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Join the Crocus Book Drive with Kranti India - donate books to share the joy of reading with children from underprivileged families
I have always loved reading. It was quite natural for me to want to pass on the love for books to my son, P. I started reading to P when he was just a few weeks old. When he was a toddler, libraries became an almost-daily haunt. Now, we have a mini-library at home that keeps him engaged, while he improves his vocabulary, and gets plenty of ideas for fun… and mischief!
Perhaps the most important outcomes to me are making learning fun, and retaining the imagination and sense of wonder that babies are born with.
As he read and read, I was always on the lookout for books in various genres, fiction and non-fiction, historical fiction, fantasy… everything under the sun. My quest led me to Saffron Tree. At ST, parents as passionate as me about children’s literature – maybe even more! – wrote about the books that had clicked with their children. There were parents with kids older than mine, so we – P and me – benefitted from their choices and recommendations. The reviews are organized well, and books on a topic or intended for an age group can be readily accessed. So, as P grows older, I keep adding more wonderful books to my wish-list.
As if this steady dose of reviews and interviews wasn’t enticing enough, there is the annual event, CROCUS, a week of festivities for book-lovers like me!
CROCUS 2012 began on Oct 23 with Math and Eco-Science as the theme. There have been some wonderful picks, and it is sure to be great fun till CROCUS is wrapped up on Sunday.
As we read to our children, there is the nagging thought of others to whom books are not available. Shouldn’t all children be given the opportunity to discover the joy of reading? As part of CROCUS, apart from reviews, interviews, puzzles and games, this year Saffron Tree partners with Kranti India, for a book donation drive. Kranti is a non-profit organization that works to empower trafficked girls and sex workers.
Here is how you can contribute by donating books during CROCUS.
Come, share the joy of reading!
Arundhati Venkatesh is a children's books author. Her books have won several awards, including the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award 2015 for India, Middle East and Asia for read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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