Sara’s Favourite Themes

This book is a collection of our top poems for the year 2021, that not only stood out for their content but were also loved and shared widely. Our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible Monica Korde, poet laureate of Belmont CA for endorsing the hand-crafted poetry of our young sparks-

“I am suggesting you read ‘Rhyme or Reason’ not to give these young poets a chance, but to see the magic they create with their words and with all their heart.”

Monica Korde, Poet Laureate of Belmont, CA

Read below or download as Poems Bookosmia

We are proud, EXTREMELY proud of how are young Bookosmians kept creating and sharing their artwork through another difficult year. From  drawing Peppa Pig to doodling to digital art, here is a compilation of the most loved artworks of 2021. Enjoy this visual delight!

Best thing you will read today, guaranteed! 12 year old Daanya Purohit, a  Bookosmian from Goa enthralls us with her love for moth conservation. Tell us about your passions!

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Moths, how beautiful they can be! Unfortunately we don’t really pay attention to them. Many of you may not even have heard the word moth, or know that they are different from butterflies. Most think of them as an ugly dull coloured insects that fly around light bulbs. In fact, the true beauty of moths never gets appreciated.

Prehistoric Being

Well, let’s start with the first question, what are moths? Moths are insects that belong to the Lepidoptera order. Other insects that belong to the same order are butterflies and skippers.

Now, what makes them so special or important? We can survive without them right?! Well, actually, moths are very important to us humans and for our ecosystem. They help inpollinating flowers of fruit bearing plants and several food crops. That is not all, they are also an indicator species, which means that their presence indicates our environment is healthy and the ecosystem is thriving.

Moths serve a huge role in the natural food chain. Both adult moths and their caterpillars are food for an immense diversity of wildlife, like insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, birds and bats.

Finally, why don’t we know much about moths? That is because most moths come out at night while we are asleep. Being mainly night creatures, they are dull coloured, in comparison to their cousin – the butterfly. In reality, moths are far more ancient than butterflies and have been living on planet earth for over 200 million years.

The Tussar Silk Moth Lays Egg

One late evening, it was the month of August, when a huge moth flew into my balcony. It was the biggest I had ever seen. Its wings were bigger than my palm.

I was so surprised and amazed with the beauty of this stunning creature. It was brown and had eye like patches on its wings. It was a Tussar Silk moth.

After admiring the moth for a few minutes, I decided to click some pictures. As I was clicking the pictures, through the camera lens I saw the moth was actually laying eggs. Yes eggs! I could not believe my eyes. I had never witnessed the egg laying process of any insect. But sadly the moth had chosen the wrong host plant. It was laying eggs on a Bougainvillea shrub, while the host plants of a Tussar Silk Moth are wild berry, wild nut, or the Jamun trees. Later she also laid eggs on by balcony glass window pane.

Tussar Silk Moths lay egg in clusters, which when dries sticks together hard, and becomes difficult to separate.  So, I had to act fast.  I could not have let the eggs get wasted, could I?!I quickly got a box and put the moth and her eggs inside it. Since the eggs would take a week to hatch, I thought it would give me enough time to search my neighbourhood and find the right plant for release of the caterpillars.

It was only by the next afternoon that the moth finished laying her eggs. There were over 50 of them clustered together. The moth died soon after. Since Tussar Silk moths don’t have mouth parts they do not eat or drink anything, surviving only on the energy they gathered while eating as a caterpillar. The only purpose of an adult Tussar moth is to reproduce. This moth had completed its purpose.

About 6 days later, one morning I woke up to few tiny caterpillars. I was delighted.  Through the day, and the next few days, the eggs hatched in batches. I spent hours staring at them, watching the tiny caterpillars crawled out and munch on the eggshells.  By then, I had identified few host trees in my neighbourhood. I took the caterpillars down and realised them on its branches. However, I kept five of them with me, so that I could study their lifecycle. I made a large terrarium, fed them fresh leaves everyday and watched them grow.

About a month later, one early morning the first moth emerged. It was stunning, just like its mother. In the evening I took it to the nearby nut tree and set it free.

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About the author-

Daanya Purohit

Christmas is over but we are craving for the festive cheer to linger a little longer. Here is 9 year old Sara Gupta from Lucknow with this festive composition.

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Its Christmas, my favourite time of the year,
When Santa sleighs his sleigh with his deer.

When Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid,
Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph and Santa straddle into halls.

They go inside the dusty chimneys,
Where the path leads to kids watching Disney.

The family puts cookies and hot coco near the Christmas tree,
For Santa to have a plateful meal.

When under the pillow children keep their lists and finally open their gifts,
They enjoy every moment of the swift.

The choirs merely sing carols,
In the period of Christmas miracles.

Christmas is time to celebrate Jesus Christ,
When the whole town is shimmering with lights.

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Santa Claus- the man you know, his journey you don’t! 8 year Harshika Agarwal, a Bookosmian from Kolkata tells us an incredible tale of how Santa managed despite being sick!

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Once when Christmas was around the corner, Santa was instructing the elves that since there were so many presents they had to load it beforehand.  Since Santa was outside in the cold for so long and was wearing just a robe and slippers, he caught  a cold. Now let’s  pause Santa’s story and go to a city where a man named Ethan lived.

Ethan was a very grumpy man , as he never liked the company of others and did not believe in any of the fantasy tales but he was a kind hearted fellow.

Once, on the eve of Christmas he had to get some groceries and when he went to the check-out counter, he saw a card. He said, “Ma’am , could I have this card?”

“Oh! Yes, sure.”

As he walked out he read the card. It was an invitation to the north pole. Date 22.12 2021. He thought this would be relaxing for him. As expected, the ship was also decorated in a Christmas theme.

On the way, he heard people talking about father Christmas. Ethen whispered to himself, “Ugh , again this Christmas stuff!”

When they arrived, a portal appeared in front of them and out emerged Mrs. Claus. Suddenly the crowd was filled with murmurs.

Mrs Claus exclaimed that Mr. Claus was unwell and lot of work was pending. She requested the people to help. Some to make presents with the elves, some to wrap gifts and others to load gifts.

Ethan got the gift wrapping work. He did not complete his work nor did he like it because he did not like Christmas. On Christmas eve, Mrs. Claus said that they required the wrapped presents by that day but there were about fifty more presents left. Ethan heard this. During the night he snuck into the packaging room and wrapped all the presents. Next morning everyone was surprised to see his work.

Santa knew it was Ethan. It was because of him that children got their gifts. Then the people were teleported back to their houses. Now Ethan was a cheerful and jolly man as he understood the joy of helping people instead of living a self-centered life.

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Santa’s reindeers can get cold feet too! Read this creative story by 7 year old D V Lakshan from Bangalore to know more.

He goes to Vydehi School of Excellence.

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Once upon a time lived Santa and his lovely reindeers. Kids usually went to church to get gifts from home.

It was a snowy day, but the sun slowly began to make an appearance. The reindeer began to get cold feet about traveling as they were unsure of the weather conditions and they had a lot of deliveries to make

“We have to be quick!” bleated one of his reindeers. But Santa knew he had to make his reindeers calm, so he told them, “Don’t worry, I will make sure we will go faster than any race car in the world”. That did make them feel calm.

Santa sang merrily and his reindeer sped merrily away to the church. The children were astonished to see so many gifts waiting to be taken from Santa’s sack. So, the children made a mad dash while Santa gave them the gifts they wanted. Santa also gave the children merry rides on his sledge. This is the story of Santa and how he helped his reindeer get over their fear of bad weather.

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About the author-

D V Lakshan

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Young Festivals- A collection of top festival stories by Bookosmians for the year 2021 that stood out for their content and were also loved and shared widely.What better way than a beautifully compiled book by youngsters to help us be a part of each other’s celebrations? This gives all our readers a great opportunity to learn and appreciate different customs and traditions- celebrating a few of them – Vishu, Holi, knowing Tegh Bahadur, Christmas and Durga Ma.

Read below or download Festivals Ebook by Bookosmia

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Are you on Santa’s nice or naughty list? 15 year old Jahnavi VP, a Bookosmian from Salem is curious to know.

She is a student of Sri Chaitanya School, Salem, Tamilnadu.

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On a snowy night, I could hear the ringing bell

Is it magical? Does it cast any spell?

Its almost Christmas! Can I see any angel?

Hey lovely Santa If you arrive, please do tell!

On my way home I could see the slushy snow

Which sparkle my eyes with its glittering glow.

I am in love with this festival.

Does my Santa know?

I am happy as I could see the happiness of all my people grow.

This festive is full of magic and gives us lovable gifts

Will I get a glance of Santa as I had wished?

Will he get me the pretty gifts that I had in my wish list?

I don’t have patience, my eagerness just cannot resist.

I have made some cakes and decorated my golden Christmas tree

Santa my house is just nearby and its number is just Thirty Three

Santa, am I in your list?

Will you just make me lucky?

Or am I disturbing you?

Are you very busy?

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About the author-

VP Jahnavi

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Christmas is coming! 10 year old Sashrika Prasad, a Bookosmian from Gurgaon, is getting us all excited about it!

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Christmas is nothing without

A sprinkle of gifts

A pinch of decorations

A dash of friendship

A smidge of spirit

A teaspoon of love

A tablespoon of magic, and finally

A cup of family.

Together, this is what Christmas is all about.

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About the author-

Sashrika Prasad

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Children’s books are crafted with a lot of love and excitement by authors. But while reviews for the book come from other authors, media, publishers and even parents, very rarely do they come from the kids themselves, for whom the book is written.As a publishing platform for young people, Bookosmia likes to complete this feedback loop.
It was a delight to have Veena Prasad , author of The Spark That Changed Everything interact with our young readers in the Bookosmia Live Podcast on Bakstage app and answer their unfiltered questions in the most endearing way.

