Another POV: Books voiced by children
Editor’s note: We wanted to shake up our Read section. So we turned to the coolest folks we know to suggest themes for reading lists—i.e you. As expected, we received quirky, smart, and delightfully surprising suggestions. This month, we have a list of insightful books voiced by children or with a child protagonist curated by Anannya—our in-house bibliophile—as requested by Hita.
Written by: Anannya Parekh, News Editor and in-house bibliophile.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: This book follows 15-year-old Christopher Boone who knows all the countries of the world, every prime number up to 7,057 and takes on the challenge to investigate the death of his neighbour's dog, a poodle named Wellington. But, but, but: Christopher has no understanding of human emotions and detests physical touch. This endearing story will take you on a journey with a young, brave autistic boy trying to make sense of a very complicated world and finding his place in it.
Tyger by SF Said: Set in an alternate reality—where the British Empire still rules—Adam has discovered a mysterious, mythical creature called Tyger who needs saving from the world they live in. The city is a dangerous place for many, dominated by strict social rules, a system of racial superiority and un-abolished slavery that developed from colonialism. Adam explores ideas of spirituality and community—with Tyger of course—as they set out on a quest to solve some mysteries and find hope in the dark reality of their lives.
How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa: This short story collection features thoughtful stories of the inner lives of Laos immigrants and their children. In one, a young girl brings a book home from school and asks her father to help her pronounce a tricky word, a simple exchange with unforgettable consequences. All stories are written in simple prose but contain understated narratives of people who find their bearings in unfamiliar territory, or shuttling between idioms, cultures, and values.
Black Moses by Alain Mabanckou: An orphan called Moses—whose actual name contains 9 words and means "let us thank God, the black Moses is born on the lands of the ancestors"—experiences an adventure of a lifetime in the politically repressive world of Congo-Brazzaville in the 1970s and 80s. In this larger-than-life tale, Moses and two orphan twins escape the orphanage, and move to the bustling port town of Pointe-Noire, where they form a gang that survives on petty theft.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery: This unique and funny tale follows Renée Michel and Paloma Josse—residents of an upper-middle apartment building on one of the most elegant streets in Paris. Renée is a widowed concierge who has supervised the building for 27 years—but secretly is an autodidact in literature and philosophy. Paloma is a 12-year-old resident living with snobby parents who decides that life is meaningless—and that she will commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday. What happens next is for you to read and discover, as the story uncovers a unique connection between both of them and a wealthy Japanese man who arrives in the building.
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje: A spectacular sea voyage to England in the early 1950s, sees an 11-year-old boy from Colombo experiencing life’s adventures in many ways. It starts with a ragtag group of ‘insignificant adults’ and two boys that he is seated with, at the "cat's table" during mealtimes as far from the Captain's Table as can be. As the ship makes its way across the various seas, the boys jump from adventure to adventure—including hiding out in the lifeboats, eating the supply of emergency chocolate, splashing guests into the pool, eavesdropping on conversations, smuggling a dog aboard that they bought in a port. This special book focuses on the beauties of lifelong friendship, and how random childhood friendships can help shape your life.
Pet #1 by Akwaeke Emezi: This charming and relatively dark story follows Jam—a black transgirl, who is selectively verbal—living in a Utopian city called Lucille where no monsters exist. Translation: All human contemporary issues are solved—firearms are banned, religion is eradicated, medical tech is at its peak and so on. She befriends a mysterious creature who is insistent that a ‘monster’ actually lives among them—and convinces Jam to help hunt it out. This story confronts the skewed idea of morality that exists in utopian ideals—and highlights that wrong things don't stop existing just because you refuse to acknowledge they exist.
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo: The only Indian novel to be on the 2023 Booker list is a tender and moving debut novel that delves into grief, sisterhood and a teenage girl's struggle to transcend herself. Also: it is about sports. The protagonist, 11-year-old Gopi, is a star squash player enlisted in a brutal training regimen, and the game becomes her world. The story brings forth a unique perspective as Gopi finds herself healing from the grief of losing her mother through sports.
Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan: Despite happy news of a shiny new car in this middle class Indian household, the eldest son—Sreenath—seems to be off. His younger brother—also the narrator—finds out why: a clip of Sreenath and his girlfriend Anita has been posted to a porn site, and is gaining traction. As all hell breaks loose, the narrator finds himself straddled between contemporary Indian society and the freedom that an online generation demands.
