Here are snippets from the fourth day of Akshara’s Book Week 2025
Standard I
Students had a captivating and vibrant session with author Sonal Gupta, featuring her delightful book What a Song. The session began with an imaginative activity called “Catching a Story from the Wind,” where students waved their hands in the air, caught a story, and handed it over to the author.
Sonal Gupta brought her story to life using colorful animal puppets, engaging students in a rhythmic melody that had them singing along with joy. The session ended with an interactive craft activity, where students created and colored their own snake puppets, making it a truly fun-filled and memorable experience.
Standard II
Students had two engaging storytelling sessions with authors Sonal Gupta and Loveleen Misra.
Sonal Gupta introduced her book Biji in the Kitchen in a lively and interactive manner, speaking in Hindi and making the session participatory. She encouraged students to share their thoughts, making them laugh with the book’s humorous story. She also led a fun food-mismatching activity, sparking creativity among students. The session ended on a special note as students drew a portrait of the author, and she warmly appreciated each effort.
Loveleen Misra captivated students with her book Kaise Bhagaye Bukhar, known for its playful nonsense poems. She kept students engaged with her humor and interactive storytelling. Throughout the session, she paused to ask thought-provoking questions, encouraging students to think critically. The book introduced new Hindi words, which she explained in a fun and engaging way. The session was an enjoyable learning experience that encouraged creative thinking and active participation.
Standard VIII
Students had an electrifying and thought-provoking session with author Neil D’Silva, featuring his horror novel Playthings: Toys of Terror. He shared how his childhood dream of seeing his name on a book cover led him to become an author, inspiring students to reflect on their own aspirations.
He took them through the storytelling process, emphasizing how suspense in horror writing must escalate from small moments to something much bigger to create a true sense of fear. He discussed the importance of character arcs and drew references from Indian epics like the Ramayana, explaining how heroes must start at a point of ignorance before rising—sometimes even to the villain’s level.
A key takeaway from his session was that every great story needs conflict. His insights into storytelling left students inspired to craft their own compelling narratives.
Day 4 of Book Week at Akshara High School was filled with creativity, humor, and engaging storytelling, making it another memorable day of literary exploration.
