Nonfiction

Why do we need friends? How can we make friends? And what makes a good friend? This charmingly illustrated book explores the benefits of having friends, looking at different types of friendships, and what happens when friends fall out and make up. Includes helpful notes for grown-ups on talking to children about friendships, dealing with conflicts and imaginary friends.

What did it take for Neeraj Chopra to perform at the world stage for the first time? What obstacles did Mary Kom surmount before reaching the winner’s podium? What challenges did Annu Rani face and how did she overcome them to achieve victory?

The Golden Sportspersons is a compilation of the inspiring tales of India’s legendary sportspersons, who have shone in archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, cricket, football, gymnastics, hockey, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling. Fuelled by self-belief, these athletes shattered countless barriers to achieve the impossible. Their stories give a peek into a world of unparalleled grit, determination, remarkable sportsmanship, discipline and resilience.

The collection in this book includes sporting legends such as Karnam Malleswari, Neeraj Chopra, Deepika Kumari, Sachin Tendulkar, Annu Rani, Bhaichung Bhutia, Mirabai Chanu, P.V. Sindhu, and many others, whose lives are worth emulating.

An exciting, laugh-a-minute guide to every Olympic and Paralympic sport – updated for the 2024 Paris Olympics!

From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to become an Olympic and Paralympic star in this hilariously informative guide to the games. For each sport you’ll discover why it’s great, why it’s not so great, what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practising and even how to sound like a pro! You’ll learn about some of the greatest Olympians in history, events that might appear in the future and there’s a helpful guide to your chances of becoming a champion.

With bold, energetic illustrations and an up-to-date text packed with weird, wonderful and wildly hilarious facts written by sports journalist Scott Allen, this paperback gift book is the funniest guide you’ll find to the next Olympics!

Mahendra Sabharwal was the first IPS officer to be directly assigned the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, in 1964. But when he retired in 2001, after serving as chief of the state’s police, he was not permitted to buy land and settle down there. Sabharwal was seen as an outsider in the state he loved and had served for close to four decades. This book is a sharply observed and astutely analytical personal history of J&K. It is a lament for the years and lives lost, and a critique of the cynical politics that have hamstrung the state.

In Kashmir Under 370, we meet a cast of characters – the prime ministers, governors, chief ministers and politicians – who have controlled Kashmir's fate. We see them through Sabharwal’s eyes and hear the words and thoughts they expressed behind closed doors. We get an unsparing assessment of key players, with an unusual moral clarity. But more than that we see and get a feel of what it means to be ‘boots on the ground’. From dodging a mob and containing the fallout of Zulfikar Bhutto’s hanging to handling the sieges of Hazratbal and managing the funeral marches of fallen separatists, we get an extraordinary ringside view of politics and policing in J&K. Based on intelligence gathered from captured Pakistanti terrorists, he even

warned American security officials – long before 9/11 – about plans to target them but he was ignored.

With the abrogation of Article 370, audacious cross-border retaliation for Pakistan-sponsored terror strikes and India’s economic rise, Sabharwal sees reasons for optimism. The ingredients, he argues, for a more hopeful future have come together for the first time in history. And while much yet needs to be done, a promising start has been made.

A touching, timely and tender exploration of refuge and migration for the youngest readers, this picture book offers a moving insight into the real journeys being made by children today.

A young boy discusses the journey he is about to make with his mother. They will leave their town, she explains, and it will be sad but also a little bit exciting. They will have to say goodbye to friends and loved ones, and that will be difficult. They will have to walk and walk and walk, and although they will see many new and interesting things, it will be difficult at times too. A powerful and moving exploration that draws the young reader into each stage of the journey, inviting the chance to imagine the decisions he or she would make. From the winner of the V&A Student Illustration Award 2016.

Jindo, Malavika Rajkotia’s father, arrives in India as the Partition riots erupt.

He is given a patch of barren land in small-town Karnal, to clear, cultivate, and resume life as landlord and patriarch. But stripped of his history, and facing an uncertain future in a land with an unfamiliar language, he transforms profoundly. Around this generous, funny, loving, and growingly despondent figure, Rajkotia weaves an intricate narrative of her family’s past and present, exploring themes of longing and belonging, privilege and

the loss of it, and reflecting on the resilience of a people denied autonomy. Through her raw, lyrical prose, she guides readers through the struggles of a sprawling clan—uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, and revered heroes— striving for recognition, identity, and security.

Rajkotia fearlessly confronts her milieu, whether navigating the radical Khalistan movement, the tensions between the Sikh faith and Hindu nationalism, or the pervasive cynicism of Indian politics. Her vivid, meditative, finely-detailed portraits of a rich family life are filled with moments of tears, laughter, and music, and a diverse array of characters who are immensely relatable. Ultimately, this brave and moving book is about the enduring quest for meaning and fulfilment that transcends cultural boundaries

Kabir is believed to have been a weaver who lived in Varanasi sometime during the fifteenth century. Beyond these facts, very little is known about him.

Yet, irrespective of his true historical identity, Kabir is first and foremost a Bhakti poet, whose dohas and poems questioned social paradigms and created a multiplicity of radical thoughts that have resonated through the ages, challenging and empowering millions.

Burn Down Your House is a compilation of Kabir’s timeless mystical poetry drawn from various sources—both oral and textual—interspersed with legends and anecdotes from the poet’s life, and an analysis of his beliefs.

Each chapter is a journey into a Kabirian thought or ‘provocation’—the impermanence of life, the spiritual power of surrender, the liberation one feels from shedding the ego, the transformative ability of love and compassion, the shackles of custom and dogma—that urges readers to challenge societal divides and social norms and inspires them to look within.

An endeavour that has taken over two decades and spanned multiple states in India, Shabnam Virmani’s book is a testament to Kabir’s enduring influence, offering a unique perspective into acting in the present, finding the meaning of life, and breaking down mind-forged barriers. It’s an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the human spirit and the shifting world we live in.

A thrilling and captivating retelling of one of history’s most famous space missions, publishing to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13’s fateful launch.

April 1970: Apollo 13 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It should have been the third manned Apollo mission to land on the moon. But when an explosion on board damaged the spacecraft, it became a perilous and near-impossible fight for survival. The crew on board travelled further into space than any other humans before them … In this gripping retelling of the astonishing Apollo 13 mission, David Long shows how courage, determination and teamwork succeeded in beating all odds to bring the spacecraft home. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+.

Discover the astonishing facts about the Titanic and how it came to a catastrophic end in this illustrated, accessible and riveting account of one of history’s most famous disasters.

On 10 April 1912, RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton on her maiden voyage to New York. This “Ship of Dreams” was the largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world. It was claimed she was unsinkable. But four days later, when the ship struck an iceberg, the loss of Titanic and over 1,500 passengers would become one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.

In this fact-filled retelling of its construction and doomed maiden voyage, David Long brings Titanic’s tragic tale to life.

Uncover the incredible true story of Howard Carter’s world-changing discovery in this fun and informative retelling of the secrets of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

On 4 November 1922, a young Egyptian boy working on Howard Carter’s archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings stumbled across a strange piece of rock. On closer inspection it turned out to be a stone step that would lead Carter to a long-lost tomb – and to treasures beyond his wildest dreams.

The tomb belonged to boy pharaoh Tutankhamun and was packed full of priceless artefacts. It had been largely untouched for over 3,000 years and remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time. But did the opening of the tomb trigger a deadly curse?

David Long’s fact-filled account shows how Carter’s amazing discoveries told us so much about life in Ancient Egypt.