My Science School

Sitting on a rock in Copenhagen harbour is a bronze statue of the Little Mermaid. She is the heroine of one of Hans Christian Andersen's best known fairy tales.

The sculpture was inspired by ballerina Ellen Price, who in 1909 danced the lead role in the ballet The Little Mermaid at the Royal Theatre.

However, Ellen Price would not model in the nude for sculptor Edvard Eriksen. Thus Eriksen’s wife, Eline Eriksen, posed for the sculpture of The Little Mermaid.

The little mermaid has several times been the victim of vandalism. Twice she has lost her head, once the arm was sawn off, and several times she has had paint poured on her.

But every time she is rescued and restored, so she can stay in her place by the water and bid travelers welcome to Copenhagen harbor.

Credit : Visit Copenhagen 

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Although pirate captains could be very cruel-often torturing and killing their victims making you walk the plank seems to be a myth!

Pirates did make people walk the plank every now and then, but historical records seem to indicate the practice was extremely rare. In fact, pirates preferred not to kill their victims. If they gained a reputation for killing everyone on board of every ship they took, crew members would simply fight to the death every time a group of pirates hopped on deck. That would be an awful lot of work for the pirates, who usually just wanted to take the gold and run. If they did need to get rid of someone, it was much faster to simply push them overboard rather than set up a plank and have them do it themselves.

That being said, there are known instances of pirates having people walk the plank, with the generally accepted reason behind this practice simply being that the pirates did it to amuses themselves on those rare occasions there actually was time for it. Another theory as to the reason for making people walk the plank was that people were forced to do this so that the pirates couldn’t be tried for murder—after all, the people walked off the plank themselves. This latter reason is considered somewhat unlikely, however, because pillaging and piracy were generally hanging offenses anyway; if they were caught, a murder charge on top of everything else wasn’t going to make much of a difference.

But the more bloodthirsty pirates loved the psychological torture inflicted on their victims before making them walk the plank, right? Not exactly. Black Bart—also known as Bartholomew Roberts—was a pirate captain known for his somewhat psychotic tendencies. He was an incredibly successful pirate who is reported to have taken over 400 ships and accumulated some £50 million in stolen goods. He also had a reputation for being violent and torturing his victims; yet Black Bart is only known to have made one person walk the plank in all his years of pirating.

As to some specific other examples of pirates having people walk the plank, one of the more well-known cases was on board the Dutch ship Vhan Fredericka. In 1829, pirates boarded the ship near the Virgin Islands and murdered almost every crew member by tying cannonballs to their feet and having them walk overboard. However, all in all, there are only about five cases of “walking the plank” that can be definitively proven by historical records. It’s possible that other instances occurred that were not recorded or whose records have been lost to time, but most likely the practice wasn’t nearly as commonplace as fiction would lead you to believe.

The phrase itself, “walking the plank”, dates back to 1769, with the first documented reference being when a seaman named George Wood confessed to a chaplain that he had made several men “walk the plank.” However, while the confession certainly took place, whether or not Wood actually made people walk the plank is still open to debate, owing to the lack of direct evidence.

Credit : Today I Found Out

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The blackest rogue of all-Captain Hook! He had a mean scowling face with dark eyes that glowed when he used his hook, for Peter Pan had chopped off his hand and thrown it to a passing crocodile.

Captain Hook is the main antagonist of Disney's 1953 animated feature film, Peter Pan. He is a bloodthirsty pirate that commands The Jolly Roger. Hook has long since abandoned sailing the high seas in favor of having revenge on Peter Pan for cutting off his left hand and feeding it to a crocodile, who has since been in constant pursuit of the captain. While a worthy opponent for Peter, Hook is destined to fail—sometimes because of Peter Pan's ability to fly, but more often through the bumbling incompetence of his first mate, Mr. Smee.

Hook's frustrations are understandable; he lost a hand to his opponent, is constantly pursued by the crocodile, and is unable to fly. These factors arguably make him one of the most sympathetic Disney villains. His antics with the crocodile are considered by many to be the funniest animated scenes ever created by Disney, according to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston in the book The Disney Villain.

As one of the most recognizable and popular villains in Disney's animated library, Captain Hook is also a primary member of the Disney Villains franchise.

Credit : Disney Wiki

Picture Credit : Google

On December 27th 1904, a new play for children opened in London. It was J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the boy from Never Never Land who wouldn't grow up, together with Wendy, the Lost Boys and the evil Captain Hook. It became the most famous play ever written for children.

