#595 - Ghosts, Thieves and AHA! Adventures
by Asha Nehemiah and illustrated by Pankaj Saikia
“Ghosts, Thieves and AHA! Adventures” by Asha Nehemiah and illustrated by Pankaj Saikia. Published by Penguin. A delightful story set in a charming bookstore which seems to have a ghost and a thief at large.
When ten year old Ashish has to spend his time after school at his mother’s workplace, he feels that it is going to be quite boring. After all, it is a bookstore of all things. Even if it was called “AHA! Books”, it was still a dusty and old bookshop for him. Instead of being there, he could have been playing with his friend Riyaz who lived next door. However, he was going to be in for a pleasant surprise.
Ashish ends up finding the bookstore anything but boring contrary to his expectations. He starts finding interesting things to do in the store. He finds a friend in Kavya, the owner’s niece who is helping at the bookstore. He has to team up with her to try and catch a ghost that seems to be interested in a book which it keeps placing on the top shelf in the display stand and nab a thief who seems to be stealing an odd assortment of things belonging to Kavya. He couldn’t believe his luck. Will they be able to figure out who the ghost and the thief are? Read the fun filled book to embark on some exciting adventures at AHA! bookstore.
The book was a breezy and fun filled read for both me and my almost eleven year old son. A plot built around a charming bookstore featuring endearing characters peppered with some suspense, fun, joy, camaraderie, warmth, adventure and humour by one of our favourite authors made it a memorable read for us. As always, we loved the wordplay and fun names that Asha has come up with. This was a welcome break in between studying for the exams for my son. AHA bookstore reminded us of Funky Rainbow, our favourite bookstore, and it’s lovely folks :) The book is an ode to the love of reading and bookstores which spread joy. We were as curious as Kavya and Ashish to unravel the mystery of the harmless ghost and the unusual thief making us engrossed in the book. The bright, cheerful and detailed illustrations brought the story alive making it a visual treat as well. We were delighted to spot the iconic creator of “Gajapati” in one of the beautiful spreads :) This book is from the new “Sillly Billy” series which aims to have charmingly illustrated and fun filled reads for younger readers.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 7 and above.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!