This is a compilation of thoughts of young readers of Bookosmia who have chosen to use their love for reading and talent of writing to share their feedback.

Read it as a flip book or download pdf here : The spark that changed everything

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

This is how 5 year old Kiaan Bhushan Hota from Bhubaneswar sees the world. What does it look like from your eyes?

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Nancy Drew fan? Check out this review of The Nancy Drew Notebooks – The Snowman surprise, sent to us by    Navika Kharbanda, a 10 year old Bookosmian from Noida.

It’s winter break, and Nancy, George and Bess can hardly wait for Sunday! It’s the day of the big snow festival in town. This year the girls are also entering the competition. They already know what they’re making too- they are going to build swans from the ballet swan lake! Nancy and her friends have only three days to make the most beautiful structure they can. But, when someone starts wreaking their statues every night, the girls are worried they will never be able to finish in time!

Will Nancy and her friends put a freeze on the culprit, or will their chances of winning melt away?

The main characters in the book are -: Nancy, Bess, George, Tess, Denise, Joan and Moon Deli’s service man.

My favorite character in the book is Nancy because she had valid reasons and ideas that helped to locate the snowy suspect at last.

The story gives us a message to find the culprit after exploring every minor detail; otherwise you may make a mistake by assuming who has done it.

I loved how Nancy and her friends had each different reasons to suspect who wreaked their structure each night.

This story is written in mysterious style where every line had a mystery hidden in it.

I would recommend this book for ages 7 and up.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

K-Pop alert! Who here is a fan of BTS? 10 year old Navya Kyal, a Bookosmian from Kolkata is a huge fan, also called the BTS Army and doodles about it!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Look at that cute owl in the nighttime! What do you think it would say if it could talk? A great conversation starter by 13 year old Parina Jain, a Bookosmian from Gurugram.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

So amazed by the letters you are writing to children from countries you want to visit!

Let’s travel to Jharkhand and learn all about it in this fabulous essay by 14 year old Shambhawi Jha, a Bookosmian from Ranchi.

Jharkhand is located in the eastern part of India and is enclosed by Bihar to the northern side, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh to the western side, Odisha to the southern part and West Bengal to the eastern part.Much of Jharkhand lies on the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Many rivers pass through the Chota Nagpur plateau. They are: Damodar,  Swarnrekha river etc.

Hindi is the official language in Jharkhand. Staple foods of Jharkhand are rice, dal, vegetable and tubers. Spices are sparingly used in cuisine. Famous dishes include Chilka roti, Malpua, Pitha, Dhooska, Arsa roti, Dudhauri,and Panipuri (Gupchup).

The Sohrai and Khovar painting is a mural art form practiced by women. Sohrai painting is traditionally done at the Sohrai harvest festival, while Khovar painting is done at weddings. Film industry in the state of Jharkhand is known as Jholywood. Birsa Munda Airport is the largest domestic airport in the state.Jharkhand is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places. Parasnath, Baidyanath Dham, and Rajrappa are major religious places.

Some important cities include the capital city, Ranchi ; the coal city , Dhanbad ; steel city  Bokaro; and the industrial city , Jamshedpur. Some famous personalities born here are the famous cricketer and former captain of the Indian Cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni from Ranchi city and Miss World 2000, Priyanka Chopra from Jamshedpur. Jharkhand contributes to around 40% of the total mineral resources of the country and hence is known as the mineral state of India.

Adi Johar! ( Thank You in Santali language.)

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Love animal stories? Here’s a book recommendation for you from 9 year old K S Rithik, a Bookosmian from Chennai.

When I saw the cover page of the story I thought it would be a funny story. This is a fictional story. I chose this book because I like animal stories.

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Roald Dahl fan? Check out the review of his book ‘The witches’ by 10 year old Amayra Gupta, a Bookosmian from Delhi.

She goes to Montfort Senior secondary school.

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When I first saw this book I thought that this book will be very amusing. My mom bought this book for me as I love reading.

The main character of this story is a little boy who goes and lives with his grandma in Norway. He gets to know that witches are real. He now knows how to identify them. What happens next? Do read to find out.

Now let’s talk about the author. Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter and wartime fighter pilot.

Our author here, has an impressive way of writing stories. It was written so well I could imagine all the pages.

There is even a film based on this book. I have not seen it but I plan to watch it.

What I understood after reading this book was that ‘It does not matter how you look like if you have someone that loves you’.

The Witches is written for kids ages 7 and up. On a scale of 1-5 stars, I would give it 5 stars.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Let’s draw Peppa Pig! 6 year old Nithwin S, a Bookosmian from Chennai, shows us how!

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

How was Diwali? 9 year old Vihaan Dhir, a Bookosmian From Kolkata writes a wonderful account of this year’s celebration was quite vibrant compared to last year.

Last year I could not give my friends gifts personally but this year I went to their houses and gave them gifts.

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About the author-

Vihaan Dhir

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Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

So amazed by the letters you are writing to children from countries you want to visit!

This week we celebrate Uttarakhand Foundation day! 14 year old Pratishtha Dixit, a Bookosmian from Rudrapur, Uttarakhand gives us a red carpet welcome to her state. Must read!

Rich mineral resources are found here like limestone, rock phosphate, copper graphite, gypsum etc.

Apart from this, it is the home of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites i.e. Valley of Flowers and Nanda Devi National Park.

Uttarakhand is also a great tourist attraction, people from all over the world come here to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Uttarakhand is filled with purity; in the air, in the environment and in its people. Uttarakhand is divided into two regions that are Garhwal and Kumaon. In the medieval era, the Garhwal region was known as Kedarnath and the Kumaon region was known as Manaskhand.

Chholiya (or Chhaliya) is a dance form practised in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, India. It is a sword dance accompanying a marriage procession but now it is performed on many auspicious occasions.

With its stunning elegance, this place is also said to be favoured by gods and one should surely visit this amazing place filled with love.

Book Review For ‘A Journey to the center of the Earth’

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I just finished a fantastic science fiction book ‘A Journey to the center of the Earth’.

The book cover is amazing, anyone can tell that the story is about a dangerous and adventurous mission. It is a novel written by Jules Verne and published in 1864. 

This book is mostly about science facts and adventures. Harry Lawson is the narrator who is learning science under his uncle, Professor Von Hardwigg in Germany. One day they find a book written by an Icelandic historian from the twelfth century. They find an old parchment written in runic language. They discover the path to the center of the Earth.

 

What follows is an incredible adventure as we see them head to Iceland, to an extinct volcano with the help of Hans Bjelke, their tour guide. What happens next? What will they discover? You must read to find out.

According to me, anyone who is above 10 should read and enjoy this book. I would like to give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Did you know the book was adapted into a movie by the same name in 2008? Check it out!

 

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About the Author:

Saksham Jain

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Did you like this? Do check out other reviews by Saksham–

Rick Riordans– The Lost Hero

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Into reading, writing or podcasts? Check out upcoming events at Bookosmia

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Enjoyed reading this review? Do you have a book/movie review to be published on this global writing platform? Click here to know how

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Want to know why and how Diwali is celebrated in parts of India?

7 year old Kavya is a Bookosmian from Kolkata who loves to write.

This is her very own composition. She is extremely caring and loves to share her views for all Bookosomians to read.

Diwali is her favourite festival .

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Hurrah!!   It is Diwali, the festival of lights and brightness and joy!!

We celebrate Diwali because Ram,Sita and Laxman returned to Ayodhya from exile, on this day . We burn fire crackers, decorate our houses with diyas and illuminate with multi- coloured lights.

We give gifts, sweets and chocolates to our friends, family members and neighbours. We also wear new clothes and jewelleries and visit our near and dear ones to greet each other.

We worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on this day and also do lots of shopping on Dhanteras. We draw colourful rangolis on the floors, light candles, put wall hangings and thorans to welcome our guests with pleasure. We also make yummy dishes as Daawat in Diwali like halwa, dahi vada, kachodi etc. Since it’s a religious festival, we also go for Puja with our family members.

Diwali is one of the biggest festival celebrated in India.

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

It is Diwali and no festival is over without some adorable festive drawings and lots of smiles.

Here is our 7 year old Bookosmian, Keshav Lodha from Mumbai sharing his beautiful artwork. Keshav is a student of North Point School, Mumbai

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Tomorrow is Diwali or Deepavali! 8 year old Krishiv Kedia, a Bookosmian from Kolkata tells us about the festival’s significance.

Congrats to Word Munchers for nurturing his creativity. He goes to goes to La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata.

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Diwali is a very big Hindu festival. It is also known as the festival of lights. It is celebrated to mark the occasion of Lord Rama coming back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.

We celebrate the grand festival for five days. Diwali also celebrates the birthday of Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth. It is the victory of good over evil. Many people helped Lord Rama defeat the demon, Ravana. One of them is Hanuman.

We pray to Lord Rama to give us everything we want. Every year, I celebrate Diwali with my entire family. Last year, I went to the market and bought diyas and hand painted them myself. I decorated the house with my mother and made a rangoli which was looking very attractive. Then my brother, father and I bought Kurta Pajamas that looked similar. We wanted to match each other’s clothes so that we look nice.

My grandfather and I went to a fire cracker shop and bought many crackers that could last us for the entire month. The day arrived, I burst my crackers from 8 to 10 pm. All of us did puja and had a lot of fun. We had our traditional delicious food that is cooked every year during Diwali. Next day, we went to meet our relatives and friends.

