An exuberant book reading session was organised for grades IV and V on the 19th of February 2019, courtesy Scholastic. The session was conducted by Ms Sampurna Chattarji, a poet, novelist, translator and children’s author with fourteen books to her credit. It culminated into an interactive session with the children.

She started off by quickly introducing herself as a person who likes to ‘play with words’ which also set the tone for what was coming in the next one hour. After this amiable introduction she read out a few poems from her book ‘The Fried Frog and Other Funny Freaky Foodie Feisty poems’. The poems were read out in dramatic tones with just the right voice modulations. Her expressions almost compelled children to burst into laughter. With every word the excitement on the kids’ faces grew as they were immediately hooked to every word that was being read. Children thoroughly enjoyed her poems, especially the ones written on food. She also read out the first chapter from her version of the Panchatantra.

The audience remained rapt as she read from the book. The relatable and engaging language laced with catchy names of the characters triggered the imagination of many a student. This was followed by an interactive session where she answered the questions put forward by our little inquisitive readers. She also shared her own experiences which encouraged the children to develop a habit of reading and writing. On the whole, it was an enriching experience for all who were a part of it.