by Rujuta Diwekar
Westland; Price: Rs.350
The cover sets the tone for this book with its second sub-title that says “milk, veggies and dal are not compulsory”. And that’s just one of the many food myths that celebrity fitness guru and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar busts in this well-written book.
Notes for Healthy Kids encourages parents and children to cultivate a healthy relationship with food. For instance she counsels parents to encourage children to eat local and seasonal food without worrying about carbs, fats and proteins. For most parents who whinge about their children not eating enough, she advises against force-feeding. Other useful advice is to involve children in kitchen activities which will teach them to appreciate good, healthy food. Diwekar also stresses that Indian sweets and snacks are superior in nutritional content to processed western sweets. According to her, ghee and several other ingredients used in Indian cooking are healthy, but maligned in the media because they don’t have Western endorsement.
Malala: My story of standing up for girls’ rights
by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
Hachette India; Price: Rs.299
The book begins with Malala’s happy childhood in Pakistan that changed dramatically when Taliban gunmen showed up at her school. Thereafter, the memoir takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of emotions ranging from horror to hope, sadness and relief. Malala’s story is inspirational and reinforces the belief that one person can change the world.
Comments Washington-based author and journalist Patricia McCormick, who spent several hours interviewing Malala for the book: “It’s a story of a girl like any other, who wants to meet her friends at school, to learn to prepare for a better future, and to have fun.”
Not just grades: Schools that educate differently
by Rajeev Sharma
Penguin Random House India; Price: Rs.599
Mini P.