I wait for Diwali to come every year as the whole house is illuminated with diyas and lights and I have lot of fun celebrating it with my family as we all come together during this festival.

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About the author-

Krishiv Kedia

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Hurray! Halloween just passed by! 9 year old Y Jeyan had fun trick or treating. What about you?

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About the author-

Y. Jeyan

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Digital art rocks, right? Check out the painstaking work put in by 14 year old Taneesha Sheth, a Bookosmian from Singapore on this purrfect painting!

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

A fabulous artist in the house! That’s 12 year old Suvali Pattanaik, a Bookosmian from Bhubaneswar who shows us her versatile paintings. Check them out!

Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

What was your favorite IPL 2021 moment? 8 year old Prathmesh Chokhani, a Bookosmian from Kolkata takes us on a rewind of the tournament this year.

Till now 14 seasons have happened in which the most entertaining season was the 14thseason played in UAE. Mumbai Indians were the defending champions who had won their 5th title in 2020.But the 2021 IPL was very different.

The first match was between RCB and MI in which, RCB comfortably won by 2 wickets. The man of the match award was giving to Harshal Patel, who made the MI middle order collapse by his brilliant bowling.

As the tournament progressed, more interesting matches came by like the RR vs PBKS, where the Punjab Kings set a monstrous total of 222 runs in 20 overs because of KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda’s useful innings and after that Punjab Kings took the wickets of Ben Stokes and Manan Vohra and thought Punjab had won the game,but it was not over as Sanju Samson the Rajasthan captain scored a century but unfortunately the Rajasthan Royals lost by just 4 runs. But as the first half ended, the tournament had to be postponed as Covid 19 cases had started affecting people.

The 2nd half of IPL resumed on the 19th of September. The second half’s first match was between MI and CSK in which CSK won by 20 runs. Another surprising moment was in the last league game between RCB and DC, where Bharat Singh hit a six on the last ball which granted RCB a win.

In the playoffs, Chennai secured victory and advanced to the finals winning by 4 wickets and then in the eliminator round KKR beat RCB by 6 wickets and went in the 2nd semifinal. In the 2nd semifinal, KKR won against DC and advanced in the final.

Now it was time for the final and KKR won the toss and elected to field first. But electing to field was a mistake as CSK put a target of 193 which m KKR couldn’t chase and so CSK didn’t only win the match, they won the tournament and won their 4th title.

It was a very entertaining tournament and I hope better tournaments happen.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Tried your hand at digital art? 7 year old Arthavit Mohanty, a Bookosmian from Cuttack, had a lot of fun with it. Check out his art!

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Love mythology? Check this book review of Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya by 11 year old Ved Neeraj Zanvar, a Bookosmian from Kolhapur.

He goes to Vibgyor High.

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Book : Jaya, the illustrated retelling of the Mahabharata

Author: Devdutt Pattanaik

As I am an avid reader and love tales from from Indian mythology, I bought this book to know more about Kauravas and Pandavas.

It is an interesting and engaging book which retells the story of Mahabharata from the ancestors of the Pandavas and Kauravas, to the end of the snake sacrifice made by Janmenjaya when his father, Parikshit died of snake bite.

This is a tale of division of land and household and the exile of the heroes.

A war takes place at Kuru-kshetra between the Kauravas and Pandavas. Who won the war and what was Krishna’s role in it is what forms the crux of the book.

This heart stopping and dazzling book ,will thrill you till the very last word.

Magazine For Kids, By Kids , published monthly by India’s top creative platform for children, Bookosmia. Here is the October edition.

October is here already. Whoosh! The year is flying by much like our young Bookosmian journalists and podcasters who have made us proud with the live events they have been part of – asking questions to accomplished personalities, running their own podcasts to filing in reports, we are in awe of their clarity and drive. This issue will catch you up with all their wonderful work. More joy comes to us from our young contributors who love Durga Maa and show their love for her through their writing and art. Sports fans, don’t miss the cover story on Smriti Mandhana. We also have a special activity to help you warm up to T20 world cup and those not interested in sports can try out the cool weekend prompts to keep your creative juices flowing. Lots packed in- fun and engaging- just the secret sauce we love. Hope you like it too!

Read below or download October issue Bookosmia magazine

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

 Durga Maa is truly amidst us with these beautiful paintings by 11 year old Praaptie Mishra, a Bookosmian from Bhubaneswar m. Check out her stunning look too!

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Durga Puja in the times of Corona! How was it? Hear it from 14 year old Purabi Kayan, a Bookosmian from Kolkata.

She goes to Modern High School for Girls.

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Cosmic crowded pandals,

All across swift moving sandals

Attired in authentic dhotis and saree,

Wearing printed masks, nobody could disagree!

A feet’s distance was firmly maintained,

The festive vibe was thus attained!

Call of the dhakis and conchs,

Mishti Doi and Khichdi was a major lunch.

Devotees stood with folded sanitized hands,

Put an end to the pandemic was their demands.

The resplendent majestic idols shone,

Cooperation and exuberance by the citizens was shown!

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About the author-

Purabi Kayan

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

How was your Durga Puja celebration? 10 year old Amayra Gupta, a Bookosmian from Delhi, makes precious memories of Durga Maa with this beautiful painting.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

So amazed by the letters you are writing to children from countries you want to visit!

11 year old Drea Sujeet from Mysore makes us go ‘whoa’ with this letter to a girl in Palau. Know where it is? Read on!

She goes to Delhi Public School.

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Dear Aulani,

Hi! I’m Drea, from India. I find your island country, Palau extremely fascinating. I have always wanted to visit it. I feel that small countries have great beauty and it’s a must to explore it. Honestly, little did I know that there is an island country named Palau, I came across it in one of the famous English movies, ‘Journey 2: to the mysterious island’.

In the movie, two of the main characters are from Palau. I searched Palau up on Google and I found out that it’s an archipelago of 500 islands and also the fact that Palau is the first country in the world to ban environmentally harmful sunscreen!

It would be wonderful living on one such island. You are so close to the water and natural resources too! According to me, countries like yours best define tourism.

I would have loved to visit during my vacations but due to the pandemic I couldn’t even step out of my house! I’ve always wondered how life is on an island. I don’t fancy city life at all. It’s super crowded and so polluted. People hardly take the initiative to even know what’s happening around their own locality. I would take any chance to escape the city and live on a calm and cool island. Believe me, you wouldn’t want to spend your whole life in a city. And I’m a foodie so you probably know what I am going to ask next.

What’s the traditional food of Palau? Do you cook? I’m sure that everything you get there is going to be tasty. I just seem to know it! And just in case I visit, just letting you know that I’m not very fond of fish so please serve me something instead of that!

There are so many questions coming to my mind about the lifestyle of Palau.

Now, the first thing that’s intriguing me is, what the weather in your country would be like? I mean, yeah I know that it’s going to be a tropical climate and all that. But what happens when you encounter floods? Have you ever encountered it? That’s the only reason I am afraid to go on an island. You never know about the climate. It can totally betray you! I don’t even know swimming that well so I’m really afraid. Just confirm that we don’t have to swim too much and I’ll be there!

Now the next question, what are your traditions? Like, you’re traditional dances and songs. When I visit Palau, I would love to hear all these melodious songs and see all the beautiful dances in person.

In India, we have many traditions. It’s one of the many reasons why India is so popular for tourism. But for a change, I would love to know the traditional songs and dances of other countries as well. I don’t know dance that well but if I get the hang of the songs I would love to sing along!

Now the last question on my mind is, (I have more questions to ask, but this letter is going to be too long so I’ll just keep it on hold), how many religions are there in your country? I have heard that there mostly Christians but are there any other religions that are followed in Palau? I would love to know.

The questions I asked above can be easily answered by Google in just a few seconds, but I thought it will be even better getting all the information from a citizen of the country.

You know what? I’m going to visit your country during my summer vacations this year and I’m going to tell all my friends, family and relatives about the wonders of Palau. And if you get a chance, don’t forget to visit India too.

Hope you reciprocate my letter soon. Can’t wait to visit Palau!

Yours affectionately,

Drea Sujeet

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Nothing like seeing Durga Maa through the eyes of a young artist! Check out the beautiful artwork of 9 year old Nirav Prakash, a Bookosmian from Kolkata.

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Welcome Durga Maa! 11 year old  Sara Harlalka, a Bookosmian from Kolkata has a beautiful welcome poem for you. Do you also have a poem for her?

She goes to La Martiniere for girls.

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Hey Maa, Mother Durga!

You are the mother of the universe,

It’s you who takes care of all

And removes glooms of all hearts.

Last year…

As the festival of Durga puja was drawing to a close….

The red carpets were being rolled up,

The poles were being pulled out,

The tents were being removed,

And the broken pieces of thermocol lay strewn around

Like pieces of luggage….

Ma Durga, you stood in a corner

With your family and the willy Mahishasur

In a posture of steely resolve and quiet determination.

Hail, Devi Durga-Mother of all,

So, at last you respond to our call.

Breeze is there, catkin swings,

Clouds move slowly with their wings.

Green are paddies, brimming with joys,

Peasants are free now, putting their loys,

Children are waiting for new dresses,

Jaba and Jiu are blooming now fresh.

For you Devi, decorating new seat,

Covered in white, clean and neat!

We’ve been waiting through the year

With hope, joy, excitement and cheer.

Mother as you come, make us feel,

Erase evil and selfishness to kill.

Bless us to worship you with devotion and care,

And fill us brotherly love so we can share.