The play's title character is a boy who does not grow up. He lives on the island of Never Land where he is the leader of a group of other boys known as the Lost Boys. He is able to fly and has many adventures. Peter Pan often flies to London. He stops outside the window of the bedroom that Wendy Darling shares with her younger brothers John and Michael to listen to the stories that their mother tells them. He goes inside their bedroom one evening and leaves his shadow behind. When Peter returns to retrieve the shadow, he accidentally wakes up Wendy. When Wendy tells Peter Pan that she knows lots of stories, he asks her to come back to Never Land with him. She agrees to go on the condition that her brothers can go with her. As well as Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, Never Land is home to fairies, mermaids, a tribe of Native Americans led by the chief Great Big Little Panther and his daughter Tiger Lily, wild animals and a pirate crew led by the fearsome Captain Hook. In Never Land, Wendy acts as mother to the Lost Boys, Peter Pan and her own brothers John and Michael. Wendy, John and Michael live happily in Never Land for some time. When Peter Pan leads them to believe that their parents have forgotten about them, however, Wendy, John and Michael decide that it is time to return home.

Many people are likely to be offended by the manner in which Native Americans are depicted in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up as J.M. Barrie originally wrote it. The Native American characters are referred to as "Redskins" and "Piccaninnies". They communicate with each other in grunts and pidgin English and call Peter Pan the "Great White Father". In modern productions of the play, especially ones in North America, steps may be taken to avoid presenting characters who are racist stereotypes. For example, when the British director Tim Carroll staged the play in Stratford, Ontario, Canada in 2010, he chose to change Tiger Lily's tribe into a tribe of Amazons, the warrior women from Greek mythology.

Credit : Literature Wiki

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Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were all written in France by Charles Perrault in the 18th century.

The Grimm Brothers from Germany took many common tales only known in oral tradition and published them in 1812 in their book Grimm's Fairy Tales. Cinderella was one of these stories, but known in the German language as Ashenputtel.
In this version, Ashenputtel plants a Hazel twig and it grows with the water of her tears. A white bird roosts in the tree, which she believes is her deceased mother. The bird then is the bearer of the white gown and silk shoes to go to the ball. She eludes the prince as he chases here home but drops one of her golden slippers.

The Prince searches the kingdom for the owner, but her stepsisters try on the shoe first. Each sister cuts off a part of their foot to fit into the slipper. After all Princesses do not need to walk anywhere after they marry? The shoe still does not fit and the Prince notices the blood pouring from the shoe. Once the Prince places the shoe on Cinderella, he recognizes her and he takes her away from her evil stepmother and her limping stepsisters.

Scholars who study folklore have isolated at least 345 variants of Cinderella in Europe. Most of the tales have a wicked female relative who persecutes her. Most of the stories also have a ball, a ball gown that appears with magic and a built in curfew when the magic wears off. In some stories there are magic birds who provide and others have a fairy godmother that is kindness personified that enables her to attend the party.

Once she gets tired she runs away but leaves an article of her clothing behind. In some stories it is jewelry that she loses and in another story she loses a squirrel slipper as found in the Russian version. Hundreds of books, films, plays, ballets and television shows have been based upon this tale. From the Muppets portrayal with Miss Piggy as Cinderella and Sesame Street's Cinderelmo there is a vast contrast to the Russian National ballet performing the Sergei Radchenko version of the fairy tale.

Credit : Abilene 

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Don’t go, Fred!

Even though I have read the Harry Potter series many times over, I have always more or less lumped Fred and George together in my mind as two parts of a single character. I am not the only one who feels this way. Their own mother and Harry too get the same feeling. And I feel this viewpoint seems to be true for J. K Rowling herself.

What makes me saddest is the thought of George being left behind after Fred's death. Of course the twins are an inseparable duo, but even more that they were a duo for whom Fred provided much of the humour and the fun.

Fred and George are far more alike than they are different - both are funny and goofy, both care deeply about Harry, and in the end, their family as well. Both really did complement each other perfectly. They brought smiles to our hearts even in the darkest of times.

Imagine life for George after Fred's death. How he would have struggled to live alone.

I think everyone would be happy if Fred had lived and enjoyed the glory of the trick shop he opened with George. So, if I could change anything about my favourite book, this would be it.

My favourite book is J.K.Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. One thing I would like to change about it is the fate of the Weasley twin Fred. No matter how much I think about it. Fred Weasley should not die. I don't see how George is supposed to live without him. Albus Dumbledore once quoted, "Do not pity the dead, pity the living". I totally agree with this. Fred and George are inseparable. They should not be separated. Lots of other characters have breathed their last in this book as well. Little Teddy will have to grow up without his parents. But in my point of view, Fred's death is the most consequential as I'm sure that George will never be able to get over the passing of his twin brother.

