This Christmas, gift your child one of these children’s books from India

These children’s books written by ten authors from India are a must–have for your child.

It’s Christmas time and you can’t wait to be the secret Santa who gifts your loved ones. While the highlight of Christmas undoubtedly is the yummy cakes and cookies, why not gift your kids books this year? Reading is much more than just a good habit, it yields numerous benefits, enhancing cognitive skills, developing language and exposing kids to the unseen world. A study conducted on eight-month-old babies by Rhode Island Hospital in the United States found that babies who were often read to had a remarkable rise of 40 percent in the number of words they understand since babyhood, while babies who were not read to showed only a 16 percent increase. While young adult (YA)novels are much in talk among the tweens and teens these days, few leave a permanent impression. If your child is a Harry Potter fan, they must read Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. But this Christmas, we propose gifting a book that has its origins in India, instead.

These ten authors from India have written books that deserve a place in your child’s bookshelf:

1. RK Narayan: The fictional town of Malgudiis still afresh in our minds. RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days will introduce your children to the forgotten value systems and carefree life in rural South India. His best works in the series are Under the Banyan Tree and Lawley Road.
2. Arshia Sattar: If you want your child to read about mythological tales, don’t miss Sattar’s book Garuda and the Serpents. The author’s newly released book features amazing escapades of gods and humans that will evoke both curiosity and amusement. The book is for anyone aged 10 and above.
3. Devapriya Roy and Priya Kuriyan: Indira is a book written by Devapriya Royand illustrated by Priya Kuriyan that’s perfect for teenagers who want to revisit Indian history. It traces a little girl called Indira as she explores the story of her famous namesake, Mrs Gandhi, and unfolds the history of India’s politics in the process.
4. Roopa Pai: Taranauts is India’s first fantasy adventure series for children. It’s a must-read for adventure lovers aged 8-12.
5. Lavanya Karthik and Habil Al: Neel on Wheels is a must-read book for kids as young as 5 years old, written by Lavanya Karthik and illustrated by Habib Al. The book’s protagonist is a physically disabled child, whose wheelchair transforms by magic. 
6. Nidhi Chanani: Yet another budding author with a heart-warming illustrated story for children aged 8 years and older is Nidhi Chanani. Her graphic novel Pashmina has received honours like the Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017. The book sets young readers off into a colourful world where the protagonist Pri wants to learn the truth about her family.
7. Uma Krishnaswami: Krishnaswami has become a familiar name in the world of picture books and novels for teenagers. She has garnered prestigious awards for her books and been recognised for expanding multicultural and international fiction for young readers. Your teens will love Chachaji’s Cup, The Happiest Tree, The Closet Ghost and Bringing Asha Home.
8. Ruskin Bond: No childhood is complete without stories by Ruskin Bond, many of whose short stories have been part of the school curricula in India since decades. The latest book by this Indian author of British descent is Memories of Hills and Dales, which has a grandmother narrating stories to her granddaughter. Some of his other good collections are The Room on the Roof, The Blue Umbrella, A Flight of Pigeons, Rusty -The Boy from Hills and A Handful of N
9. Rudyard Kipling: Who doesn’t know Rudyard Kipling and his best work Jungle Book? Every child must read this adventure book about the orphaned boy raised by wild Though Kipling was British, he was born in India and this greatly influenced his work. Other books by the author, like Kim, are also worth being included in your child’s book collection.
10. Anant Pai’s Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha: Share a slice of your childhood with your kid through the immortal characters of Suppandi, Shikari Shambu, Tantri the Mantri, or even Kalia the Crow, in the Tinkle comics created by Anant Pai, who is known endearingly as Uncle Pai. Or let your children immerse themselves in the endearing stories of Amar Chitra Katha and travel back in time.

As J.K. Rowling says “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book”. Find the right book for your child this Christmas and gift him or her with something of intangible value!