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About the author-

Sara Harlalka

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Durga Puja is here! To take us through the essence of this beloved Indian festival, here’s 8 year old Prisha Mehra, a Bookosmian from Kolkata.

Goddess Durga then fought Mahishasura over a period of fifteen days during which he kept changing his shape to become different animals and misled her.

Finally, when he transformed into a buffalo, Goddess Durga stabbed him with her trident and that was the end of him.

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About the author-

Prisha Mehra

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

It’s the season of festivals, am I right? 12 year old S Yuthika Nandini, a Bookosmian from Chennai, recaps the two major festivals that we celebrated last month. Did you also do festival related drawings? Send us!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

What inspires your art? 7 year old Dhakshitha C, a Bookosmian from Chennai was so impressed by cherry trees she saw in a video that she decided to bring them to life through her painting!

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Any Rick Riordan fans? 13 year old Saksham Jain, a Bookosmian from Delhi reviews ‘The lost hero’ for us!

He goes to Amity International School, Mayur Vihar.

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I had already read other Percy Jackson books, now I laid my hands on this fantastic Heroes of Olympus series.

The book cover is amazing. The Lost hero is the first novel in ‘The Heroes of Olympus’ series written by Rick Riordan. It includes ancient Greek and Roman mythology. It is also a mixture of modern and myth. This story is set in late 2010.

This story is the beginning of another great prophecy. The main characters in this story are Jason, Piper and Leo. Jason has disappeared from his Roman camp (Camp-Jupiter) and lost his memory. He has reached the other Greek camp (Camp Half-Blood). Three of them were offered a quest to rescue the goddess Hera from a very dangerous evil who is preparing an army of giants and other underworld monsters. They must rescue her before the winter Solstice. There are many heroes in this novel, but I liked Jason most, he is the son of Zeus. He has many abilities;he has a coin made up of imperial gold which can change into either a sword or a spear.

According to me, anyone who is above 11 can read and enjoy this book but I highly recommend that you should first read the previous series ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ if you haven’t.

I would like to give this book 5 out of 5 stars because this book pushed me to be a young author.

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Have you read the award-winning book Frindle? 10 year old Mira Sharat, a Bookosmian from Bangalore, has and sends us her thoughts about it in this book review.

She goes to Ekya school.

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Book : Frindle

Author : Andrew Clements

“Frindle” is a book written by Andrew Clements, an author of more than 50 books for children. Brian Selznick, the illustrator, has beautifully illustrated the book.

Nicholas Allen, or Nick, the lead character is a fifth grader who is always trying to liven things up for his class. His witty ideas makes the story hugely entertaining. There is also a battle brewing between Nick and Mrs. Granger, which takes the story forward.

What makes the book most interesting is the surprising twist at the end. Finally, things do come back to normal in the town in which Nick lives. No wonder it has won sixteen state book awards, as well as the Christopher Award.

I would recommend this book for ages 8-12 (but it was so engaging that even my mother enjoyed it!). I would give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Today is Mahalaya! What is this festival about? 10 year old Srija Bhadra, a Bookosmian from Kolkata gives us all details!

Congrats to Word Munchers for nurturing her creativity.

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Bengalis are known to celebrate different seasons with joy and fun. The ornaments, traditional clothes and sweets that we get to see and taste in west Bengal are awesome.

One of the main festivals is Durga Puja.

Every Bengali knows about this festival. Durga Puja is celebrated when Maa Durga officially begins her journey to return to her home after having vanquished Mahishasura.

Seven days before the festival starts is known as Mahalaya. It is celebrated because it is the day when Maa Durga leaves her husband, Lord Shiva from Mt. Kailash and returns to her maternal home for roughly a week.

Mahalaya is an auspicious day for the Bengalis. On this day Bengalis perform some rites for the near and dear ones who have passed away.They go to a sacred river like the Ganges to perform the rites. We all love to go for pandal hopping. But did you know that on this day we paint the eyes of Maa Durga?

Every Bengali household gets up early on the day of Mahalaya and listens to a collection of songs or mantras called ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ in the sonorous voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra. These mantras invoke the Goddess; the most eminent one being Jago Tumi Jago which means ‘Awaken, Oh Goddess!’.

Every year on this day people start wearing their new clothes, eat Bengali cuisines like rice and pulses and who can forget the most important thing in the Bengali cuisine, the diverse types of fish and rosogulla. While some prefer vegetarian, I always eat non-vegetarian.

People go out for shopping and enthusiastically wait for Durga Puja to arrive.

The message of Durga Puja is a universal fact that in the end, good triumphs over evil.

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About the author-

Srija Bhadra

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Who enjoys doing Madhubani art? I know someone! That’s 14 year old Swetalina Samantaray, a Bookosmian from Bhubaneswar. Check her stunning artwork!

Who should review children’s books? Children of course!

Being India’s largest ‘for kids, by kids’ platform, Bookosmia is proud to have our young readers chat up with their favourite authors in our podcast.

What a delight to have the author Aparna Karthikeyan interact with our Bookosmians and answer their unfiltered questions in the most endearing way on her book Woof! Adventures By The Sea, published by Red Panda, Westland. Here is a compilation of unfiltered reviews by young readers of Bookosmia who have chosen to use their love for reading and talent of writing to share their feedback. Read the ebook below or Woof book – By Bookosmia kids

Book your seat at our Young Reader’s club NOW here

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Mahatma Gandhi loved nature, so does 7 year old Keshav Lodha, a Bookosmian from Navi Mumbai, who paints these beautiful landscapes as a tribute on Gandhi Jayanti.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

Read through these wonderful travel memories from kids.

Let’s celebrate tourism day with our favourite travel memories. 12 year old Anant Mohta, a Bookosmian from Kolkata tells us about his trip to Varanasi (Banaras). Tell us about yours!

Congrats to Chamtatkaar for nurturing his creativity. He goes to DPS, Howrah.

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Situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga, Varanasi or Banaras (or Kashi) is a perfect place for religious enthusiasts and believers.

When visiting Banaras, get set for a lot of fun and monkeys who are a major sighting there! These mischievous arboreals keep the air filled with those kee-kee sounds the entire day.

Moreover, Kashi is a paradise for foodies. My favorite dishes are Shrikhand, and the malaiyo and is available only during winter.

Speaking of winter, no other place feels as cold as Varanasi during winter. There is thick fog during morning and waking up early in the morning is almost a dream. I am shocked by how my nani wakes at 5 in morning.

Known as the spiritual capital of India, the sights of this city are worth witnessing. Believe me, your travel is  incomplete  without witnessing its serene ghats by the holy river of Ganga.

The tranquil winds are rejuvenating, and they take all the pain and stress away. The crowds at night that gather during Ganga Aarti are enjoyable. It is indeed one of the highlights of this holy place.

Did you know how many ghats are there in Varanasi? There are 80 of them! The last of them being the Assi Ghat, and Assi translates to 80! Moreover, I am very blessed to have my  nani’s house at a place which is very close to one of the most visited temple – the Kal-Bhairava temple.  The god there is Lord Bhairava. He is known as the Kashi Kotwal or the Guarder of Banaras and a Black Coloured dog is his Vahan (vehicle).

If you ask me to define Banaras in a way other then a place for religions, I will describe it as the paradise of foodies. Apart from Puchka being the jewel of the crown, Banaras has some exotic dishes for you to taste when you go there.

Shrikhand and Malaiyo are my favourite dishes. They are yellow coloured and are very tasty. Shrikhand is a yellow-hued dish made from yogurt. Malaiyo is also a yellow coloured dish. It is made out of milk and a yellow cloud stays above it. There is a “Dina Chat Wala” which makes amazing chats. It actually makes everything out of 1 puchka which is an art itself.

Banaras is also famous for paans. There was a time when ‘ Khaike Paan Banaras wala’ song was on the mouth of every child of the country. Pans have only added to the cultural and religious beauty of the city.

Banaras has been a place of mixed feelings. I never understood how time flies there. I have a walk of suppose, 20 mins and the clock shows difference of 50 minutes. Taking a dip in the Ganga feels like heaven.

Another interesting aspect about Kashi is that it has more lanes than roads. You don’t know where you can reach just by going through those galis (nooks).

My tickets to the holy city have been booked. Going after 2 and a half years just feels different. I couldn’t help but count days left for this amazing journey via flight, which is another amazing thing.

 I hope to have a lot of fun, and some puchka.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

Read through these wonderful travel memories from kids.

Today is World Tourism day! What a beautiful education our travels give us! 13 year old Suhani Khemka, a Bookosmian from Kolkata writes about her incredible trip to Bali.

Congrats to Word Munchers for nurturing her creativity. She goes to Our Lady Queen of the Missions School Salt Lake, Kolkata.

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There I was sitting in a speedboat about to go up in the sky to parasail, a feeling of excitement and fear ran down my nerves. I couldn’t believe it!

It all started when we landed at Bali airport, after a short but tiring flight from Singapore. We took a cab to our villa. Enjoying my winter vacations in a sunny place with parents and brother was a boon.

While going to our villa I felt as if I was going through a trapdoor on the street wall and entering a different world.  After crossing the street on one side of the road, brown bamboo cottages between rice fields stood before my eyes leaving me bewitched.

The clothing there was diverse in color and people wearing them were like peacocks on a rainy day. The traditional food preparation and presentation used various natural flowers, spices, grains packing them with flavor. What left me speechless was the beautiful art done by the people there.

Paintings or wooden carvings, statues, or portraits of spiritual beings, all captivated me with their perfection.  The local people’s charming and pleasant nature was also very heart-warming and friendly that made my trip even better and full of delight. Colors danced around, happiness filled everyone’s hearts, merriment showed up in sparkling eyes, nature sang its song and beauty covered the place. In almost every aspect the Balinese culture showed gracefulness and medley.

