Conch Bearer - Childrens novel

My daughters recommend lots of books to me. Some of them I do read and some don't. Until now, I loved following books to read with them or read aloud to them, etc. These are from last year, 2007.

1. Wizard of OZ (100 years back, author dreamed about tin man - similar to robot today)
2. Sara, Book 1: The Foreverness of Friends of a Feather
3. Sara, Book 2: Solomon's Fine Featherless Friends
4. Sara, Book 3: A Talking Owl Is Worth a Thousand Words!
5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald, Dahl
6. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Lot more. Any books by Roald Dahl are wonderful. Same goes with Frank L Baum books.

Now to the book I read this year, 2008. My daughter highly recommended me to read "Conch Bearer" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. She said, her teacher read this book to her in her 4th grade (now she is in 6th grade). So, I thought lets see what Indian writer wrote and what attracted my daughter. I was not able to put the book down and finished it during the weekend. Very nice story about a poor boy and his way to his dream.

Anand is a poor boy in Kolkota area. His sister goes into trans like state after she watches a murder on the street. A old man comes and cures her and asks for Anand to go with him. Anand used to dream about magical powers, etc. Old man says he choose him as the conch bearer. That's how his journey starts and meets with another girl. Trio set forth to Himalayas and evil force try to snach the conch from them. How old man protects, guides these two kids along the way and what Anand learns, all this info is very interesting. Also conch guides him when he is in trouble. Here is one of the interaction between Conch and Anand.

Conch: "Relax! Don't worry so much. But perhaps to ask a human not to worry is like asking a fish not to swim!"
"Ananda, what do you want most to do?"
I want to help people, to make them happy, he thought.
"That's a mistake right there. You can help all the people you want, but you can't make them happy. Only they themselves can do that."
At least I don't want to cause them unhappiness--especially my family. I don't want to be the reason my mother cries and doesn't eat her food.
"Ah," said the conch. "Wait on that thought for a moment, and move to another question. If you really want to help, where do you think you can help more people? Here, after you develop your gifts, or at home with your family?"
I might be able to help more people here, Anand thought, but they're not my own people, not in the way my family is. I owe my family more.
"Another mistake," the conch said with a sigh. "All this talk of mine. Never mind. You're still young. But if there was a way for you to help your family from right here--more than you could help them by being there in person...?
But how can that be? Anand asked. What my mother needs is for me to be there.

It goes on... Very nice story.

Read and enjoy.