Shrubaboti Bose's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"

The Box by Robert Lipman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Exploring different themes like abusive relationships, narcissistic personalities, the effect of parental neglect on children, the impact of bullying, domestic abuse and the overall shame associated with seeking help, this book builds up an entire universe of its own. It creates a detailed picture of the relationship between Max and the mysterious 'box', offering us generous amounts of immersive scene descriptions and dialogues. Although, the title doesn't hold any special charm, one would be underestimating the story if they decided to skip it.

While the whole narrative is interspersed with elements of fantasy, the issues discussed in the book are still very much real and pertinent in our daily lives. Robert Lipman attempts to cover all these subjects in a manner that is both interesting and children-friendly without compromising on the gravity of the situations involved. The story also emphasizes on the bond between friends, as both Max and Emile continue to help and inspire one another throughout the story arc. In the end when everything feels hopeless, it is our friends and family that choose to support us.

The slow pacing of the story makes it slightly tedious and certain ideas such as referring to Roxie as "Moustache", her classmates judging her on the basis of appearance and how despite realising it's discriminative the protagonist doesn't seem to take much of a stand to stop the injustice is a bit disturbing. Especially, the fact that none of the bullies ever get called out on their behaviour and it looks like this problem just gets covered up by the bigger chaos that ensues in Max's life.

However, one has to appreciate the courage Lipman has shown in talking about such sensitive issues in a children's book. We tend to believe that children are too young to see the bitter truths and harsh realities, but it is in fact crucial that we explain these issues to them and ensure that they have a basic awareness regarding these topics. Overall, the book is worth trying out and could probably make an engaging summer read!

(Note: Obtained ARC from Reedsy)



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The Mysterious Pool by Charlene McIver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Children's fiction forms one third or perhaps even a larger share of my monthly reading and as far as I have noticed, adventure stories always have characters that are most importantly able-bodied and comprise of white males, thus, at least in some way or the other ones who represent the vast majority of our population. To say, diversity is grossly under-represented in children's fiction would be enough to surmise the core reason why this book in particular is such a refreshing read.

There are certain details like Tara's bag with the stereotypical barbie design (as though that's the only design girls prefer) or the fact that she seems to be more invested in carrying a lip gloss in her bag for the trip down to the magical realm, undoubtedly puncture the buoyant feeling one gets to discover an otherwise gender neutral and quite inclusive book. But the lasting imagery is that of how all three kids bond together and look out for one another without dismissing anyone or discriminating against anybody with respect to their biological gender or physical abilities. It's wonderful to see how Leigh's use of a wheelchair never stops him from being as involved in the adventures as the other kids.

This wholesome attitude extends to the animals that are featured in the story and the curious dialogues exchanged between Little Tom or Mother with the children, paints a beautiful picture of a world that can coexist with others despite our inherent differences. One might generalise and say it is too idealistic and dream-like, but I personally believe children need to be encouraged to have bigger dreams that they can positively work towards than being restricted by reality and the notions of what is feasible or not, right from the start. If anything, the wishful thinking that all of us are bound to have when we look back to our childhood and reminisce our carefree past, is to have had the ability to be kinder to everyone around us, to have had bigger dreams and to have aimed higher.

An overall inspiring story with interesting conversations and magical encounters, this book is recommended for all kinds of children.

(Note: Obtained as ARC on Reedsy)



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