The trip taught me the importance and beauty of diversity. Tourism being the main source of livelihood, the locals show hospitality to tourists beyond measures. I had a great time learning about a new culture and look forward to go on more trips like this.

Harry Potter fans or Potterheads- are they ever upto any good?
We solemnly swear they are. Check it out for yourself in this stunning collection of our young Bookosmian’s thoughts, views and passion for the world that is Harry Potter.

Combine your passion for the books with creativity and come up with something magical like this-

Read

If you have enjoyed the books or movies as much, don’t miss to join us for our weekly Harry Potter Club here
https://bookosmia.in/shop/events/harry-potter-club/

Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

Abhinav Bindra bagged India’s first individual gold medal at the Olympics. What has his journey been like? 12 year old R S Anandita, a Bookosmian journalist from Chennai attended an enriching talk from him and reports about it.

She goes to NSN Memorial.

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Olympism as a word is such a potent practice. It is played less for pleasure and more for imbibing values. We hardly realize how much playing a sport can have a tremendous influence on us.

Mr. Abhinav A Bindra, the man who changed Indian Olympic History, by winning the first-ever gold medal for India, magnanimously shares the values he obtained and assimilated in his life.

“When I look back at my career, I can see what it made me as a person. The values that I imbibed by playing sports continue to be with me and will be with me for the rest of my life. I was able to build values like excellence, friendship, respect, honesty, integrity, and I was taught how to win and lose by sports. It helped me to build a lot of relationships with my parents, coaches even with my competitors.”

Earlier, I never gave much importance to sports and physical activities. I tried my best to stay away from them.  I never knew how much it had an impact on me until I heard about this webinar. It was an eye-opener!

Olympism indeed stimulates lots of values inside a human being. I think that the indispensable value is facing a failure. We all face failure in life, in some way or the other. Failure breaks us, or so we think! Failure is the stepping stone to success. Sports help us to build a lot of new relationships and meet new people as well. We never know how much important socializing is. Building relationships is a must. I find that being extroverted is not so bad at all!

When I play a sport, I feel complete. My mind, body, and spirit become fulfilled at the end of the day. It boosts my self-esteem to the core. I find that I perform well in the academic field.

During exam season, we lack physical exercise, but I found that getting half an hour of exercise, boosts my grades. In today’s rushed world, we, busy bees, almost forget to take care of our physical health, in which sports play a vital role.

We practice various religions but do we practice something that helps us- Olympism? It’s time we think about this.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork.

Healthy eating is rad! But what’s right to eat and what’s not? 7 year old Navya Parikh, a Bookosmian from Vadodara makes it easy for us with a poster! Send us your poster!

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

Read through these wonderful travel memories from kids.

What’s the best tourist spot you have visited? For 14 year old Priya Dharshini, a Bookosmian from Hosur, it is the Taj Mahal!

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

Read through these wonderful travel memories from kids.

What’s your dream vacation spot? For 11 year old Aaditri Paul, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, it is Darjeeling!

Congrats to Chamatkaar for nurturing her creativity. She is a student of DPS Megacity, Kolkata.

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It is truly said that “If you are in a beautiful place where you can enjoy the sunset and sunrise, then you are living like a lord.”

There are many places in this world that are much beautiful than you’ve read, much beautiful than you’ve heard. Want to know about one? It is known as the land of thunderbolt, the place with the most beautiful snowfall, Darjeeling. It is known as one of the best hill stations in India, located at north India. Its’ beauty will leave you spellbound and awestruck.

The snow covered mountains appear golden during sunrise. Darjeeling is famous for the tea it produces and the resplendent view of the third highest mountain Kanchenjunga, waterfalls etc. Each year they produce approximately 11,000 tons of tea.

A peak out of the window early in the morning can help you catch a glimpse of the attractive Kanchenjunga. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is also known to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The railway is also known as the toy train.

The perfect Rangeet valley in Darjeeling can be viewed from the Darjeeling Ropeway. It is the cable car ropeway, the first ropeway to be built in India.

The tiger hill is a famous place in Darjeeling which has the best view during the sunrise. This spot is always full of tourists.

There are many other beautiful places that can be viewed in Darjeeling like the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Batasia Loop, Nightingale Park and the Darjeeling rock garden. One of the most famous foods in Darjeeling is the Tibetan Thukpa, traditional Nepali thali and the Naga cuisine. Getting to eat these foods is worth visiting Darjeeling.

Magazine For Kids, By Kids , published monthly by India’s top creative platform for children, Bookosmia. Here is the September edition.

Dear Readers,

Here we are with the third edition of ‘Bookosmia’ – A magazine for kids, by kids!How’s September treating you? From teachers day, Ganesh Chaturti to grandparents – there was lots to celebrate this month. And to make the celebration sweeter we had a platter of wonderful sporting events to watch and marvel.

How inspiring are our para-athletes who made us proud at the paralympics! More sporting fun to look forward as the IPL starts again. Why is the IPL back and what is the chocolate advertisement that is making the whole country swoon? Quiz, writing prompts, art, books (a fantabulous interview with author Aparna Karthikeyan) and so much more! That’s our power-packed September issue for you, brought together by kids just like you!

Happy reading!

Read the September edition of Bookosmia Magazine as a flipbook or download Bookosmia magazine September

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Have you read The Alchemist? 9 year old Nandini Maheshwari, a Bookosmian from Delhi reviews this best selling story of a shepherd boy and his journey to find treasure.

Congrats to Chamatkaar for nurturing her creativity. She goes to Air Force Bal Bharti School.

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Title -THE ALCHEMIST

Type- novel

Genre- Fiction

Year published – 1988

Place -Brazil

Author – Paulo Coelho

“His journey led him to his destiny “ – is what the novel Alchemist all about . It’s a lovely book about a shepherd boy whose name is Santiago Dusk.

Santiago hails from the Spanish province of Andalusia who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as desirable as ever found. From his home his journey to the exotic markets of North Africa and then into the Egyptian desert where a fateful encounter with an alchemist awaits him.

Throughout his journey, Santiago meets a lot of new people and encounters many problems, which ultimately help him to learn and grow. The whole story is very captivating and entertaining. It is all about finding meaningful treasures in life .

It’s a fable about following your dreams…

The advice that was given to Santiago that when you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true is the core of the novel’s philosophy.

Around 65 million copies have been sold all over the world .

My favourite character in the book is the Alchemist

My favorite part of the book is when the boy finally meets the Alchemist

The book emphasizes the values of faith, hope and love.

I would give it a rating of 5/5 stars.

This book can be a great recommendation for people of all ages who are trying to find the true meaning of life.

Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

The IPL starts in a day! But hey wasn’t it played a few months ago? Why is it back? 12 year old Adwaith Menon, a Bookosmian from Chennai answers all our questions about it!

He goes to NSN Memorial In Chitlapakam.

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The Indian Premier League, the most prestigious domestic cricket league of the world, starts again on Sunday! Why was there a round two? Here’s what happened.

IPL 2021 came to an abrupt stop in May due to some of its players getting infected by the coronavirus. Not only the players, even the coaches got affected by COVID – 19. Cricketers from abroad made their way back to their countries with great difficulty. Many countries banned incoming flights from India, fearing the virus. Australia banned all Indian citizens as well as their citizens to fly from one country to another. The IPL proved to be dangerous for the players affected by the virus in spite of the bio bubble.

A ‘bio bubble’ is a safe and secure place which does not have contact with the outside world, thus providing the people in it with safety. Only players, support staff and match officials are permitted to enter the bubble.

The BCCI had provided bubbles in practise sessions, hotels, matches and transportation. But the bubble does not guarantee the safety to be 100%, as has been already proven.  This brings me to my question. Should the IPL have been played during the pandemic? Wouldn’t it have been much safer if they had postponed the IPL to a time when the cases decreased? Wouldn’t it have been much sensible to host the IPL in countries where there were very few cases? The IPL hosted during this struggling time burdened the security, police and healthcare systems.

When the players played the matches with vigour, many were in hospitals gasping for breath and recovery. A celebratory moment like the IPL during this time was not sensitive. Many argued that the IPL had been a light in the darkness. But would the people who were deprived of the beds say so? Was it right for a celebration during this time?

The BCCI should show more practical thinking in hosting the Indian premier league now. Postponing it was a wise decision. It is good that it is now happening when cases have decreased. Moreover the host country is UAE. Many security and health precautions have been taken for the IPL now and let’s hope it goes on without hassle!

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Who here is a Hunger Games fan? 13 year old Shreenithi S, a Bookosmian from Chennai reviews this best seller for us beautifully. What’s your take?

She goes to P.S Senior Secondary School

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Book : The Hunger Games

Author : Suzanne Collins

This book was so amazing! It was a fresh and interesting plot. But the plot isn’t the only thing that catches the eye, it’s the illustrations too.

As I was going through the stack of books in the library, I saw a thick black book, covered with a ring of fire with an arrow shooting through a bird. Oh my, I was so intrigued. I had never seen anything like it before. So, I picked up the book, and never put it down. I delved into the world of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger games. A world of mystique, action and fantasy; A world to escape the real world. It’s set in North America called “Panem”.

Panem is divided into twelve districts, and the main character- Katniss Everdeen- lives in the last district. Ever year a place called the “Capitol” hosts the Hunger games and choose two people from every district to participate. The Hunger games is a brutal and dangerous game and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Twenty-four people are then put together in a man-made arena without any food, shelter or the basic needs of living. The last person that survives wins the game. Katniss who is selected to participate, is 16 years old and looks after her younger sister and her frail mother. They are very poor and it’s hard for them to make ends meet. But yet her strong and brave nature helps them to make their life bearable.

