The PARI series, published under the Karadi Tales chapter book imprint, Minmini Reads, is done in collaboration with People’s Archive of Rural India: an ambitious, acclaimed living archive of reporting about rural India, founded and led by veteran journalist P. Sainath.
The PARI series uses real stories of rural India, disenfranchised people and communities,and the unique challenges they overcome every day, be it in infrastructure, health care, or job security. They are stories of triumph – of children who participate cheerfully in civic issues, athletes who power past their disabilities, citizens who demand their right to be heard – and an attempt to give these voices a platform, as well as address the serious dearth of children’s books that are set in non-urban locations.

Coming Home

What if we started our own school?

Eleven-year-old Selva’s home is a valley with swaying palms, fertile farms and freshwater pools – it’s paradise.
But if he and his friends want to study further, they’ll have to trek through the forest to the government school. Selva is worried he will be forced to give up studies and migrate in a few years, just like all the older children from the region, including his big brother Subbu. He doesn’t want to leave and find work in far off mills and factories – so he asks a simple question – “What if we started our own school?”
Priti David transports the readers to breathtaking Sittilingi Valley in Dharmapuri, where a cast of earnest, resourceful and ambitious children look for a way to bring home the people they love.