Flocks of birds swirl in the air silhouetted against an orange sunset before descending on their chosen roosting sites. The air is scented with the intoxicating fragrance of champaka flowers while butterflies flutter around looking for nectar. That is a beautiful evening unfolding somewhere in Tamil Nadu in chapter one of young author A Tamiliniyan’s fiction Kumaran’s Adventures and Iniyan’s Travels. “It is inspired by my grandmother’s stories,” Tamiliniyan says, elaborating that the story is an adventure of boys who explore the deep pockets of a jungle looking for an exotic, yellow flower.
This grade 4 student is the youngest author among 135 students from grades 4 to 12 who set a new record for most books published by school students simultaneously at the 25th anniversary celebrations of Frontline Schools in Tirupur. The achievement was certified by Elite World Records, Asian Records Academy, India Records Academy and Tamilan Book of Records. “We wanted our students to have a beautiful memory associated with their childhood and a creative activity like writing a book gives them an opportunity to express themselves,” says S Sakthinandhan, director of the group adding that they want to make this a regular activity and provide a launchpad for young authors. This, he plans to achieve by encouraging children in story-telling activities and book reviews that help them brush up their Listening Speaking Reading Writing (LSRW) skills.
For Kanika L, a grade 12 student, the activity gave a peek into the world of publishing starting with the basics of story structure, editing, illustrations, designing the book cover etc. The students have touched upon a variety of genres from adventure and science fiction to murder mystery and Nature. While Hamsavardhini MG from grade 10 tells the tale of single parenting, Rithi MS from grade 6 weaves a work of fiction around a tsunami that brought lives to a standstill in coastal towns. Another student Hunthavi Vipassana ST from grade 8 shines the light on self reflection in her book titled Questions that Matter.
“We were amazed by the response from the students,” says S Sivagami, secretary of the group adding that a right environment that is stimulating can bring out the best potential of students. She talks fondly of Readthons, a regular in-campus activity where they encourage children to narrate stories and walk away with rewards.
Students have also set records in activities like longest book review marathons, debate marathons, as well as wellness activities such as creating seed balls, performing yogasanas on a chair simultaneously and intricate crafts of making kirigami and origami models and dot-to-dot drawing. Says K Sivasamy, correspondent, “The objective of the celebrations spanning various fields, enriched a range of skills in children, starting from LSRW and fine arts to sports and environmental awareness. It gave a platform for students to showcase their abilities, talent, and excel.”
All the books published by Frontline Millennium Trust are available on Amazon Kindle
