From the Bookshelf of UEL Primary PGCE 2012-13…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Growing up in the 1970s, I was a big fan of fantasy and science fiction (Star Trek, Blake's Seven, Doctor Who) and loved reading The Hobbit and other fantasy books. It took me a while to realise that there was something a little odd about J.R.R. Tolkien's world. Simply put, where were the girls? Why was it only male dwarfs and wizards on the adventure? At secondary school we barely read any novels with girls in until Pride and Prejudice at O level.
I remembered this feeling as a teacher, and trie ...more
I remembered this feeling as a teacher, and trie ...more
'Ash Mistry' by Sarwat Chadda is a magnificent adventure story. Chadda knows what he's writing about - it is well researched. It is unique in that the demons are traditional Indian monsters and heroes and the story takes part in Varanasi - the holy city of the Ganges, India.
This is exactly the type of inspiration that a lot of pupils need. It breathes multiculturalism - east meets west in Ash/Ashoka. He conveys the complexity of roots versus modernism and somehow manages to show how his main ch ...more
This is exactly the type of inspiration that a lot of pupils need. It breathes multiculturalism - east meets west in Ash/Ashoka. He conveys the complexity of roots versus modernism and somehow manages to show how his main ch ...more
I bought this book after seeing its author Sarwat Chadda speak recently, and have just finished reading it to my eight-year-old son, who was quite gripped by it.
Ash Mistry is on holiday in India with his sister Lucky, staying with their aun(t and archaeologist uncle. As in Gregory Cool, which I have also reviewed http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), there is a culture clash between the life the protagonist is used to and that of his cultural roots, and Ash is not enjoying his visit.
However ...more
Ash Mistry is on holiday in India with his sister Lucky, staying with their aun(t and archaeologist uncle. As in Gregory Cool, which I have also reviewed http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), there is a culture clash between the life the protagonist is used to and that of his cultural roots, and Ash is not enjoying his visit.
However ...more
Sarwat Chadda recently popped into to our university to give a talk to us student teachers and I was appreciative of his attitude to reading. With that in mind, I started reading this to a Year 4/5 mixed class with an astonishing variation in reading interests. They had just been read a few books chosen by their class teacher that were of a more bland nature so were a little trepidatious about my choice of book. However, they enjoyed the rip-roaring adventure and magical nature of the story and
...more
