'The Secret Sanctuary' by Stephen Alter, A Book Launch

WWF India and Puffin India cordially invited the students of The Indian School to the launch of the book 'The Secret Sanctuary' by Stephen Alter on 23rd November 2015. Students from class IV(4,) class V(8) and class VI(4) attended the session. They were accompanied to the event by Ms. Steffy Lukose. The book is a short novel for children aged 10+. It holds the plot of three students who get entrapped in a sanctuary while on their way to school. The book includes facts about the natural history of a private sanctuary in Uttrakhand the Jabarkhet Nature Reserve. It is an ode to the mystery and magic around us. Stephen Alter combines the natural history of Jabarkhet with magical elements to add special appeal for young readers. The session began with a slide show of pictures of animals and birds found in the Jabarkhet Nature Reserve. This was followed by a passage-reading from the book by the author himself, and then a one- on- one discussion about the book. The students were curious to know more about the inspiration behind his book and his experiences while writing it. The author was quite obliging and readily revealed the seeds of thoughts from which the book was born. The students thoroughly enjoyed the session. The group returned to School by 11:30 am.

Ms. Steffy Lukose.