A happy ending

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi has been my favourite book series for years. However, if I could change one thing about the last book of the series, The Oath of the Vayuputras, it would be Sati's death. The book culminates in the use of the Pashupatiastra by Shiva, which decimates the city of Meluha after an intense fight between the Egyptian warriors and Sati's army. Shiva's wife ultimately succumbs to multiple injuries, her death leaving her husband and two sons devastated. I would have the book end with victory for Mahadev and his followers, but with Sati at his side.

An ending filled with laughter

If given the chance, I would like to change one scene from the book Swami and Friends written by RK Narayanan. In the last scene of the story, Rajam, one of Swami's friends, boards a train to move to another city, as his father had got a job transfer. The story, after going on in such a humorous pace, enters a state of overwhelming sadness. So, to keep up the humour, I will have converted this into a joke played by Mani. Swami's other friend, who informs Swami of Rajam's departure. I would have liked to see Swami wait for a long time in the station waiting for Rajam and his family. But since they never came, Swami would have nun to Rajam's home, and be surprised to find the big house occupied by Rajam and his family as usual. If the last scene would have been like this, the story would have ended with a positive and funny note, and it would have left the readers rolling with laughter. The story would then stay in the readers' minds, and whenever they talk to someone about the story, they'd say "The story ended with such a funny little prank! I loved it, instead of them saying I was so sorry for poor Swami. How disappointed and lonely he would have felt after parting with his best friend.

The power of magic

I have a list of favourite books and if ever I could change one thing about my favourite book then it would be the ending of Harry Potter. It is such a good book and I like everything in the book, but I think that when Harry Potter defeats Lord Voldemort and frees Hogwarts from evil, he must have brought his parents back to life by the power of magic. And I think that no other changes in this book would be better than this one.

The Bridge Home

There are two sisters in the story The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman - Viji and Rukku. Their father was a very cruel person. He ill-treated them so much that they left home and after wandering a lot, they finally ended up below a bridge. There they met two homeless boys named Arul and Muthu and befriended them. As they did not have a shelter they lived in a graveyard. Rukku and Muthu fell ill and were taken to hospital. The doctor examined them and said that they had dengue but Rukku had pneumonia too. When Viji and Arul found them, it was too late. Though Muthu survived, Rukku had passed away. Viji cried inconsolably at the loss of her younger sister. Her father came back for Viji as a changed man to take her back home. It was so touching and moving that it brought tears to my eyes.

If I could change one thing in this book it would be that Rukku's father had come to the hospital much earlier as a changed man and looking at her father as a kind person Rukku recovered and went home with him and Viji and lived happily ever after.

A 'key' problem

My favourite book is 'Long Haul in the series Diary of the Wimpy Kid' by Jeff Kinney. The story has an abrupt ending and it leaves you wanting more. In the story Greg and his family are out on a road trip. A significant part of the story deals with a lost key to a locker where they had stored all their valuables. Many misadventures follow in trying to retrieve the key or the valuables. Greg ends up finding that the lost key was in his pocket all along. The book ends at this point, but it would have been good to have extended the fun with how Greg would now deal with this new problem.

The Last of the Mohicans

The last of the Mohicans is a heart-stopping novel about Red Indians and their wars. This is a story which follows the journey of the last of the Mohicans, a father and son, as they try to rescue a colonel's daughters who are kidnapped by the Iroquois, a dangerous Red Indian tribe. The Mohicans finally kill the chief and rescue the daughters.

The one thing that I would like to change in the book is the death of the son. In the end of the novel the son dies, which shows the end of the Mohicans. It would have been great if the son was alive, because it shows that the end of the Mohicans is near As the son was also a brave warrior, his death was very sad to read. But the author shows the fragility of life here.

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The Kirrin bay

I would love to move to the fictional place from the literary work The Famous Five written by Enid Blyton, called Kirrin Bay. It has a beach which I would visit every day. I would be pleased if I had the chance to go to Kirrin Island which belonged to George! I would probably spend a night in the ruins of the castle with George, her dog Tim, and her cousins, Julian, Dick and Anne. I would surely take a look at the dungeons where they all found the ingots, which a cruel man, who found his way down there, wanted to steal. It would be an amazing adventure!