The author has managed to make this character “real”. Katniss has imperfections and flaws, which makes her relatable and interesting. She shows kindness, bravery, courage and emotional intellectuality. Every single part of the story was interesting! It will motivate you to read more and more. The writing style lured me in to keep coming back for more. The author takes you on a whirlwind rollercoaster, filled with ups and downs. The book was quite addictive, I have to say. The book may seem to go on forever. But never judge a book by its cover!

Once you start reading it, you won’t want it to end. But I couldn’t help but think, what would I have done differently, if I wrote this book? I would’ve added a bit of comedy, just to lighten the mood. But don’t let that reason stop you from reading it! I bet you would still enjoy it. This book is for kids between the age group of 13-16. I would give the book a 4/5.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

I can’t wait to pack my bags and head out once the pandemic exits from our lives. Until then let’s read through these wonderful travel memories from kids. Let’s keep our wish lists ready!

An adventure to Singapore! That’s right!  10 year old Risha Aravindkumar, a Bookosmian from Bangalore takes us on one. Have you been anywhere interesting lately? Tell us!

I was so happy, but what I did not know is that there was still something big to happen!

We saw a lot of animals the whole morning. We became very tired, so we went to a café.

My parents told us that they will be getting us some ice-creams. My brother was in charge of me while my parents were away. He was so lost in his mobile game that he forgot I was there. I thought to explore a little bit as I felt a bit lonely. I thought that everything would be fine, but boy I was wrong.

Well, when I thought that was enough exploring for some time I was heading back to the café. I started to look around. I could not see anybody. In fact, I could not see anything too! I was surrounded by a thick jungle. I heard a loud ‘GRRR’.

First, I thought a lion was behind me but believe me, it was my stomach! I was hungry. How I wish I could have eaten that ice cream! I sat and thought for a minute. What would my parents think if I was lost?

I walked and walked. I was not able to bear my hunger any longer. I finally saw a tree with some fruits. I climbed up the tree and plucked the fruits. But suddenly I got a shiver down my skin! I felt something rattling behind me. When I turned back, I saw a rattle snake!

I climbed down and ran as fast as my legs could take. I heard dry leaves crunching.

It felt like something big was coming towards me. I took a sharp stick from the ground, held it and turned back.  I got interrupted by a loud voice.

I heard someone saying, “Wake up! we are here!” We were at the Singapore zoo!

I opened my eyes and saw my brother in front of me. I got up and said, “Wha-what the puppy – snake ohh my head hurts!”

 “Stop this nonsense what is wrong with you?”, said my brother.

“Did you pass out in the car? First one getting out of the car will get ice cream,” said my parents.

“Hey wait for me,” I said and ran behind my brother.

I couldn’t wait for more adventures during the rest of the trip!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

How can we restore planet earth? 6 year old Avyan Singh, a Bookosmian from Jabalpur, has it all worked out in his thoughtful poster. Send us your ideas!

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Nothing like a handmade gift, what say? 9 year old Aditri Reddy Palem, a Bookosmian from Hyderabad brings to us a tale about a brother and sister and a bond that money can’t buy!

Hello hello, Sara here! Thanks for pouring in your entries to my ‘Nature with Sara’ section, in which we find a beautiful way to show our care for nature.

Tigers, our beautiful big cats will soon go extinct if the kids of today are not taught about them, writes 12 year old Krisha Nijhawan, a Bookosmian from Delhi.

She goes to the Millenium school, Noida.

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Did you like this? Do not miss –

The Bengal Tiger- A Prayer for you

About the author-

Krisha Nijhawan

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Hey, Sara here again.

Did you enjoy Krisha’s poem on tigers?Really cool, right? Would you want to get published on this global writing platform and become a Bookosmian? Here is how to go about it- https://bookosmia.in/submit-a-story/

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Lord Ganesha – what do you think of him? Yashika Agarwalla, a 11 year old Bookosmian from Kolkata, puts her thoughts into this wonderful poem!

Congrats to Word Munchers for nurturing her creativity. She goes to DPS Megacity.

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The festival of Lord Ganesha,

One who loves laddoos,

He married Riddhi Siddhi,

And also cursed the moon!

He rewards you for your good deeds,

Punishes you for your cheats,

Any obstacle if you ever face,

Think of him to fasten your pace!

God with teeth made of ivory,

We shall celebrate his day with glee.

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About the author-

Yashika Agarwalla

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi! 8 year old Aaryan Vittal, a Bookosmian from Bangalore, is fascinated by the god and writes a letter to him! What would you write?

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi! 9 year old Aadya Kheria, a Bookosmian from Kolkata had no idea why her grandmother was singing shlokas to the god. Let’s read on to find out what happens next!

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About the author-

Aadya Kheria

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Happy Ganesh chaturthi! So why do we celebrate this day? Mihika Shah, an 8 year old Bookosmian from Kolkata, gives us all details! Are you celebrating? Tell us!

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About the author-

Mihika Shah

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Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

Slamdunk! 13 year old Neshaa from Chennai is a huge basketball fan and tells us about it. What’s your favourite sport? Tell us!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Can you sketch yourself by looking at the mirror? 10 year old Abhiram Suri, a Bookosmian from Bangalore gives it a try. Great work! Why don’t you also try?

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Watching the Paralympics? 11 year old Siddharth Jain, a Bookosmian from Delhi, has a created a beautiful art work lauding our athletes’ commitment to India!

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

I can’t wait to pack my bags and head out once the pandemic exits from our lives. Until then let’s read through these wonderful travel memories from kids. Let’s keep our wish lists ready!

Want a travel suggestion? Head over to Mussoorie for a cuppa at Landour Bakehouse, suggests 14 year old Dharini Karwa, a Bookosmian from Nagaon.

She goes to Christ Jyoti School, Nagaon.

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‘Landour Bakehouse’ situated on the apotheosis of Mussoorie, surrounded by hills, covered with clouds, was established years ago during the time Britishers ruled India.

The structure and surroundings of the ancient built coffee shop are just so pleasant and heart-warming, especially for writers to write in. It is a silent and aesthetic place with spectacular drinks, snacks and extraordinary deserts.

The ancient design is just so great to write about and one can have a wonderful time there and spend hours relishing their food.

The customers visiting the place are usually mesmerized by the food and the scenery. The time when I went to this coffee shop I saw a couple of writers and photographers visiting this place and writing about it to their friends and family.

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Geronimo Stilton fan alert! 9 year old Aarav Maneti, a Bookosmian from Bangalore, reviews ‘The hunt for the Golden Book’. How do you find this series?

He goes to Deens Academy, Gunjur.

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I was so amazed by the book’s cover page. It had big, bold letters and they were in golden color and shiny. The picture shows Geronimo jumping from a plane with a parachute and he is holding a golden book.

I saw the book on the last pages of other Geronimo books. It said that it was a special edition book along with four other books. Another good reason why I bought it is that the heading says “Golden Book”. I really wanted to read it.

Usually letters in books are usually black but here special words are colored, bold, twisted and in various styles, that’s attractive. There are illustrations all over the book and almost on every page. All the pictures are very expressive and it made me feel more interested in the book. The general look of the book was mostly in golden color. The back cover was yellow and red with a small picture of Geronimo.

Let me introduce you to the lead characters of this book.

Geronimo Stilton – The author of the book, who runs The Rodent’s Gazette, the most famous newspaper on Mouse Island.

Thea Stilton – Geronimo’s sister and a special correspondent for the Rodent’s Gazette.

Trap Stilton – Geronimo’s prankster cousin and owner of Cheap Junk for less.

Grandfather William Shortpaws – Geronimo’s always-angry and always-scolding Grandfather and founder of The Rodent’s Gazette.

Geronimo had finished 10 years of writing books. His family wanted to host a party. Geronimo wrote a Golden Book for the occasion but, when he finished the book, it was stolen! The book follows their adventure of looking for the book.

My favorite part of the book was Geronimo’s amazing idea to host the party.

From this book, I learnt that if we work together we can do anything.

Best age-group for the book : 6-10

Rating on a scale of 5 : 5 *****

Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

7 medals for India in the paralympics so far! What stellar performances from our athletes! Double gold medallist Devendra Jhajharia bagged a silver this time in javelin throw but what an inspiration he has been! 14 year old Aditya Dasgupta, a Bookosmian from Delhi tells us his story!

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About the author-

Aditya Dasgupta

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Did you do anything special for Janmashtami? 7 year old Diyah Agarwalla, a Bookosmian from Kolkata baked a cake for Krishna!

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About the author-

Diyah Agarwalla

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Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

Happy birthday Krishna! 9 year old Y Jeyan, a Bookosmian from Hyderabad, explains the significance of Krishna Janmashtami beautifully in this poem. How will you be celebrating?

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About the author-

Y. Jeyan

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

What does Krishna Janmashtami mean to you? For 14 year old B Deekshaa, a Bookosmian from Chennai, it is an occasion to celebrate unity!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

What inspires your art? For 10 year old Amayra Gupta, a Bookosmian from Delhi, it is our country’s unity in diversity. Check her art!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Neymar Junior – What a player, right? 10 year old Shreyansh Mandoi, a Bookosmian from Bangalore certainly thinks so! Check out his sketch tribute to the Brazillian Forward.

Hey friends, Sara here!  I love sports and I couldn’t be more excited to see your entries pouring into my ‘Sports’ section. Keep them coming.

