9-12

Six-year-old Mia loves going to the carnival. She loves eating ice cream. But she also loves saying 'No'. She loves 'No' so much that she rarely uses 'Yes'.

So, one day, feeling sad and left out, 'Yes' packs its bags and leaves. And in the days that follow, Mia realizes how she is unable to say 'Yes' even to the carnival, to ice cream and to all her favourite things!

What happens next? Does Mia continue to say 'No' to everything? Does 'Yes' ever come back to her? To find out, read this heartwarming story of Mia, the girl who lost her 'Yes'.

Manya badly, badly wants to be Shere Khan in her school play. The Jungle Book is her favourite film and she knows all the lines. She's sure she'll be a superb Shere Khan.

But not everyone thinks so. Her classmate Rajat is always making fun of her stammer. Her English teacher thinks its risky to let her get on stage and her principal seems to agree.

The more anxious Manya gets, the worse her stammer becomes. Will Manya lose her dream role? Can she overcome her fears and learn to roar?

This book was a winner in the Children First writing competition, organised by Parag, an initiative of Tata Trusts and Duckbill Books.

Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom, until one day the war comes too close. Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the King's men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves.

The year is 1963 and India is about to embark on an audacious adventure - launching its first ever rocket into space. After much searching, a team of scientists led by the visionary Dr Vikram Sarabhai zero in on Thumba, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Kerala as the place to launch the rocket and India's dreams of space exploration.
Mary is all of 10 years old and bored of life in sleepy Thumba. Nothing ever happens here but fishing. That is, of course, until Dr Sarabhai and team arrive!

Topi Rockets from Thumba is an imagined account of the weeks and months leading up to the launch of India's first ever rocket, told through the eyes of the inquisitive Mary.

Eleven-year-old Loki—Lokanayaki Shanmugam—is cricket crazy. She wants to play on the local cricket league team, The Temple Street Tankers. But they have a ridiculous ‘boys only’ rule that they aren’t willing to change for a girl. And her parents seem to be too involved with her brother’s studies to bother with Loki. So she takes matters into her own hands and begins a petition to fight for her right to play cricket. But very few people are willing to sign this petition—even her parents refuse. Nobody takes much notice till anonymous Twitter sensation @_poetic_paati takes up Loki’s cause. Soon, Loki’s petition goes viral and the entire nation is rooting for her.  But will her parents, the team, and the guardians of tradition change their minds? And more importantly, if they do, will Loki be able to deliver the runs? Witty and fast-paced, Loki Takes Guard is as much a story about the joy of sports as it is about breaking outdated rules and standing up for oneself.

Srinivasa Ramanujan wants to go to school in Kumbakonam only to do maths but his class has no maths teacher this year.

Instead, there is a series of substitutes making the boys do strange exercises--lifting iron ingots, measuring milk, jumping from one island to another and frying fish. Ramanujan wants no part in it, but he and his team, the Kumbakonam Krackerjacks are drawn into a challenge with the Triumphant Trio--and in any maths challenge, Ramanujan has to win!

Filled with rollicking humour, puns, puzzles, this meticulously researched novel describes the childhood of one of the world's greatest mathematicians in a vividly imagined historical setting. Priya Kuriyan's joyful illustrations capture his daily life in striking detail.

The Great Minds at Work series looks at the childhoods of people who made history against the backdrop of the times and places they grew up in.

Sundar Sarukkai finds philosophy and philosophical thinking in our everyday life. With him, you can look at a chair philosophically. Oh yes, even a chair! You just need to train your eyes and think... It all begins with seeing and adds to our thinking, reading, writing, and even being ourselves. A book that will stay with you forever and a book you would take to the future! Priya Kuriyan's illustrations make the book a visual treat. The life of the characters she has created for the book would enrich your reading experience.

In this lyrical novel that will appeal to fans of Meg Medina, Maya turns to her trusty "wheel of fortunes" for guidance on the toughest questions—like why her best friend suddenly feels far away, or when her daddy will move back home. But can Maya find the courage to write her own fortune? 

Maya J. Jenkins is bursting with questions:

• Will she get the MVP award at this year’s soccer banquet?
• Who will win the big grill off between Daddy and Uncle J?
• When will she pass the swim test and get a green bracelet?

For answers and a dose of good luck, twelve-year-old Maya turns to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with the small slips of wisdom she’s collected from fortune cookies.

But can the fortunes answer her deep-down questions? The ones she’s too scared to ask out loud? Like, where did Mama’s smile go, the real one that lit up everything around her? When will Daddy move back home? And most of all, does she have enough courage to truly listen to the voice in her heart?

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house.

Every day, while her parents clean the rooms, Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.

Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.

Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?