Malgudi dreams

The one fictional place from literature that I would love to Imove to is Malgudi, the fictional town created by R.K. Narayan. He is a famous Indian author who is known for his novel Swami and Friends. The town of Malgudi is a wonderful town with the River Sarayu running near it. Its groves, grasslands, old houses and small shops add more mysticity to this delightful place.

Abu Lane, Kabir Street, Trunk Road, Market Road and Nallappa's Grove are some of the unforgettable landmarks of Malgudi. Each and every nook of this town was described by R.K. Narayan so well that I felt attracted to the peace and serenity of this place. Even if I cannot move to this fictional place in reality, it will always remain in my dreams forever.

The World of magic

The one fictional place which not only me but almost all Harry fans want to visit is the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry! J.K.Rowling, in her famous Harry Potter Series, makes us feel as if we are in the magical world; and to be honest, I always wanted to quit my school and join Hogwarts if ever I received a letter! I bet I will be the best witch! I love everything there, be it the ghosts Nearly Headless Nick.or Moaning Myrtle, or having potions classes with Snape, or visiting Hagrid, or having a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Oh it is an impossible dream, yet thinking of it takes me to a different world! So, if there are some tips which I could give to our Ministry of Education, perhaps it would be to build a wonderful school like Hogwarts and I bet there would be no school dropouts!

Camp Jupiter

If someone asks me to choose a fictional town to live in, I'd tell them I'd live in Camp Jupiter without a second thought. Camp Jupiter, which appears in the Heroes of the Olympus' series by Rick Riordan, is not exactly a town, but it's as interesting as one, since it's an exact recreation of a Roman Metropolis. It has a secret entrance, cabins, a via principalis (similar to a modern-day parliament), a Roman mess, and a battle ground (aka The Field of Mars). It is the safest place for Roman Demigods, where they are safe from monsters ready to devour them, protected by the magical borders of the camp, and trained on what a Demigod should know.

In camp Jupiter, I'd wake up every morning, go to the bath. find my friends before I run to the mess, and dine the Roman way (i.e. sitting on couches, and eating with one's hands). I would play Deathball, Siege, Gladiator fighting, and Chariot Racing. I'd be eagerly looking forward to these games all day. And, if I were lucky, I would be allowed to go on a quest! Like this, if I lived at Camp Jupiter, I would have the best life one could ever have.

Finding Neverland

One fictional town from literature I would love to move to would be Neverland from "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie. Neverland is an imaginary faraway place where Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, the Lost Boys and some other mythical beings like fairies and mermaids live. The most astounding thing about Neverland is that once a person, lands in Neverland, he/she stops growing. It would be wonderful to stay the same age forever and go on adventures everyday with Peter to the Mermaid lagoon, Cannibal cove, Skull rock and the Red Indians Camp. Going to Neverland would be a magical experience and as Peter says, "all it takes is faith, trust and some pixie dust".

The Night Bazaar

Fictional towns, from most books I've read, are places bustling with life, interesting people, and magic (sometimes not the kind you expect). If I could move to one such place, I'd pack my bags and head to the Night Bazaar from the Aru Shah books. Although a shopping district not exactly meant for habitation, the Night Bazaar offers enthralling articles for sale, including dreams on a string, rice pudding dusted with moonlight, and even unusual prophecies.

Throw in a library that covers books on every possible subject in the world, the Night Bazaar would be a compelling place to live in.

Haven City

One fictional town from literature I would love to move to would be Haven City from the Artemis Fowl universe. It's underground (because humans drove out the original inhabitants), and it's teeming with fairies, goblins, dwarves, trolls, and a variety of other species. Fairies may appear to be primordial nature beings who fly around and cast spells, yet they are a much more advanced race than we are. Thanks to Foaly the centaur, they have cutting-edge technology and incredible devices! I'd also like to pay a visit to some of my favourite characters, including Holly Short. Mulch Diggums, Foaly, Lazuli Heitz, and perhaps Artemis and Butler (if they happen to be visiting)!

Away from the city

I would like to move to Malgudi, a fictional town located in South India. I live in a very busy city, in an apartment and I want to know and experience how life in a town really is.

Malgudi can be described as picturesque and an old-fashioned rural town. I feel that it will be super fun living in Malgudi. In the cities, usually there are many vehicles causing a lot of pollution and traffic jams. Due to this, people are not able to see the nature and the freshness of the place.

While in towns, there might be less movement of vehicles which lead to free roads and less pollution. Just like Swami, even I can play with my friends and cousins in the lanes of Malgudi.

