My mother-in-law recommended me to read Shantaram
by Gregory David Roberts. I’m glad I did. I was born and brought up in India but I had no idea about the India portrayed in this novel.

I have seen “foreigners” in India but never thought that they could be living in India in this way and never expected them to know Hindi. Also, it gave me a perspective into the lives of slum dwellers. Also, I could never imagine about people committing crime to have consciousness. I never imagined them to delve so much in the purpose of life or to be seeking God at all.

My toddler would often suggest that I should let him play outside so that I can read my book. He could tell that I was hooked to this book.

Here are few activities that are favorites of my toddler. I got the ideas for these activities over the Internet, from my friends and children’s museum. I hope you will find them useful.

• Stickers

  Materials Needed: Stickers, 10 sheets of Paper and Crayons
  On each sheet of paper write a number 1-10. Ask your toddler to stick 1 sticker on the paper with digit 1 and 2 stickers on paper with digit 2 and so on.

• Reading Books

  This is one of the favorite activities. There is a glitter in my son’s eyes as soon as I suggest that I will read to him. We get lot of books from the library.

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Lal Bahadur Shastri, Prime Minister of India 1964-1966: A Life of Truth in Politics by Sir C.P. Srivastava is the most attention-grabbing and easy to read biography I have ever read. The writing style is simple and easy. It’s obvious that Sir C.P. Srivastava has poured his heart into it. The biography is objective and written with honesty.

The most amazing part is the honesty, sincerity and love of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri for India. It’s almost unbelievable. I pray that every country gets at least one Lal Bahadur Shastri as the head of the State and who can work for the betterment of the country for at least one entire term. If this happens, corruption will no longer by synonymous to politics.

Is Greg Mortenson for real? If he is and if the story in “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is true, I have tremendous respect and appreciation for him. It is unbelievable how much good he is done. He should win the Nobel Peace Prize for sure.

I completely agree with Greg Mortenson’s belief that education and not war is the key to peace in this world. While reading this book, I thought of Tara many times. How did she do it? I have a kid and I cannot imagine being in her shoes. Wow! Everyone must read this book. It’s an inspiration to each one of us.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah left such a robust impression on my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about his life. I just can’t imagine being in his shoes. My heart cried out for boys like Ishmael. I wish I could help. All I can do is pray.

When I saw movies like “Black Hawk Down”, I just couldn’t understand how little boys can kill. Now, I know that it’s the effect of drugs and grief. Also, I could have never imagined that such boys are educated enough to read Shakespeare. This book has literally removed my ignorance on this issue. I am proud of UNICEF. It was so nice to know that such organizations are making such a big difference in the world. I wish I can help somehow in the near future in my own way.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky is a masterpiece. I’ve read a few books and seen a few movies that narrate beginning of Second World War story. So when I got this book from the library, I had a hunch about what to expect and was ready to be really depressed with the sad stories of this era.

I was stunned as this was completely different from whatever I have read or seen so far. It tells the story from such a different angle. It tells the story of ordinary French people belonging to different classes. It is sometimes sad and scary but it’s also funny and light spirited at the same time. I’ll never forget this novel.