Islam was declared as the State religion in 1988. Persecution of religious minorities became rampant.

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What was Gabriel Garcia Marquez famous for?

A master storyteller, Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez ushered in a new era in the literary world by weaving magic with reality and giving a fresh spin to the conventional style of storytelling. The literary fiction style of magical realism has supernatural and dreamlike elements blended into the temporal world. Let’s read up on the author whose birth anniversary falls in March.

Tiny yellow flowers rain from the sky, magic carpets fly, villagers get haunted by ghosts, corpses do not decompose and trickles of blood climb stairs! The real and the magic merge here. Colombian novelist and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez took fiction to a whole new level, seamlessly integrating fantasy and dreamlike elements into realistic settings. What he started came to be referred to as magical realism. Perhaps Márquez is one of the few Latin American authors who enjoyed so much international success. His works were universal and got translated into dozens of languages and sold by millions. Be it critical acclaim or widespread commercial success, Marquez enjoyed it all.

Early years

Born in Aracataca, Colombia in 1927, Márquez was the eldest of 16 children. His parents were Luisa Santiaga Márquez and Gabriel Elijio Garcia. His father was a postal clerk and telegraph operator. A large part of his childhood was spent living with his grandparents. He has mentioned that his maternal grandfather, Nicolas Márquez Mejia, a retired army man, was a great influence on him. He often called him the most important figure of my life when he was a teenager. Márquez moved to Bogotá. Although he began to study law here he abandoned his studies and started working as a journalist. He started working for the Colombian newspaper ‘El Espectador’. In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked as a foreign correspondent in Paris, Rome, Barcelona, New York and so on. He then decided to focus on creative writing.

Literary career                                                                                                                                

Marquez is synonymous with magical realism. He popularised the unique literary style of storytelling where reality and fantasy blend seamlessly. Marquez was also an avid reader. In an interview, he once remarked “I cannot imagine how anyone could even think of writing a novel without having at least a vague of idea of the 10.000 years of literature that have gone before.” Having said that Marquez always made sure that he never imitated the writers he admired. While Marquez is widely known for his work “One Hundred Years of Solitude” (1967) which earned him the Pulitzer Prize his non-fiction works and short stories are equally famous “Love in the Time of Cholera” (1985) is yet another famous novel of his.

When the newspaper where he worked was shut down. Marquez went jobless. Event while he was stranded in Paris and doing odd jobs, he started working on two novels titled “No One Writes to the Colonel” and “In Evil Hour” which were published in 1961 and 1962 respectively. Incidentally, the first novel “Leaf Storm” was published in 1955

“One Hundred Years of Solitude”

His masterstroke arrived in the form of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, where the story revolves around the isolated town of Macondo. The fantastical and magical elements in the story are written in such a way that they look like they are rooted in reality.

Marquez got inspired to write the story when he was driving to Acapulco, Mexico. He had moved to Mexico City by then. On reaching home, he tried to give shape to his idea and spent 18 months writing the novel. The book was published in 1967 and was an instant success so much so that it was sold out within days. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982.

Magical realism

While Marquez is regarded as one who invented magical realism, the author never made any such claim. He often said that some elements of the genre had appeared earlier in Latin American literature. This style of writing later inspired writers across including Isabel Allende and Salman Rushdie.

He died of pneumonia in 2014 at the age of 87.

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What is Katherine Rundell famous for?

Step into the magical world of childhood with acclaimed English author Katherine Rundell, whose adventurous stories have captured the hearts of many young readers in recent years. Read on to discover more about this talented author and her enchanting tales.

Katherine Rundell is a celebrated multiple-award-winning English author whose poetic verse makes words dance on the page like sunlight on a rippling stream. With a heart full of adventure and a mind brimming with creativity, she crafts stories that ignite the imagination of young readers and transport them to magical worlds.

Born in 1987 in Kent, England, Rundell spent her formative years in Zimbabwe and Brussels. Following her undergraduate studies at Oxford, she was chosen as a Fellow of All Souls College, where she completed her doctoral thesis on the renowned metaphysical English poet John Donne. Last September she published the book ‘Super infinite The Transformations of John Donne’, in honour of the 450th anniversary of the poet’s birth. This critically acclaimed work won her 2022’s Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. Rundell who is in her mid-thirties now, started working on her debut novel ‘The Girl Savage’ the day after she turned 21. Drawing on her carefree childhood in Zimbabwe, and the devastation of her family relocating to Belgium when she was 14, her debut novel narrated the story of a free-spirited girl called Wilhelmina Silver who has spent most of her childhood on an African farm and is sent to a boarding school in England following the death of her father.

As an imaginative and adventurous storyteller, Rundell intricately weaves her intriguing and quirky personal interests into her characters, whether it is her love for tightrope walking or roof walking or her fascination with the Amazon. Her characters act as an extension of her inner child and her stories (that are generally aimed at middle-grade readers) combine elements of action, adventure, and magical realism. Her tales take the readers on a journey to faraway lands, where they can explore the mysteries of the world and discover beauty in its hidden corners. Some of her most well-known works include ‘The Rooftoppers’ which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2014, and ‘The Explorer’, which was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award in 2017.

Choosing children’s literature

When Katherine Rundell first began writing children’s books, it was not because she saw it as her ultimate destination. Rather, she viewed it as a stepping stone, a path to follow in the footsteps of her literary idol Jane Austen. Rundell was acutely aware that her authorship was not at the level she aspired to, and so she turned to the world of children’s fiction as a training ground. But as she has grown and developed as an author, she has come to realise that the genre is so much more than a mere proving ground. To suggest that children’s literature is simply a place to polish her skills before moving on to “real” writing is a notion that she now passionately rejects

Reading: A way to cope with the loss

Reading is almost exactly the same as cartwheeling: it turns the world upside down and leaves you breathless says Katherine Rundell Reading was a cherished pastime for Randell, especially because it helped her during some of the most difficult years of her life. It was a stressful time for the family, and Rundell was only nine or 10 years old when her parents were caring for a foster sister who was terminally ill. The experience of losing someone so young was deeply saddening and profoundly painful for the author. Yet, she found solace in books devouring them with an insatiable- appetite. Looking back on this time she believes that it was no accident that she writes for the age she was when she experienced such heartache. Despite the pain, Rundell drew those she loved closer and cherished the things that brought her joy, namely, the power of storytelling.

Embracing the wonder of childhood

Rundell’s stories are more than just mere escapism; they are tales that inspire and challenge young readers to think deeply and feel connected to the world around them. Her books are important because they offer a glimpse into the human experience that is both universal and uniquely personal. She captures the essence of childhood wonder and joy but also the fear and uncertainty that often come with growing up. Her stories speak to the resilience and ingenuity of the human spirit and encourage readers to embrace their sense of adventure and explore the unknown.

Through her stories, Rundell shows young readers the power of creativity, resilience, and empathy, and why these qualities are essential to making the world a better place. The success of her books is a testament to the power of storytelling to inspire and transform young minds. Through her beautiful and imaginative works, she has created a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of young readers for years to come.

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