Moreover, a calm and serene place is any day better than a noisy and polluted one. I wish to move to Malgudi as quickly as possible.

Off to Red Riding Hood Kingdom

The place I would love to move to most is the fascinating country of Red Riding Hood Kingdom from the book Land of Stories authored by Chris Colfer. This place is a land of beauty. It is full of rippling streams and colorful fields. I would live the life of a farmer at the Bo-Peep Farms. Here I would enjoy working with the no longer little Bo-Peep. As I live here I would get the opportunity to see some of the famous fairytale characters like the Queen of the land who is the grown up Red Riding Hood, the King. Charlie Prince Charming and members of the Fairy Council who use their magic to save the day on many occasions. I would meet unicorns and other mythical creatures. Can you imagine it! Meeting my childhood companions would be so much fun.

Make way for Noddy

There are many fictional places I will like to live in, but most of them are cities and fantasy lands. So, in case of a town I will love to move to Toy Town in Toyland, the home of Noddy. It's a wonderful place full of different toys. There are large feasts full of wonderful items, which being a foodie is a wonderful thing for me. Plus, there are small adventures that are not very dangerous, which is also okay with me as I am not a very adventurous kid. But, to live there I have to prove myself as a toy first!

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The impact of letters

I have read many books but the best memoir I have read is "Letters From A Father To His Daughter. It is a collection of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira Priyadarshini. He wrote these letters when his daughter was away. The letters were later published as a book in 1929. It is a memorable read because it tells us deeply about nature, science, great epics, geography and living and non living things. This book tells us how we can shape our life by hard work and regular practice. So, I love this book and I have read it many times.

Life in 19th-Century Bengal

The memoir I love reading is "Chelebela" by Rabindranath Tagore. It gives us a good insight into the life of a rich Bengali family in 19th-Century India. In the memoir, Rabindranath Tagore has given an elaborate account of his childhood from his point of view and also explained the difference between the society he grew up in and the society he lived in his old age. That is why I think it is the best memoir I have ever read.

The life of the First Lady

I have just finished reading 'Becoming' and have so much respect and admiration for Michelle Obama. She is inspirational and cool. What Becoming shows is the depth of her wisdom and honest self-reflection.

This memoir is full of moments of triumph, struggle, frustration as well as moments of humour and family bonding. I encourage you to dip into it and take away any insights you may wish to use. Michelle's world view is deeply compassionate, genuinely honest and will instil warmth in your heart. This was so empowering and the best book I have ever read in my life.

Going Solo

The memoir I liked the best is "Going Solo by Roald Dahl. This book follows the author, who goes from England to Tanzania, becomes a fighter pilot in World War II and returns home as a veteran. His memoir is filled with action-packed times from fighting enemy bombers to surviving a plane crash. I like this book because it's filled with action and adventure, which are the types of books I love. The author sometimes enters into near-death situations, which he describes beautifully. It clearly explains what happened during WW2 in Africa, Greece and other areas. This memoir also shows how life throws hurdles in bizarre situations, but by our willpower, and determination we can cross any barrier. These are some of the reasons I like Going Solo.

Lessons in history

My favourite memoir is "A Children's History of India" by Subhadra Sen Gupta. This book contains text about all the important events and happenings of the past. It takes you through various periods in Indian history and life in those times. Spread over three parts - Ancient History, Medieval History and Modem history - it is written in simple, lucid prose and interspersed with striking illustrations. These factors in the book make learning and reading fun for readers of all age groups.

A young girl's diary

The memoir I loved reading was "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank. It is one of the most famous and memorable accounts of World War II and the Holocaust. The memoir is a journal by then Jewish teenager Anne Frank, where she records and narrates things happening around her when she and her family go into hiding as Germany takes over the Netherlands.

Her journal indicates that Anne was a very optimistic, positive, mature and strong girl despite facing so many hardships. I loved reading this memoir as it teaches me how to stay brave in critical times.

Birdman of India

I enjoy reading books. The memoirs I loved reading are "The Book of Indian Birds" and "The Fall of a Sparrow". Both books are written by Indian ornithologist and naturalist Salim Ali, who is famously referred to as the "Birdman of India". I like reading these books because they contain a huge amount of knowledge about Indian birds which we have neither read nor heard about. This book contains the author's personal memories and by reading these books, I can learn many things.

Winds of change

I love reading "I am Malala", the memoir of Malala Yousafzai as she is the one who brought the winds of change in education for girls. When I first read this book, I was overwhelmed by the enormity of it. I knew very little about the situation in Pakistan and the barriers faced by millions of girls seeking education. In this book, Malala describes the beauty of her homeland and also shares the prevalent social structure. This book has pricked my consciousness and given me resolve to fight against injustice. I would recommend every youngster to read this book.

