Book Review | Pushing Boredom blues away by Fighting Bordermavirus

By Prerna R

They say entire universes thrive in a child’s head. She may or may not be able to explain all the experiences growing up, but it’s all there — colourful sounds, happy foods, sometimes-sad sunsets, and numbers that laugh. She doesn’t know the treasure trove she has living in her head. In a hurry to grow up and be like the adults in her life, she keeps pushing back her own magical experiences and tries to align her thoughts and experiences with the grown-up world. At school, however, with classmates her own age, she lets those rainbow moments peek through by way of jokes or make-believe you-have-no-idea-what-happened today scenarios.

For children the world over, all this came to a standstill during the current coronavirus pandemic. Children were suddenly left to themselves — little or no interaction with children her own age, no school, no swings, no packed lunch surprises, no teachers to catch them out giggling in class, no hammering hearts before exams…. Instead, they got harried parents juggling housework and work-from-home and endless hours that were spent guessing how high the walls in their room were, how their best friends were doing and why one particular BFF wouldn’t take their calls, the fear of a virus that could kill, and the pains of online classes.

It was at a time like this that eleven-year-old Aditri Misra of class VI was told by her mother’s friend to take a long, leisurely dip inside her mind and write a book. Yes, a book! She juggled with the idea initially and finally realised this one might be easier to write than a fantasy book she had started writing when she was eight. So, over months of online classes, no friends to play with, having gotten tired playing board games with her parents, she sat down to write and illustrate a book (including the cover).

And with this “project”, gone was her boredom and irritability, as she attempted to reach out to children all over the world and come up with practical advice on how to beat the Bordemavirus. “Fighting Bordemavirus: BOVID-20”, is the result of those months of hard work and is available on Amazon in Kindle version. There is practical advice on how to make up games – she even shares ones she has invented – craft lessons, self-defence strategies, and tips on how to irritate parents but only just. The illustrations only add to the fun. A very serious interview with her parents will give you a peek into her life as well. A definite bonus: it’s funny, makes you giggle, nod your head in agreement in several places and make mental notes – and I’m a middle-aged woman!

If you’re an adult reading this book, you’ll love it for how easily it will let you slip into “child” mode. Little surprise, all its reviews have got five stars. If you’re a child yourself, it will nudge you to try out the tricks and tips. What’s even better, it will inspire you to invent your own games, try out new things and find how to wave at the universes in your head. God knows we all can do with a little bit of that in today’s times.

(The writer is an independent writer and editing professional. Views expressed are personal.)