My Good School 15th March 2026

Sunday School 

To discuss student reflections and read from two books, focusing on character decisions.

Key Takeaways

• The Power of Reflection: Reading student reflections on past sessions (e.g., Kartik’s review writing) demonstrated how writing solidifies learning and inspires others (e.g., interest in Atomic Habits).

• Principle vs. Pragmatism: A 10-yen expense dispute in What You’re Looking For... highlighted a conflict between Ryo’s strict adherence to principle and Ms Yoshitaka’s pragmatic view of a minor error.

• Managing Stress: Ryo’s failure to communicate his work stress to Hina led to a personal conflict. The group discussed strategies for separating professional and personal life, such as making a plan to tackle problems.

• School Environment: A discussion on The Whistling School Boy concluded that a mix of indoor and outdoor learning is ideal for holistic development, combining academic focus with nature-based exploration.

Topics

Reflection Review & Program Overview

• Student reflections from previous sessions were read to illustrate the program’s value in reinforcing learning and improving written communication.

• Key Themes:

  • Curiosity and observation in nature.

  • The impact of small, consistent habits (Atomic Habits).

  • Essential elements of review writing.

  • Communication skills (body language, listening, confidence).

• Program Pillars: Reading, Reflection, and Relationship Building.

• YES Program: Monthly Youth Engaging Society sessions on communication skills.

  • Next sessions: March 29 and April 12.

Book 1: What You’re Looking For Is in the Library

• Context: Ryo, an accounts clerk, dreams of opening an antique shop but feels stuck in a job he dislikes.

• Conflict 1: Principle vs. Pragmatism

  • Ryo found a 10-yen discrepancy on an expense report.

  • Ms Yoshitaka dismissed it as an "easy” amount not worth the trouble.

  • Ryo insisted on accuracy, regardless of the sum.

  • Outcome: Ms Yoshitaka filed a false power-harassment complaint, threatening RRyo’s job.

• Conflict 2: Professional Stress Affects Personal Life

  • Ryo, overwhelmed by the complaint, failed to communicate his stress to Hina.

  • He lashed out at her for her successful online shop, dismissing it as a “hobby.”

  • Outcome: Hina left, leaving Ryo feeling “so low.”

• Group Discussion → Managing Stress

  • Problem: Carrying work stress home.

  • Solutions:

    • Talk to a trusted person (e.g., Hina).

    • Divert the mind temporarily to allow logic to take over.

    • Make a concrete plan to tackle the issue.

    • Focus on the present moment.

Book 2: The Whistling School Boy and Anir Kahania

• Context: A school in a remote, hilly village.

• Discussion → Ideal School Environment

  • Question: Should school be indoors or outdoors?

  • Conclusion: A mix of both is ideal for holistic development.

    • Indoors: Academic focus, protection from weather, and technology.

    • Outdoors: Connection to nature, fresh air, exploration, fun.

• Plot Summary:

  • The village is abuzz with news of a leopard sighting.

  • A teacher, Shri Man Mani, goes missing, causing panic.

  • Resolution: Shri Man Mani returns, having simply gotten lost. The “leopard attack” was a false assumption, a key example of irony.

  • Subplot: Shri Man Mani is stressed by a new, younger teacher (Tania Romola) being assigned to a senior class. This stress manifests as forgetfulness and “stress eating.”

  • Climax: On the walk home, the children are warned by the postman to hurry because of the leopard. This fear causes Sonu to forget his foot pain, highlighting the power of external threats to override personal discomfort.

Next Steps

• All Students:

  • Write and submit reflections on today’s session.

  • Consider presenting a book review or a creative work (drawing or interview) in a future session.

• PYDS Students:

  • Send a group photo to Manisha Khanna.

• Jugjiv Singh:

  • Continue reading What You’re Looking For Is in the Library next week.

• Manisha Khanna:

  • Continue reading The Whistling School Boy and Anir Kahania next week.

    
    

    FATHOM-AI-generated content, please read with care.

What You’re Looking For in the Library, and a Hindi story from, “The Whistling Schoolboy”

Sunday School of 1st March 2026

To read and discuss two books, focusing on themes of ambition and school life.

Key Takeaways

• Low Attendance Due to Exams: Final exams for classes 9 & 11 (home) and 10 & 12 (board) significantly reduced student attendance.

• Dual-Book Format: The session featured two books: a Japanese novel, What You’re Looking For in the Library, and a Hindi story, “The Whistling Schoolboy” from Kabhi Kabhi School Masti Ka Adda Lagta Tha.

• Core Themes: The English novel explored ambition vs. responsibility through protagonist Ryo’s dream of opening an antique shop. The Hindi story used humour to highlight the fun, non-academic parts of school life, like plays and food.

• “Parallel Career” Concept: A key idea from the English novel, a “parallel career” (coined by Peter Drucker), was introduced as a way to pursue two complementary careers without one being secondary.

Topics

Context: Low Attendance & New Participant

• Low student attendance was attributed to ongoing final exams across many schools.

• Shailaja from Holi Sai International School (Chennai, IGCSE) joined for the first time to observe the session.

• Jugjiv Singh provided an overview of the program’s goal: using books to spark dialogues on life skills and socio-emotional learning.

English Book: What You’re Looking For in the Library

• Recap: The session began by reading student blog reflections to recap the story.

  • Plot: Ryo, stuck in a finance job, dreams of opening an antique shop.

  • Librarian’s Role: Ms Komachi gives Ryo a book on worms and a felted cat, prompting him to discover a cat-themed bookshop, “Cats Now Books.”

• Reading & Discussion:

  • Ryo’s Work Stress: Ryo is burdened by his boss’s lack of software skills and an unmotivated assistant.

  • Hina’s Family Pressure: Hina’s parents see Ryo as a “steady chap” and hint at marriage, creating pressure that conflicts with his dream of running an antique shop.

  • “Parallel Career” Concept: Ryo learns this term from Peter Drucker, defined as two complementary careers in which neither is secondary.

Hindi Book: Ekanki Swang - Natak

• Pre-Reading Quiz: A quiz on “fun school moments” served as a warm-up, with students identifying activities like sharing jokes and playing during free periods as key to enjoyment.

• Reading: The story, read by Manisha Khanna, used humour to describe the author’s experiences at boarding school.

  • Plays: Rehearsals were a fun escape from mandatory study.

  • Food: The author would intentionally finish last in races to stop at a tikki/samosa stall, highlighting the importance of food in school life.

  • Library: The library was a favourite place, made lively by the senior master, Mr Knight.

• Discussion: The story sparked a discussion on the importance of food in boarding schools, with participants sharing anecdotes about hunger and the quality of school meals.

Program Calendar & Logistics

• Manisha Khanna shared the March calendar to provide context for new participants.

• Weekly Schedule:

  • Sundays: Dual book readings (English & Hindi).

  • Saturdays: Professional learning for teachers and a masterclass for students.

  • Fridays: “Brewing Knowledge” meet-and-greets with published authors.

• Upcoming Event: A retreat is scheduled for April 10–14 at Mayoor School Jaipur.

Next Steps

• Students: Write and submit reflections on the stories.

• Manisha Khanna: Publish student reflections on the program blog.

My Good School Sunday the 8th of Feb 2026

Jai Hind

I am really grateful for the opportunity to attend this session. It was not just a learning session but an experience that made me think deeply. The story discussed during the session was beautifully explained, and every part of it was simply connected to real life. The way the story moved from nature to human emotions made it very interesting and meaningful for me.

One part that I especially liked was how the speaker explained things using examples like jalapeños and grapes. Though they look similar, they are very different, and this comparison helped me understand how appearances can be misleading. This idea was closely connected to the story, in which observation, understanding, and the proper use of words play essential roles. It helped me realise how important it is to look beyond the surface.

All the essential words from the story were clearly discussed, which helped me understand their meanings in context rather than just memorising them. The story also taught me to be more sensitive towards nature, people and situations. It showed how small details can carry deep meaning and how learning can happen through curiosity and observation.

Overall, this session was very enriching and enjoyable. It helped me understand the story better and taught me life lessons in a gentle, practical way. I truly appreciated the effort put into making learning so interactive and thoughtful, and I would love to attend more such sessions in the future.

Aarinee Tripathi, Sunbeam School Mau

“Thank you for this feedback, Aarinee!”, Brinda Ghosh, coach and mentor at My Good School.

