For him and her

Why do many people presume that a girl needs a ‘girlie’ book, and that she cannot read adventure, science fiction or something action-based, that she is more suited to a Meg Cabot’s Every Boy’s Got One rather than Anthony Horowitz’s The Falcon’s Malteser, writes Shobha Sengupta.

Some parents are as annoying as their children, sometimes even more so. I have them come into my bookstore saying, “We need a book for an 11-year-old girl, can you suggest something?” Why do many people presume that a girl needs a ‘girlie’ book, and that she cannot read adventure, science fiction or something action-based, that she is more suited to a Meg Cabot’s Every Boy’s Got One rather than Anthony Horowitz’s The Falcon’s Malteser.

HT Image

Sometimes, I jump in to make a point. “Why don’t you give her a Phillip Pullman instead? She’s a smart girl and then, won’t she have to be competing with men later in life?”

Most times, they just don’t listen, even if I tell them that as a young girl I loved an Alistair Maclean or a James Hadley Chase as well as a piece of good literature like the amazing The Count of Monte Cristo much more than some mushy stuff. And I was no exception, and I was in good company.

Some parents even lovingly have the ‘girlie’ book packed in pink paper, and put in a pretty pink bag! What about something really scary like a Goosebumps, a good old Hitchcock, or a nice western like Louis Lamour. I remember reserving my horror books for late nights to get the most paise out of them. And then when the thrill of the terrifying rollercoaster ride got too much for me finally, I’d suddenly shut my book, look around me to make sure I was indeed safe, and huddle beneath my quilt to settle into a greatly satisfied sleep. I had got my money’s worth.

And yes, the boys can also dip into those ‘girlie’ books for a change.

Shobha Sengupta owns the bookstore-gallery, Quill and Canvas, in Gurgaon

The views expressed by the author are personal