kalo, kucchit and the relatively newer character of Tuntuni from the
Tuntuni o Chhotachchu series (Parl Publication, 2014-2019) drives the story forward she is the real detective in her uncle s investigation agency but her being a girl adds nothing to the plot.
Iqbal doesn t specifically stereotype girls, nor does he treat his women characters with disrespect. There is surely a place for stories like
Tuntuni, but the problem is that the adventure-fantasy genre is the only kind of popular children s literature we have in Bangla, and these books do not tell stories of womanhood, nor do they explore the trials and tribulations of going through puberty.
YA Books to Read on Valentine’s Day
DESIGN: Sarah Anjum Bari
Young Adult Romance is an immensely popular genre among readers of all ages. Not only serving as great sources of comfort, these novels bring their own fresh and unique perspectives on love, identity, relationships, and everything that falls in between. Be it the classical enemies-to-lovers trope, the fake dating trope or the infamous, and endlessly intoxicating, love triangle, the stories below have covered it all.
YES NO MAYBE SO
Becky Albertelli & Aisha Saeed (HarperCollins, 2020)
The book revolves around the lives of Jamie and Maya, two teens who are experiencing a less than ideal summer break. Maya is worrying about her parents divorce and in dire need of someone to vent to. Jamie, on the other hand, is aiding in his cousin s campaign for their local elections. The two stumble into and over each other s lives at an Iftar party, where Maya agrees, much to Jamie s elation, to join in the campaign trail. While w