The most memorable book you’ve read
MAY 2018 TOPIC: Which is the most memorable book you’ve read and why?
Whenever I think of the most memorable book I’ve ever read, the picture of a smiling young girl floats before my eyes. My favourite book is Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl. In 1942, 13-year-old Anne and her family, fleeing Nazi occupation, went into hiding in a warehouse. Over the next two years, she vividly described in her diary the frustration of living in such confined quarters. Her diary was written from 12 June to 1 August 1944, after which she was sent to a Nazi concentration camp where she died a few months later. What really impresses me is her positive thinking in one of her entries: “Cheer up, keep your spirits high, things are bound to get better!” She kept hope in the most adverse situations which is a great inspiration for all teenagers. The book is a deeply moving and unforgettable story of an ordinary and yet extraordinary teenage girl — “one voice for six million Jews; the voice not of a sage or a poet but of an ordinary little girl”.
Tridib Das (14)
Don Bosco High School, Jorhat
Lois Lowry’s The Giver portrays a bizarre society where feelings are excluded, choices are non-existent and personal freedom is not an option. People there choose to remain indifferent to sufferings because they fear pain. To them death is not tragic because life is not precious. To eliminate pain, they give up their memories to Jonas, the 12-year-old Receiver of Memory. The Giver, the sole keeper of the community’s memories, helps him discover the dangerous truths of his community. This encourages Jonas to follow his own path. The novel celebrates the importance of individuality, human emotions and memories. Suffering is part of being human. If we don’t forge connections, afraid of getting hurt, something will inevitably be lost.
Seena Basu (20)
Asutosh College, Kolkata
My most memorable book is the Heroes Of Olympus series which describes the journey of seven teenagers sent on a quest to save the world from evil forces. The author merges Greek myths with the modern world (like the kingdom of Olympus being on top of the Empire State Building in New York!) It’s easy to relate to the characters as well because they are of the same age as you and I — teenagers. Reading the book has encouraged me to do further research on Greek myths and gain more interesting information which I feel drawn to.
Merin Mathew (17)
Loyola Junior College, Pune
One of the most memorable books I have read is Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. The story relates to the unexpected instances occurring in our daily lives, and our attitude towards them. ‘Cheese’ is a metaphor for what we want in life — a good relationship, family, job, etc. The author beautifully explains that life is unpredictable, so, let go of the old and just “move with the cheese”, which basically means keep searching, keep learning and just move with the change. Change happens for a reason — anticipate change, monitor change, adapt to change, enjoy change, be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again.
Kanika D. Muniyar
Nanded Physiotherapy College & Research Centre, Nanded
Matilda by Roald Dahl is a fascinating story about a little girl genius Matilda who lives with her parents and brother who don’t appreciate her. When her Headmistress tortures her kind-hearted teachers, she uses her extraordinary power of telekinesis to help her teacher. It is one of the best stories I have ever read, because her parents never empowered her even though she was an extraordinary child and her Headmistress underestimated her. They underestimated the potential of a genius but Matilda proved that nothing is impossible.
Harshita Verma (12)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
The most impressive book I have ever read is The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. It is a mesmerizing tale of two women who share a common tenacity and their only hope lies in the ancient custom of ‘bacha posh’ (meaning ‘to dress as a boy’). The book portrays Afghanistan in all of its perplexing, enigmatic glory; it agitates the readers, especially women, to fight all over again to be valued as part of society.
Dhivya Malhotra (16)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
The Story Of My Life is the motivational and inspiring autobiography of Helen Keller, a deaf and blind lady, who registered her name in the golden pages of history. The book is far from the cry for help that it might easily have been. It is very motivational as it inspires us to rise above all odds and be the creator of our own destiny. It depicts struggles as stepping stones to success.
Jashanpreet (16)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini cultivated roots in my soul as the most memorable book I’ve ever read. It is neither a gripping thriller nor a sugar-coated fairytale. It is a genre in itself. The title is taken from a poem written by Saeb-e-Tabrizi, a 17th century Persian poet, to describe the beauty of Afghanistan and its cultural achievements. The book leaves an impact, a hangover so deep and heavy that it lingers. It brings out hidden qualities of empathy and humanity in the reader plus a few tears as its souvenir of success.
Rhea Mariam Zenu (20)
All Saints’ College, Trivandrum
Till date the best book I have read is Malgudi Days by R. K. Narayan about the fictional town of Malgudi in South India and the lives of its residents. Each story is quite relatable to our lives and reading it doesn’t even make you feel that it is fiction but just the story of any other person. Every story is connected to the other with scenes of joy, happiness, excitement, curiosity with some bouts of sadness and some thoughts to ponder over.
Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (17)
St Joseph’s High School & Jr College, Navi Mumbai
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is a remarkable book that should be read by every female. Based on the story of three African-American female mathematicians, who were known as ‘Human Computers’, it focuses on the discrimination they had to face not only because of their colour, but also because they were women. They went on to break down social barriers and amaze everyone by earning senior posts at NASA, helping in many successful space missions from 1930-1960. The book sends the message of equality on the basis of colour, gender, ethnicity and religion. It greatly promotes women’s empowerment.
Divjot Kaur (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar
My favourite book has to be The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It makes us feel like we are not the only riders of the rollercoaster called ‘teen years’. It teaches us about love, sacrifice, heartbreak, but most importantly, it teaches us about life. It is like your favourite song; you can listen to it repeatedly and not get bored. Chbosky has beautifully portrayed what goes on in a teenager’s mind and how it is absolutely okay for it to be messed up. The book tells you how you can feel thousands of paradoxes dancing in your head, but also makes you believe that everything is going to be okay.
Manisha Agarwal (17)
DPS Agra
For me, my most memorable book will always be Life Is What You Make It by Preeti Shenoy. I loved this book for the protagonist’s determination and hope while fighting bipolar syndrome. Because of this book, I started seeing my life from a different perspective; it helped me appreciate life and make the most of it. It taught me never to lose hope and continue fighting until you win and that no matter what you think your parents are going to be there for you.
Avantika Yadav (19)
St Joseph’s College, Gorakhpur
My most memorable book is My Journey: Transforming Dreams Into Actions by A.P.J Abdul Kalam. This is the life story of Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam who went from the village of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu to becoming the First Citizen of India. It tells us how he transformed his dreams into actions. I admire Dr Kalam’s courage, determination and desire to excel a lot and after reading this book, my respect for him has increased.
Tanishka Handa (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar