Jyoti's Library

" A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance" by Hanif Abdurraqib Awards/Recognition:  National Book Award Finalist Summary:  A poignant and insightful exploration of Black performance in American culture, blending memoir and cultural critique. It is most appropriate for: Grades 11-12 (High School): The book's exploration of cultural and historical themes, along with its sophisticated analysis and writing style, aligns with the reading and comprehension skills of older high school students. Ages 16 and up: The content and themes are best suited for older teenagers and adults who can engage with and understand the nuanced discussions about race, performance, and cultural history. The book is not typically recommended for younger children due to its mature and complex subject matter. It is better suited for high school students who are studying literature, history, or social issues and are prepared for in-depth analysis and critical thinking. Summary...

" Hell Bent" by Leigh Bardugo Awards/Recognition:  Goodreads Choice Award Nominee Summary:  A gripping fantasy novel and sequel to "Ninth House," following a young woman’s journey through a secret society with dark magic. "Hell Bent" by Leigh Bardugo is a fantasy novel aimed at a young adult audience. It is the second book in the "Alex Stern" series, which is known for its mature themes and complex, dark content. The book is most appropriate for: Grades 9-12 (High School): The novel's themes, including magic, dark academic settings, and intense emotional and psychological elements, align well with high school students who are mature enough to handle such content. Ages 14 and up: Given its complex narrative, darker themes, and sometimes intense situations, it is best suited for older teens who are comfortable with mature and intricate fantasy fiction. The book is part of a series that includes elements of dark fantasy and mystery, which ma...

" The Last Devil to Die" by Richard Osman Awards/Recognition:  CWA Gold Dagger Award Summary:  The third installment in the Thursday Murder Club series, featuring a clever and charming mystery with a mix of humor and suspense. "The Last Devil to Die" by Richard Osman is a mystery novel that is part of the "Thursday Murder Club" series. Its content is best suited for: Grades 9 and up (High School): The book contains themes and elements more appropriate for older readers, including mature humor, crime, and complex plotlines. The story involves crime-solving and often addresses darker aspects of human behavior that are more suitable for high school students and older readers. Ages 14 and up: Given the mature themes and sophisticated humor, it is best suited for teenagers and adults who can appreciate the nuances of the mystery genre and the book's tone. The novel's blend of humor and mystery, along with its intricate plotting, makes it a better fi...

  Nothing Ventured is the first part of New Series -The Clifton Chronicles: which narrates the story of the life of William Warwick – as a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nexus. Beautiful book written which takes us through twist and turns. It is powerful book which will keep legacy of Jeffrey Archer.

This is the second book of Twilight series written by Stephanie Meyer. New Moon maintains the same thrill and romance. In fact it has addition of new surprises, twist and turns.

  One of the most known work of Charles Dickens, It is a story of miser men named 'Ebenezer Scrooge' who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner and spirits of Christmas which leads to his transformation to kind and wiser man. 

A blockbuster story revolving around human vampire relationship. Isabella Swan moves to Fork, to live with her father. Although she makes friends but unexpectedly she is drawn to Edward Cullen but she is convinced that he hates her. Soon Bella discovers that Cullen's are vampire. A love story which keeps you engrossed and leaves you in awe. 

Mr. Ashok Vardhan is author by profession and trained mountaineer. In this conversation we have discussed importance of story writing and qualities a story should have. According to Mr. Ashok, it is important to choose a target audience, frame the story around it and package it accordingly so that appropriate message reaches them. He added that it is important to jot down the imagination and ideas on paper with logical connection. Amazing conversation for those who wish to become author !   

The story revolves around the farm animals who rebel against their human farmer and want to create a society were all the animals are equal, free and happy. But the rebellion leads to the bad shape of state under the leader. It gives the glimpses of Russian Revolution.

Mr. Ngawang Tenzin, is Head Librarian and TOK faculty with Aditya Birla World Academy - Mumbai. In this conversation we have discussed in details about What is TOK? How is it structured? and what are the relevant library resources for it? Following is the summary of our conversations IB has three cores essential elements that every student must complete as part of the Diploma Program (DP) A) Theory of Knowledge (TOK) B) Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) C) Extended Essay (EE) A) Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Has syllabus and guidelines by IBO but there is no prescribed textbook and the TOK faculty has to build their own content. The nature of subject looks like mix of philosophy & psychology but it is actually not exactly like that. IB has beautifully structured TOK to promote enquiry in a way that it embeds IB education philosophy to achieve its mission statement. In other words crux of TOK is to promote Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication and Collaboration skills. Main ai...

After school every student choose their stream of education like science, commerce, arts etc. but there are some who do not choose anything and take up whatever comes across their way. This adventure fiction book is based on true story of a boy from Rourkela - The steel city of India. The boy was very ambitious and believed in ‘be what you want'. In the process, he meets a godfather and chooses a very unconventional journey. While wandering into the unknown, time teaches him hard lessons of life and helps him make his own way to U.S.A where he gets citizenship opportunity. After travelling around the world, he returns to India – The land of opportunities.                                                                    

How did the Tiger get her stripes? Very few scientists understood how these patterns emerge during the development of an organism and this mystery was solved curiously enough by a mathematician and not a biologist. This is an episode from The Maths Factor series; covers that how Maths and Biology- two subjects when brought together have given the world some of the most miraculous findings! This episode explores this curious connection while wandering through tiger terrain and observe the mathematics behind the patterns on their coats, climb evolutionary trees to see how closely one specie is connected to the other, it also travels to the 19th century and tracks the cholera outbreaks Source: NCERT Watch the video: Click Here

BummBumm Bole A 2010 Hindi film by Priyadarshan, starring Darsheel Safary, is entirely based on Iranian film Children of Heaven. Critical response to the film 'Children of Heaven' was highly positive. Some critics compared it to Vittorio de Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948). Roger Ebert's review in the Chicago Sun-Times called it "very nearly a perfect movie for children" that "lacks the cynicism and smart-mouth attitudes of so much American entertainment for kids and glows with a kind of good-hearted purity". In 1998, it became the first Iranian film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, losing to the Italian film Life Is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni. The majority of its US earnings came after the nomination was announced. After the film had become well known worldwide due to the Oscar nomination, it was shown in several European, South American, and Asian countries between 1999 and 2001. It was ...

The lively stories in this book by author Adithi Rao captures the magic and wonder of six great works from the golden ages of Sanskrit and Tamil Literature: Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam, the great saga of forgotten love between Shakuntala and the king Dushyanta. Shudraka's Mrichchakatika, the epic romance between the impoverished Charudatta and the courtesan Vasantasena, played out against a backdrop of political intrigue and mystery. Bhavabhuti's Uttararamacharita, the compelling retelling of the story of Rama and Sita. Illanko Adigal's Silappadikaram, the tale of the epic revenge executed by the strong and beautiful Kannagi. Sattanar's Manimekalai, the quest of an extraordinary woman to master the truths that define our existence. Bhasa's Urubhangam, the stirring tale from the Mahabharata that culminates in the final battle between Duryodhana and Bheema at Kurukshetra. This is the ideal introduction to some of the best-known stories from the Indian classics...