Month: June 2022

Bookish Posts

A Must-read Book With Actionable Points on Sustainability

Our Environment-Threats, Challenges And Sustainable Solutions

Image that reads Book on sustainable solutions for young minds: Our Environment-Threats, Challenges& Sustainable Solutions
Designed by the author on Canva

“Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.”

~Jochen Zeitz

When it comes to books on sustainability, especially for young minds, it must give a big picture and the actions needed at smaller levels. This book, Our Environment from Scholastic Publication does exactly that, which makes it a must-read.

Covering topics on environment, energy, environmental challenges and environmental responsibility, this makes for a wholesome read.

The book starts by answering the big question, what is the environment. It captures the pre-industrialisation, post-industrialisation and current situation, rightly and navigates us through different kinds of ecosystems and their functions. It talks about the biodiversity of India in specific and the threats to it.

A must read for children

The topic then moves on to different kinds of energy resources and how can we be more efficient in energy consumption and saving. The explanations start with examples that kids can relate to in their everyday life and then gradually scales up to help them understand the big picture.

There’s a wide range of topics covered, say from composting at home to the management of industrial waste, everything small and big that impacts or affects the environment is explained comprehensively. The language is lucid. It is not preachy but convincing.

Most importantly, there are small actionable points across the pages that can make a kid feel capable and take action in saving the earth in their own small, yet vital ways.

There are exercises that would make kids think about and take environmental issues seriously.

The best part of the book is that it ends by giving a brief outlook on the variety of “green careers” one can opt for and how to go about pursuing them.

To help the kids get inspired in choosing a green career, the book also goes on to tell about “planet pioneers” and their contributions.

To top it all, it ends on the topic of “Start A Campaign For Change” and there can’t be a much well-rounded, action-oriented book on sustainable solutions than this.

A highly recommended book for schools and homes as well, for everyone young & old.

To get a copy of the book, click here: Our Environment by Scholastic

Suggested Read:

Raising Readers- How to develop a love for books & reading in kids

“This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter.”

‘I’m participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter’.

Bookish Posts

Soft Strings Of My Heart- Book Review

A poetry book by Roma Gupta Sinha

An image designed by Blogchatter that showcases the poetry book, Soft Strings Of My Heart, by the author Roma Gupta Sinha.
©Blogchatter | EBook by Roma Gupta Sinha

It’s hard being a writer to be vulnerable and share one’s life as is but in this #BlogchatterEBook, “Soft Strings Of My Heart”, the author Roma Gupa Singha makes it look easy. As the by-line of her book says, she has weaved her soul into poetic florets. The outstanding feature of this book is its honesty right from the start where the dedication reads, “I dedicate this book to my resilience and to my love for life…”. The poet has let the readers get a peek into her life through her verses.

To start with, the vibrant cover of the book had me fall for it instantly. The choice of colours and the floral design, give out a sense of bold and beautiful, aptly capturing the essence of the book.

The poems grouped under five chapters in the book bring about the different phases the poet has been through. Under the first chapter, “The call of the woman in me”, along with putting forth her journey as a strong woman standing for herself, Roma has also voiced out the agonies of other women who have opened up to her looking for solace. I’m sure those women who find their vulnerabilities voiced through Roma would have found solace and courage as well. 

She doesn’t want to deprive them of their father’s love
The same crap I have been listening for years
I have come across so many wonderful women with battered souls
Staying under the same roof for this reason

~

Summon up all your courage my love
You have the power to weave your nest the way you want
You have the power, believe in yourself
Get up and give him back what he deserves

~

The second chapter, titled, ” “Love in its infinite forms”, captures the sweet tenderness of the poet’s love for the man of her life. Roma vivdly captures her love life in words of beauty and simplicity. Just one look into the poem, you know their love story is sophisticated in the simplicity. It’s pure joy. 

The gentle sea waves kissed our feet,
As if trinkets of joy tickling us sweet
Our eyes gave each other a warm embrace,
As our fingers too spoke to each other with smiles

~

I need to tell you this, my one
when I will be gone
I don’t want to drip
down your eyes like tears
promise me you’ll rather keep me alive
in your beautiful smiles

~

You may like this related read: Book review of the Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

In the third chapter, ” Maa and Motherhood” Roma introduces herself as a caring mother and also reminisces the fond memories of her late mother with verses weaved through the threads of gentleness. The straightforward lines just make it all the more relatable. 

With you my little one
I have lived my childhood again multiple times
Weaved uncountable memories
Which warm my heart every time
~
Time is just flying by
And in my arms, I wish to hold you tight
Before you grow up into a handsome young man
ready to fly
~
She waits for me in the lovely morn's dew drops...
And caresses and pampers me through her silent touch,
When I walk bare feet on the wet grass
That's where I forever find my Mom
~

While the fourth chapter, ” My unending battle with chronic endometriosis” captures the author’s struggle and strength, the fifth chapter, “My beloved teacher, life’s gifts to me (in random order)”, captures the myriad shades of her life’s journey with a lens of optimism. 

Surgery after surgery
My threshold to bear the pain has gone for a toss
Now my heart shatters at the slightest thought
Of undergoing it one more time

They say endometriosis has no cure
I even altered my lifestyle and lost forty pounds
But it never really stopped
Torturing me and making me weak in my mental
 resolve

~

I inched closer to the tree
With a wide smile, to be finally meeting my Lord Supreme
With every step, I felt healed
I felt He loved his people unconditionally

I walked faster
So wanting to thank Him in person
Finally, I took a sneak peek behind the tree
And can you guess who was there, exuding the divine white light...
~

The poet, Roma, has bared her soul and let us all into her life through her verses of honesty. Right from the start till the end, there is a contagious optimism that seeps through these verses and sticks forever with the reader. And I tell you, it will only help you find strength through your struggles and look forward to life with unconditional love that the author gifts us with in this book.

To grab a free promotional copy of the EBook, click here: https://theblogchatter.com/download/soft-strings-of-my-heart-by-roma-gupta-sinha…

P.S. Have you downloaded the copy of my Poetry EBook “Dharma Artha Kama Moksha” yet? If not, click here.

To know more about the ideation and crafting gone behind my book, check out this cool review of my book cum tête-á-tête with Sonia Dogra, here.

This review is part of the #BlogchatterEBook carnival, 2022.

‘I’m participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter’.