Ten to Fourteen years of school life is the most precious period in our life. We often crib about our education system. But, at the end of the day, school is a place that prepares us for the rest of our life. Hats, Hoods and Humiliation by Hiranya Verma is a book that will take you back to your school days (if you are an adult) or help you to face your problems (if you are in school).

Hiranya herself is a 10-year-old kid. In this book, she has shared her experiences of being humiliated in school by other kids for various reasons, and how she handles it. The Author is much matured for her age, it clearly reflects in her writing.

Humiliation and embarrassment can happen to anyone at any age. Sometimes people cannot get over such incidents. It can become a matter of concern throughout their life.

In school, it is quite a common scene that some kids make fun others for various reasons, like, for wearing glasses, being dark-skinned etc. In this book, you will get to see how a child feels when someone bullies her in school, how she faces it and let go of things with her matured thinking.

Hats, Hoods and Humiliation

Highlights of Hats, Hoods and Humiliation

  • Simple yet beautiful illustrations drawn by the author herself. Even the book cover is designed by Hiranya.
  • At the end of each chapter, there is a ‘Points to Ponder’ section where all the important points in the chapter are summarized.
  • Clear and neat presentation of ideas

My Review

First of all, I cannot appreciate Hiranya well enough for coming up with a non- fiction self-help book at this young age. People generally hesitate to share their sour experiences in school. This book not only tells how it feels but also gives solutions for problems that a child can face in school.

Concepts like self-pity, guilt, confessions etc have been explained so nicely. I loved the idea of affirmations. Affirmations really help to feel good about ourselves. I also agree with the sorry card thing, because sometimes apologizing verbally gets difficult.

The writing style is very effective and to the point. I also appreciate the editor here.

Anyone can read this book. It is definitely food for your soul. But to be a little specific, I would recommend it to school going kids, their parents and teachers.

It will open your eyes, for certain incidents that happen in school are not to be taken lightly. Most of the times, kids forget it and move on in life. But sometimes, incidents that we think are silly might damage a child’s life forever.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Looking forward to seeing some great works from Hiranya in future. All the best.

Purchase Hats, Hoods and Humiliations right here ?

Learning Life Lessons from Books

About the Author

Hiranya Verma is a 10-year-old girl, studying in standard VI, in Navy Children School, Kochi. She was born to Dr Rohit Verma and Dr Vidhu Bhatnagar in 2009. Her brother, Kaustubh, is 3 years elder to her. Her hobbies are drawing and painting, reading and writing. She also plays keyboard and loves the experience called life.

Wait, we can’t let go this little author without an author interview, right?

Here it goes ?

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH HIRANYA VERMA

How did you come up with the idea of publishing a non-fiction book at such a young age?

My mom & dad had a huge part in this. They told me I was good in literature, and that I should start writing stuff. My mom engaged us in writing articles for magazines and kids’ newspapers. I remember my English teacher being proud of my work and she said that she was expecting a book coming from me soon. It was my parents’ and teachers’ support that made me write the book.

What kind of books do you read?

I enjoy reading sci-fi, fantasy and adventure books. I’m currently re-reading Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (I finished the series last year). My favourite authors are Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling. I remember when I was younger; I used to be scared of reading thick books, especially Harry Potter. So I watched the movies instead. I didn’t understand the movies, so switched to the books. Turns out, I understand books a whole lot better than movies!

What is your parents’ role in your reading/writing life?

My parents have always been encouraging and supporting. I remember looking towards my mother for a few of the ideas in my book, and the ‘Points to Ponder’ were fully her idea. My father paid a huge role in getting my book published, as he did all the money matters in the whole ordeal, the illustrations and the spelling & grammar checking. I couldn’t have done this without the amount of work they put in for me, their support, or their never-ending encouragement.

Which is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

I remember reading a collection of stories by Enid Blyton. I remember reading the cover and pronouncing ‘other’ as ‘order’. My mother and brother were a crucial part in helping me learn how to write, as my mother has mentioned in her book. They taught me how to read English at the crisp age of five. By the time I was in 1st grade, my teacher had to tell me not to help other people in their small assessments, because I used to finish mine so early I had nothing else to do.

What do you wish to become when you grow up?

Now, I wish to become a writer for both non-fiction and fiction books, and perhaps even some small little comics along the way. My list of dream jobs had ‘doctor’ at the top because I couldn’t think of anything else, then went to ‘artist’ as I was fairly good in art in my second grade, then I thought of becoming a professor for Literature, because I enjoyed helping people understand any topic, but dropped it because I thought becoming a writer was my true passion. Will my dream job change, or have I sealed my fate as a writer? Who knows?

How many languages do you know? Do you write in any other language?

I, as of now, know only two languages: Hindi & English. I know a little bit of Spanish, but not enough to write a book. I think I’ll only be writing in English, for now, but if my Hindi improves, I’ll let you know.

Anything you want to say to my audience regarding your book?

My book is for anyone who needs it or wants to read it. You can read it any time you want, open any chapter you want, and use whatever you want from it. I also want to say that I wrote the book according to my experiences and that I know you will have different approaches or emotions to the same situation, and this book is for anyone who doesn’t know how to tackle humiliation. You can also read this book for a good read, or to peer into a ten-year-old girl’s mind

Thank you Hiranya for your time. It was so nice to know about you ?

VEDIO REVIEW OF HATS, HOODS AND HUMILIATION ON MY CHANNEL

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