A couple of weeks ago I sent out a quiz about the title of my new book. Well done to everyone who got it right: The Runaway Children of Chennai
If you have read my recent blogs you'll know a little about the story already, but here is the blurb alongside my beautiful cover, designed by the brilliant Patrick Knowles.
Life for Rish is bad. But it’s about to get much worse.
Survival is the main objective for children living in one of the poorest slums in India. Rish and his friend manage to ward off hunger with their inventive and daring activities until tragedy strikes and life can never be the same again.
Having persuaded his sister Mariam to help him escape the stinking slum, they mistakenly put their trust in a crooked con man who has promised to find them a job. Too late, Rish and Mariam find they have been plunged into a world of betrayal and mystery.
An action-packed adventure based on the true stories of thousands of children who roam the streets of India.
So here is the quiz:
First we have some anagrams. As my book is set in India, can you work out the anagrams of these Indian cities?
1. Bumami
2. Legoabran
3. Talkako
4. Hilde
5. Enchain
6. Addaherby
7. Rajupi
8. Smartair
9. Audipru
10. Durjhop
Now can you guess these books or set in India and their authors.
1. A mysterious and unusual place to stay, made of finest yellow flowers.
2. The existence of 3.14
3. King of the Jungle
4. Extremely damp nuptials
5. A whole bunch of celestial bodies
6. A short girl’s name (the name is short, not the girl!)
7. A journey to a country bordering China, Pakistan and Nepal
8. Appendage at the end of the human arm between GI
9. Extremely rich hound from the shanty town
10. Sparkly stone in a royal hat
11. Bonus: Escapee kids from a city on the east coast of India
Finally for today: my book was inspired by the charity Railway Children so here are some facts about street children
1. What is the main reason why children are living on the streets in India?
a) They have been abandoned
b) They are escaping abuse at home
c) They have been abducted and sold
2. What is the average rate of death on the streets of India’s main cities?
a) 10 per day
b) 2 per day
c) 6 per day
3. How many homeless children arrive at India’s railway stations every year?
a) 1,120
b) 11,200
c) 112,000
4. Which of the following are considered ‘jobs’ for Indian street children?
a) Cleaning cars
b) Pick-pocketing
c) Working at fruit stalls
d) Begging
e) Collecting rags and plastic bottles
f) Shining shoes
5. Which Charity helps street children in India?
a) India’s Children
b) Railway Children
c) Street Children
I hope you enjoyed the quiz. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested.
Answers:
1. Mumbai 2. Bangalore 3. Kolkata 4. Delhi 5. Chennai 6. Hyderabad 7. Jaipur 8. Amritsar
9. Udaipur 10. Jodhpur
1. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - by John Madden
2. The Life of Pi – Yann Martel
3. Lion - by Saroo Brierley
4. Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns - by Khaled Hosseini
6. Kim – by Rudyard Kipling
7. A Passage to India - by E.M. Forster
8. Ghandi directed by Richard Attenborough
9. Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle
10. The Jewel in the Crown – Paul Scott
Bonus: The Runaway Children of Chennai - Caroline Boxall (I hope you got that one!)
1. b) They are escaping abuse at home (53%)
2.. a) 10 deaths per day
3. c) 112,000 children arrive at India’s railway stations every year
4. All of them
5. b) Railway Children
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