Child’s Eye View

Anything that will get the kids to swap their PlayStations and Xboxes for that good old thing called book should be welcomed. Penguin Books is organising a competition for the best book reviews by those between the ages of 6 and 17. The Puffin Star Reviewer Competition that begins this month is calling out to all schoolchildren in the NCR to send a 200-word review of any book. The Penguin team will then shortlist the reviews. “The initiative is to get to know what children really like to read,their thoughts about their favourite books and also about the titles that Puffin publishes,” says Sudeshna Shome Ghosh,editor,Puffin India.

The 24 shortlisted children can review all the Puffin titles for 2009-10 and these will be featured on the Penguin India website as well as on the blog created for the competition. Ten best reviewers will be picked for the last leg of the competition and will be awarded certificates and a hamper. “We’re also organising meetings for them with popular children’s authors such as Ruskin Bond,” says Ghosh. Read up and write out!