I am so excited to watch the Paralympic games! India’s matches start today! 8 year old K S Rithik, a Bookosmian from Chennai, tells us all about the Indian contingent!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

7 year old Tvarita Motwani, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, wanted to have some fun with her mother’s art supplies. How did she get them? Check her doodle art and her answer!

Hey everyone! Your friend, Sara here.

 Today is Raksha Bandhan! 8 year old Kashvi Shah, a Bookosmian from Mumbai, pens a sweet poem on what this beautiful festival means to brothers and sisters. Are you celebrating it too? Tell us!

She goes to the Green Acres Academy.

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About the author-

Kashvi Shah

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

‘The Young King’ by Oscar Wilde is a historical fiction from the 1890s. 10 year old Dhruv Arora, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, delves into this fascinating short story with a strong message of empathy.

The main focus of the story is on oppression, as in all four dreams that the young king had the night before the coronation, he dreamt about how his coronation clothes were made with the ones making it being in bad conditions.

This story has lots of morals like ‘Do not support slavery’ and ‘Do not be greedy’. I agree with these morals but the best one is ‘Do not treat others unfairly’. To me, the moral is a very interesting part of the story. I believe Oscar Wilde has written quite a nice story.

I liked that at the end, the young king chooses his own old clothes instead of the coronation robes.

I would recommend this story to ages 10-14 and give it five stars.

Dear Readers,

Here we are with the second edition of ‘Bookosmia’ – A magazine for kids, by kids! A special edition as we talk about our launch of India’s first podcast ‘for kids, by kids’ and joy of the recent Olympics.

Right from ideas, content, illustrations, photographs to design – this magazine is being brought to you by young Bookosmians who are taking the world by storm with their creativity.

An issue brimming with unputdownable content, we hope this will bring joy to you during these trying times.

Stay safe, dear readers! Read below or download Bookosmia magazine – July 2021 

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

How did you celebrate Independence Day? 10 year old Aarav Singh, a Bookosmian from Portsmouth, USA, made wonderful paintings about India. Check out his art!

Aarav is a student of Dondero Elementary School.

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I didn’t try to make a story, but if I did, it would have been about my dog’s life. I crafted this with 2 different photos of him, one from when he was a year old, and one from now, when he’s 2.

My favorite artwork would be this one, since I worked a lot on this, and I also think that my dog liked the drawing too, and because I didn’t need any help on the drawing.

What I love about this art is that it looks like he is staring back at me, something I know that I have a hard time to incorporate into my artwork: to make it lifelike.

Olympics 

What made me come up with this drawing was watching the Tokyo Olympics archery matches. Again, I have never felt hesitant making art.

I chose this theme because of watching different archery matches on tv, and because archery is cool. I was also hoping India to win.

I felt good throughout the whole process. I felt great after completing it.

What I love about it is that the archery symbol has the 5 Olympic ring colors on it; blue, yellow, black, green, and red.

This picture doesn’t tell a story.

My favorite artwork is the one that I made of my dog, because it really looks lifelike to me.

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Independence is such a sweet word for us but in 1947, when India was split into two countries – India and Pakistan, it was a tumultuous time.

This enlightens readers on how India was during the partition and how refugees suffered through all of it. This is a moving tale that haunts you and makes you wonder how a human being can kill others without thinking twice.

This book is appropriate for both adults and teenagers. It teaches how grateful one should be for what one has and how brave and courageous one has to be during tough times.

The book is written in a simple yet fascinating manner. It gets the reader hooked from the very beginning. It is very touching and transports you to that time when the partition of India happened.

This is an amazing story for middle schoolers especially if they are trying to learn about India during 1947.

I give this book 5 stars out of 5 and recommend it to ages 11+.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Come join me as I enjoy these stunning paintings by 14 year old Mauli Sapam, a Bookosmian from Ghaziabad, who loves painting on a wide variety of subjects!

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Who here is a fan of Sudha Murty? 12 year old Kavya Mehta, a Bookosmian from Mumbai, writes a lovely review and her gleanings from ‘How I taught my grandmother to read and other stories’. Have you read it? Tell us!

It is a semi-autobiographical book with 25 beautiful and engaging stories which are motivating and inspiring. This book is recommended to children as well as adults. It has all the experiences, life values and learnings which a person should have at any age. It is a wonderful book which engages and makes the reader desire to read more and more.

All these stories have touched my heart. Each and every story has at least one life value or learning in them.

Elements such as learning has no age bar, teacher should be respected irrespective of age and gender, books are valuable, you should be caring, egoless, never disrespect people, there is always a start at any age, nothing is impossible, excellence comes by practice not by accident, donate the first best to anyone and not the second best, respect your grandparents, education is essential, always be kind with your guests, your motherland is always your heaven, the real jewellery is education, everything will perish over a period of time – flowers, beauty, food and many others.

She writes that no person looks beautiful forever. But education brings confidence to your face and that is the real beauty. Some other takeaways from the book are that if one man studies, only one person is educated whereas if one lady studies, the entire family is educated.

I rate this book 5/5 stars and recommend it to everyone above the age of 9.

Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

I can’t wait to pack my bags and head out once the pandemic exits from our lives. Until then let’s read through these wonderful travel memories from kids. Let’s keep our wish lists ready!

It’s Travel Tuesday! 11 year old Tasshvi N Killa, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, takes us to stunning Switzerland! Have you also traveled to an interesting place? Tell us about it!

From Interlaken, one can also travel to Lucerne.Lucerne, a compact city in Switzerland, known for its preserved medieval architecture, sits amid snow-capped mountains on Lake Lucerne. The city of Lucerne is a popular stop for most people visiting Switzerland. The city is well known for its stunning medieval architecture and its stunning location on the edge of Lake Lucerne amid snow-capped mountains. A modern town today, it still has its quaint old-world charm.

When visiting Lucerne, one must take the mesmerizing boat ride on lake Lucerne.  Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.  The view is magnificent. Migrating seagulls are often spotted here.

Lucerne is also known for its huge shopping streets and Swiss watches. In the chocolate factory which we visited, my friends and I made chocolate bars and decorated them. The factory was filled with the smells of chocolate. I even learnt about the history of chocolate and ate a lot of choco cubes.

From Lucerne, a day trip to Bern can be arranged. Bern is the capital of Switzerland. It is built around a crook in the Aare River. It traces its origins back to the 12th century, with medieval architecture preserved in the Altstadt (Old Town). In Bern, the shopping spree is much more mesmerizing. The cathedrals in Bern were also great.

Last but not the least, one can visit Mt Titlis. Titlis is a mountain of the Uri Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Obwalden and Bern. Mount Titlis is one of the highest mountain peaks that one can easily visit in Switzerland. Switzerland is also very popular among Indians as many of India’s blockbuster films were shot there. One is sure to get mesmerized by the beauty of these places.

Hello book lovers, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on your favourite books.

Looking for a good book to read? 13 year old Abhishruti Ghosh, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, is here to give a super suggestion. Here’s her book review on ‘The Heroes of Olympus – The Son of Neptune’. Have you read it? Tell us!

The main character of the story is Percy Jackson. Percy has been portrayed in the book as a brave, daring and reckless character. He has splendid leadership qualities and happens to be the son of Neptune or Poseidon- the god of the sea. He has an admirable personality and upholds himself as a gallant warrior, having the temerity to encounter any danger.

In my view, ‘The Son of Neptune’ is a fiction which makes us realise the importance of bravery, friendship and unity which are the more important things in life. In the story, Percy’s bravery and loyalty eventually helps him find out his true identity.

The story is written in modern style and language and also includes a touch of light entertainment and satirical remarks.

I would like to recommend this book to all children aged 10 or above as a must read.

On a scale of 1-5, this book deserves a rating of 4.8 out of 5 and also deserves to be an asset of your preference.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Today is Hiroshima Day. Do you know why this day is so important? 8 year old Riddhima Misra, a Bookosmian from Kalyan tells us with a beautiful drawing why we should never take peace for granted.

Hello, your friend Sara here! I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on movies that inspire you.

Neerja Bhanot is a real life heroine. Do you know about her incredible sacrifice to save others? 10 year old Aaditri Paul, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, reviews the movie ‘Neerja’ which was made on her and tells us why we should know about her.

Some Pakistani terrorists hijacked the plane during the stopover. Neerja Bhanot was shot while saving three children in the hijacked Pan Am 73 flight. She died on September 5, 1986, just two days before her 23rd birthday.

The terrorists killed 20 passengers including 2 Americans and over 100 people on board were injured badly. She was the youngest lady to receive the Ashok Chakra Award and many other awards by different countries and governments.

The movie Neerja was a tribute to her bravery. It was released in 2016, directed by Ram Madhvani. The lead role of Neerja was played by Sonam Kapoor. This movie teaches us the importance of sacrificing for others too as it is also a source of happiness.

I have been inspired by this movie a lot and I can bet that you will be too. It is said that “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” And I too believe that a great achievement starts with a little sacrifice.

Hello, your friend Sara here! I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on movies that inspire you.

There is so much to learn from sport isn’t it? 12 year old Anant Mohta, a Bookosmian from Howrah, reviews the movie ‘MS Dhoni – the untold story’ for us. What is your favourite movie? Tell us!

Moreover, I also learnt that it is not the physical and financial condition but the passion for something that decides your future. The boy despite being from a small town in Jharkhand became one of the most successful players in international cricket.

It was the (late) Sushant Singh Rajput who played this gem of a role. Sushant was one of the most loved actors across the Bollywood industry.

