books

The first book I remember reading where a teacher was a prominent character was ‘To Sir, With Love’ by E R Braithwaite. The film, as many of us know, was also made into a successful motion picture and warmed the hearts of many teachers who had similarly faced the slings and arrows of outrageous students.

Do you remember the days when you curled up in a chair with a book (anything from Tom Sawyer or Little Women to The Final Diagnosis) and a plate of munchies, oblivious to the rest of the world, especially calling parents? The book-reading child is slowly becoming a rare sight. The place of pride that the storybook occupied is being taken over by the ubiquitous television and the computer. This is not to say these are ‘bad’ per se, but I’m sure you’ll agree that the book is indeed something special.

The writer shares her experience of working with different library models and her thoughts on the power of a community-based library, while working with Eklavya, an organization in Bhopal...

If libraries have to be inviting and attractive to kids today, they too need to undergo a makeover. They have to be fun, exciting, and worth one’s while.