Missile man of India

I loved reading the autobiography of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam called "Wings of Fire". He is called the Missile Man of India because he has contributed a lot to India's missile development. In his book he tells about his life's story. At first he helped his cousin in collecting newspapers but later went on to serve as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Reading the book, we learn that we can become anyone irrespective of who we are.

A Moveable Feast

One memoir I loved reading is 'A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway about his years as a journalist and writer in Paris. He has beautifully portrayed his poor yet happy life as a writer who would write in cafes. Poverty, art and friendship are the values depicted here. During the entire course of his life Hemingway struggled with poverty and wasn't ashamed of it. He was friends with the great writers of his generation and describes them in the book. In this book we see a hint of the sad, despairing and brooding self of Hemingway that he becomes in the latter part of life until his tragic end. Written during the last years of Hemingway's life, his memoir is a lively and vibrant reflection of his younger self and his love for Paris.

The inspiration behind the chocolate factory

My favourite memoir is "Boy: Tales of Childhood" by Roald Dahl. His book describes his experience with chocolate companies during his school days. These companies would often send test packs of new chocolate variants to the school children and seek their feedback. The book goes on to explain how these experiences inspired Dahl to write the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

'A Princess Remembers'

The memoir I loved reading is ""A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur'. It is written by Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur along with Santha Rama Rau. It has a detailed description of the lavish lifestyle of the Queen. In those days, when women had certain restrictions imposed on them, Maharani Gayatri Devi was an avid equestrienne and hunter who spent many days outdoors either for polo or hunting. She was also an influential politician who won the elections with the world's largest electoral landslide victory in 1962 from Jaipur. She died on 17 July 2009 from lung failure. Maharani Gayatri Devi is, I think, one of the most influential Indian personalities of all time.

On a philosophical note

I love the memoir of Swami Vivekananda who is one of the most inspiring spiritual speakers and preachers of all time. I love to read his memoir very much because he has shared many of his interesting encounters and his personal experiences. Many of his stories have inspired me and taught me a lot about life's philosophies.

All his stories have a hidden moral in them which helps me understand the real essence of his stories. I am sure his memoir will be an inspiration for every single child in the world like me. I will surely follow his advice and philosophies throughout my life.

To the stars

The memoir I liked the most is Scott Kelly's "My Journey To The Stars".

Scott Kelly did not know what he wanted to be when he was older. He battled in school and regularly crossed paths with his twin sibling. Mark.

One day, Scott found a book about aircraft testers and space travellers that set him on another path. This became his passion that drove him to initially become a pilot and later, a space explorer alongside his sibling. However, his most noteworthy achievement is spending a year in space aboard the International Space Station which set the standard for the longest spaceflight.

Remembering the isle

A memoir which left me wonderstruck is the twelve-lined poem, the "Lake Isle of Innisfree". Penned by the famous poet William Butler Yeats, this chunk of literature drives its readers through the uninhabited island of Innisfree, which is real and located in Ireland. The poem was a spontaneous one, which was put down on paper when the poet remembered his exuberant childhood memories.

He has described the isle so articulately that the poem brought the images of the tranquil and fascinating panoramas in my mind. The poem talks about the wide sky, which puts on myriad shades as per the hours of the day. It also focuses on the high-pitched yet melodious song of the lark and the sounds of crickets in the dark. The poet further compares the city with the island and finds the isle to be so fit and calm to spend the rest of his life. He also speaks about the ways by which he would build a small house over there. Thus, this memoir which penetrates the memories cherished by the poet is a very good one and this is why I loved reading this memoir.

Jim Corbett's India

The memoir I loved reading was "My India", written by Edward James Jim' Corbett, an Anglo-Indian hunter turned conservationist. The book is an amazing collection of Jim Corbett's experiences as a poacher as well as a conservationist. There are many thought-provoking chapters in the book. One chapter explains how he was so poor for a period of time that he could eat only one chapati' for lunch. As we advance into the book, we understand what the title of the story means. Jim Corbett turns the spotlight on the poor section of India, which consists of farmers who beat tin cans all night to drive away wild boars from their fields, construction workers, malaria-infected people and many others who are poverty stricken. The chapters are beautiful, and they are something I really relished. My India' is a truly spellbinding book, and is a beautiful read, which I'm sure readers will never forget.

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