Dear Junior readers,

The Junior Observer launches “Junior Readers’ Club” to which we invite all you Junior Readers to join up! The Junior Readers’ Club will have activities and competitions to encourage you to read and read and read more, for fun and to learn. Do join in!

One activity will be introducing books for you to read. We will introduce a book from Vijitha Yapa Bookshop and tell you about it in a “book review”. You are also invited to write in and tell us about a book you have read and liked. Write up to 150 words and email your entries to [email protected] or post them to Lake House, 35, D.R. Wijewardane Mawatha,

Colombo – 10.

NOTE: Vijitha Yapa Bookshop will give prizes for a write up about a book available in their bookshops. The best book review will receive a book as the first prize, and the second prize will be a gift voucher from Vijitha Yapa Bookshop. Contact 2429237 to collect your gifts.

Reviewed by Ryhanna Salie

Journey through India

Do you like stories from India? The Jataka Tales compiled by Rangeen Singh will take you on a journey through the diverse and vibrant culture of India. It is a collection of 25 short stories which relate tales of adventure, mystery and friendship.

The stories also teach a moral lesson. For example, the short story “Monkey Gardeners” tells us about the importance of doing one's duty. The story “Friendship” is about a time-tested relationship built on trust. The “Magic Spell” is about a fox who has been give magical powers.

Animals are presented as ‘anthropomorphic’ or having human characteristics. They are able to talk to each other as well as to humans. There are many recurring themes in the stories such as the importance of good friends, wisdom, self-help and shedding of bad habits. The stories paint a vivid picture of the culture and mythology of India.

First Prize: A wonderful tale of two boys

The Prince and The Pauper by Mark Twain is my favourite book. The story is set in the city of London. It revolves around the two main characters, Tom Canty, a young pauper, and Prince Edward the heir to the throne of England. This is a story in which both Tom and Edward are the same in appearance. Their parents too are unable to distinguish between them. So they exchange their roles. Tom becomes the prince and Edward becomes the pauper. The novel is about the experiences and challenges they face in their new lives.

Poor Tom does not know how to behave as a royal, and Edward cannot cope with the difficult life of a pauper. Finally, with help from a brave man called Miles Hendon, they are able to change back into their old lives. In the last part of the novel Edward becomes king, and Tom and Hendon become the favourites of the king.

This novel explores fantasy and reality and provides a good insight into different life experiences.

Senali Senanayake, Grade 9, KumuduWayamba Royal College.

Second Prize: My favourite story book

My favourite story book is The Famous Five. It is an English novel written by Enid Blyton. It is a series of adventure stories. The stories are about a group of children. The main characters are Dick, Julian, Anne, Georgiana and her pet dog Timmy. Georgiana does not like being a girl and she hates her name. She likes to be called George.

The five of them go on an adventure to an island. Georgiana's parents own Kirrein Island. Their ship is wrecked and many mysterious things happen. They look for hidden treasure in an old castle. Finally they solve the mystery. It is an exciting story. I dream of having adventures like The Famous Five.

Ishini Navodya, Grade 7, Bandaragama Central College, Bandaragama.