In addition to this, I would like to mention a quote from the film which has become my success mantra

“Thode se mein khush hone wala mein se nahi hai ye mahiyaa”

(Mahi is not someone who will be satisfied with little).

I rate this movie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for all ages.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Have you tried the Madhubani style of painting? 13 year old S Vignesh, a Bookosmian from Chennai, is fascinated with it and sends us his beautiful work depicting a collection of vegetables along with these thoughts on this art form. Send us your art work!

‘Its not ok’ eBook is a powerful compilation of stunning writings by young writers of Bookosmia who have chosen to use their talents to call out prevailing discrimination in the world and closer at home in India, from the stigma around menstruation to  the refugee crisis, these bright youngsters tackle the issues with passion and an optimistic view that can only come from the youth.

And we couldn’t have asked for a more credible person to endorse it, than the changemaker  Gaurang Raval, Ashoka Fellow and Clinton Fellowship awardee.

Yosha Gupta, Founder & CEO of MeMeraki, a company on a mission to revive Indian art,  compliments the use of Indian art for illustrating the difficult topics in this book.

Read the flipbook below or download Its not ok Bookosmians

Hello, your friend Sara here!

I love how you are all pouring in your book reviews from far and wide. Keep writing in to me to be a part of a global platform ‘for kids, by kids’

Here is a wonderful review of the popular sci-fi book The Martian from 2011, by 13 year old young reader Amogh. The book was adapted into a movie too.

13 year old Amogh D A goes to Evergreen Middle School, Redmond, Washington.

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Book- The Martian

Author- Andy Weir

I was pretty curious about the book when I saw the cover page because there was a man in a spacesuit with sand floating all around him.

I got the book from a library near my house. And I got it because I wanted to find out how Mark Watney survived on Mars.

The Martian is a science fiction novel written by Andy Weir. This book was released in 2011 and it almost seems believable. The book is 385 pages long.

The story plot is based in 2035, when the crew of NASA’s Ares 3 mission have arrived on Mars to stay for a month and discover new vital information about Mars. But after six sols (a day on Mars) an intense dust and windstorm arrives and is a threat to the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). And because of this, the crew is forced to evacuate and in the hurried evacuation, an antenna pole breaks and pierces Mark Watney. Due to this, Mark’s radio stops working. That means he has no sort of communication with his crew members.

This is a big problem because he was blown out of sight by the storm and was presumed dead. Because the storm is threatening the MAV more than ever, Commander Lewis decides to take off without completing the search for Mark Watney. However, Mark Watney is not dead. He is stranded alone on Mars. And he does not even have a radio. This means he has no sort of communication with his crew or NASA. Is there any chance for this lone astronaut to make it back to earth safely?

They start to execute it when they encounter their first and only problem. The rocket was moving too fast. Due to this they would miss Mark Watney. And to fix this they had to blast an airlock to make it move slower. To know what happens next, read the book.

There is a movie based on this book. It is, as you may have guessed, the title of the book, ‘The Martian’. I have watched the movie but I like the book more because the book explains every one of Mark’s decisions in a more structured manner and gives better clarity. The movie also doesn’t show all the parts that are there in the book.

The main character of the book is an American astronaut, Mark Watney, who gets stranded on Mars, alone, and must improvise in order to face and survive every challenge that comes his way. He has to do everything on his own. He has a very less quantity of food, so he decides to grow potatoes on the Martian soil. He also burns hydrazine to make water for the plants. Mark doesn’t give up and starts to think about ways he could get rescued. And the most efficient one was to go to the Ares 4 landing site.

My favorite part of the book was when Mark Watney set up the Pathfinder and had a stable connection with Earth. This gave the story a twist because Mark not only had a connection with NASA but everybody on Earth. But that doesn’t mean he can be easily rescued. After a sequence of events that need to fall in place, he gets in contact with NASA. NASA appreciates his intelligence so far. They decide to send him a care package with food, water and other supplies but the rocket with all the supplies explodes. Later, the only idea NASA has it let the Ares 3 crew know that Mark is alive and ask Ares 3 crew to go back to Mars orbit and pick him up. The Ares 3 crew is ecstatic to know that Mark is alive and accept the plan. They start to execute it when they encounter their first and only problem. The rocket was moving too fast. Due to this, they would miss Mark Watney. And to fix this they had to blast an airlock to make it move slower. To know what happens next, read the book.

I would recommend this book and  give it 4 out of 5 stars  

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Hey everyone, your best friend Sara here! Welcome to my ‘Places with Sara‘ section 

I can’t wait to pack my bags and head out once the pandemic exits from our lives. Until then let’s read through these wonderful travel memories from kids. Let’s keep our wish lists ready!

Have you ever been to a farm? 9 year old Shreeda Thakkar, a Bookosmian from Hannover, Germany went to a strawberry farm and seems to have had a berry berry happy day!

Finally we crossed the bridge and waited for my friends to come, but then I was bored and clicked some pictures of a strawberry cow and I even made a riddle out of it ” Who poops strawberry poop and gives us fresh strawberry milkshake?” and the answer is a strawberry cow.

I sat on the strawberry cow seat. It was quite hot.

I was patting a strawberry cow I wanted to hop on it but the cow was wobbling as it was not made out of strong material like wood.

Being with the cow was so fun even though it was not real. I wanted to pick the strawberries so I grabbed the two clean baskets and gave one to my mom and we started walking between the strawberry bushes to pick the strawberries.

I filled my basket with the strawberries and thought I had many but I looked in my basket there were very few and I looked at my mom’s basket it was full of them!

Look at the big juicy strawberries! There were so many strawberry bushes.

This is my basket but the good thing was it was empty so I could take more time and enjoy the strawberries and my mom was eating the strawberries then after some time she went back to play with my baby brother and talk with my dad.

I ate so many strawberries until my tummy was saying “I need no more”, hahaha! I was having lots of fun.

Finally, one of my friends came, his name was Arnav and couldn’t find any strawberries ( just like me) so l helped him out along with that we chatted through the way. After five minutes my other friend came, his name was Rohan. Soon all our baskets were full. Then we played so many games!

We were walking over the bridge and we finally reached to the bus stand and we were in the bus after couple of stops we hopped off and jumped on the train and finally we reached home.

My mom made strawberry jam and…

strawberry cake …….

and strawberry milkshake , l drank it all up .

They were all tasty.

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About the author:

Shreeda Thakkar

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Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

What’s the best thing about art? 7 year old Dhakshitha C, a Bookosmian from Chennai, loves bright colours! Check out her lovely art pieces!

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

Forests are fascinating, aren’t they? 9 year old Rishita Khemka, a Bookosmian from Bangalore, certainly thinks so! Check out her art work!

Hello, your friend Sara here! I love how you are all pouring in your write ups on movies that inspire you.

Who is your favourite superhero? 11 year old Drea Sujeet, a Bookosmian from Mysore, cannot stop raving about Wonder Woman, and the message she conveys through her powerful character in the movie. Have you seen it?

  Movie: Wonder Woman 1984 

Recently, I watched a DC movie, Wonder Woman 1984. I liked this movie very much. It portrays woman power and the fact that even women can be superheroes, just like a Batman and Superman.

I have very few comic books of Wonder Woman, but I have watched the movies. I like DC superheroes so much that I also have all their action figures, out of which Wonder Woman is my favorite. She is a superhero that stands by truth, love and wonder. I found the movie very inspiring.

The basic plot revolves around Diana a.k.a Wonder Woman who has to fight against two people, Maxwell Lord and Barbara Minerva, a friend turned foe. Barbara is upset with her life because nobody pays attention to her and is not popular amongst the people. Hence, she desires to be like her new friend, Diana Prince, who is very talented, confident, beautiful and positive, not as a superhero, but in normal life. But as they say ‘be careful what you wish for’.

Barbara gains powers like Wonder Woman. However, Barbara uses her powers to side with the evil, Maxwell Lord.

Juggling between two villains isn’t easy, but Diana does it. The movie was indeed slow, but the inspiration and messages from the movie are unforgettable.

The moral I got from this movie, is that you have to work very hard to achieve something. For instance, Maxwell Lord just wishes to be a wish granter and gets carried away with it. He gets so lost in his wrong doings that he creates nuclear bombs and even declares a war on Russia.

The phrases I liked in the movie are ‘nothing good is born from lies’, ‘the truth is bigger than everyone, ‘the world was a beautiful place just as it was, and you cannot have all of it. You can only have the truth. Truth is beautiful’ and, last but not the least, ‘you have a strong power in you. Stop doubting yourself. These inspiring words were spoken by an inspiring superhero. I loved the way Wonder Woman convinces Maxwell Lord to be on the good path, especially for his son.

In conclusion, truth is a bigger hero than any of us. In the end, the truth shall always win, no matter what.

This movie is the best example of the power that women hold. This sheds light on the most needed topic today, truth.

We should thank god for creating such a great world and shouldn’t destroy it with lies, cruelness and disarray. Just imagine a world, full of happiness, truth, unity and love. Can you believe how much this world is going to change? As Diana once said ‘sometimes you can’t see what you’re learning until you come out to the other side.’

I give this movie 4/5 stars and recommend it to ages 10+.

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

What’s better than masala noodle? 11 year old Saanvi Agarwal, a Bookosmian from Kolkata, tells us in this cute poem and art work! So cool!

Enjoy Digital Art?

Hey everyone, your pal  Sara here! Welcome to my vibrant ‘Art with Sara’ section for kids.

Here I publish the works of young artists who share their beautiful work and their passion for artwork in form of a write-up!

What makes you happy? 7 year old Baivab Pattanayak, a Bookosmian from Cuttack, paints the sight that fills him up with joy.