“It was quite refreshing being present at My Good School session this Sunday morning. Both the chapters from “My Family and Other Animals” & “What You’re Looking for in the Library” intrigued the listeners, and there were some fascinating responses from the audience. It was good to see both their excitement and the ability to reciprocate. More such Sundays awaited." Harshita Dalawat, host at My Good School.

Thinking for oneself - Nishan Karki

Thinking for oneself

"Its starting point has always been a willingness to think for oneself, a feeling of respect and concern for our fellow creatures, and a refusal to be complicit in abuse, and people of such conviction come from everywhere." —Matthew Scully

 

Thinking for oneself is one of the most important parts of life. It plays a crucial role in one's life. One should also think about his own motives instead of those of others. Well, it is also important to think for others, but before that, thinking for oneself is more crucial.

 

Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, said that:

 

A library may be very large, but if it is in disorder, it is less useful than one that is small but well-arranged. In the same way, a man may have a great mass of knowledge, but if he has yet to work it up by thinking it over for himself, it has much less value than a far smaller amount that he has thoroughly pondered.

So, one may have a great deal of knowledge, but if he does not use it wisely and in a fruitful manner by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge is worthless. He should utilize his knowledge to do good for himself and, thus, for others. He should not let it go to waste and always try to gain from it. If only he gains from his knowledge by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge will be valuable.

Nishan Karki

Class 10

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- wikiHow

Thank you, iro 2023 & Food4Thought Foundation

Greetings from Sandeep Dutt at The English Book Depot, the bookshop that won the Award for Best Book Store of the Year Category in IRO 2023. Getting the prestigious Award in our 100th year of service at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2023 is a big honour for us. Thank you, F4TF, for conducting IRO 2023 and recognising individuals and organisations promoting reading habits. I also thank all Sponsors, Aurobindo Pharma Foundation, Amadeus Labs, Odessa Technologies, Signode India Limited and Greengold Animation Pvt Ltd, for supporting F4TF and helping in organising IRO and, most important, identifying people from PAN India and appreciate their work. india reading olympiad® is a platform which enables, encourages, and endorses an ecosystem which creates functional reading spaces & joy for Reading and appreciates the efforts towards igniting a reading revolution across 13 categories, i.e. Life Time Achievement, Reading 4 Pleasure-School, Reading 4 Pleasure- NGO, Reading 4 Pleasure-Institute, Innovative Library Format, Innovation 4 Reading, Best Reading Club, Best Book Store of the Year, iambond Under 18, iambond Above 18, Joy of Reflection(Students), Best Library (F4TF) and Caught Reading. The three broad objectives of the india reading olympiad® are Encourage Reading habits and enable Joy of Reading at large, Encourage and appreciate individuals, groups and institutions which promote Reading and Inspire citizens to become lifelong readers & book lovers.

My enriching world of books - Anusha Jain

 ''A reader liver a thousand lives before he dies'.'

"A book a day keeps the stupidity away".

Books are our companions and friend of all times. They entertain us, teach us, make us knowledgeable, improve our vocabulary and, most importantly, help shape our lives. 

Today, I want to share my small world of books with you. Hope you like it! Happy learning! :)

My Library

Anusha Jain
Class 10th, Ahlcon Public School

My Library - Amaira

Amaira, Grade 3, Gyanshree School

My Library - Angad Bedi

The tallest of 'em all!

Angad Bedi
Pathways School, Noida

My World of Stories - Anvesha Rana

The Library may be better and far, 

but the one at my home, to it, has no par. 

The Library may have more books, 

but the one I have has more love but no looks. 

I love my library, 

may it be small or short, 

but life is also not counted by years but by friends, 

a library is not counted by books but ends. 

The friends in the corner of my room, 

the lessons in life loom,

The Library has taught me everything, 

from love to compassion, all of them ring. 

I have a friend called Harry Potter, 

a mate Percy Jackson, 

I know a lovely man who is Morrie Schwartz, 

and the most beautiful Totto-Chan. 

The Library has opened my world, 

it may have been small once, 

but now it's twice that same once. 

Let's all read, 

for one life may be monotonous, 

but hundreds will make that one super anonymous. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School