BOOK REVIEW – EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU BY CELESTE NG
“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing. Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
BOOK REVIEW
‘Everything I Never Told You’ was the first book I ever read that could be classified as ‘Mystery’. Of course, this was a large change, coming from a person whose bookshelves are filled with Teen Fiction.
Where do I begin? This story is excellent in so many different ways. The beginning of the book illustrates a typical morning in the Lee household. There’s just one small yet major detail missing from their family portrait. Lydia Lee. Favorite child, bright future, dreams of becoming a doctor. The plot of the story is quite simple: Where is Lydia Lee? And as all the members of the family unravel their dirty little secrets, the story gets even more complicated, until everything falls into place.
This book is written through multiple POV’s, from each member of the family. Alternating between past and present, the narrative sets a clear picture of the Lee family and the circumstances that shaped them. Each member of the family has a different perspective about Lydia and her dreams, from outstanding student to friendless child. The day Lydia’s body is found in the lake, all the secrets collapse, leaving just the Lee family without all the imaginary multitudes they’d created for themselves.
In terms of enjoyability, this is probably the best book I’ve ever read. The characters had distinct voices and opinions. Everything from the cover to the blurb was wonderfully executed. This is less of a mystery, rather a simple story about how a family believed in so many lies, they became truths.
This book was marketed towards an older audience, around the ages of 13 and up. However, anyone who wants a compelling, intriguing read should give this book a try.
Rating: 5/5
QUOTES FROM BOOK
“Before that she hadn’t realized how fragile happiness was, how if you were careless you could knock it over and shatter it.”
“The things that go unsaid are often the things that eat at you— whether because you didn’t get to have your say, or because the other person never got to hear you and really wanted to.”
“For the rest of the summer, and for years after that, they will grope for the words that say what they mean: to Nath, to Hannah, to each other. There is so much more they need to say.”
“Lydia knew what they wanted so desperately, even when they didn’t ask. Every time, it seemed such a small thing to trade for their happiness.”
By Saanvi Kulkarni, Grade 8, EJPN
Teachers - The Inspiration of a Child
THEY GIVE US KNOWLEDGE, THEY GIVE OUR LIFE A WAY. A PERSON WHO EDUCATES A CHILD, EVERY CHILD’S CHILDHOOD PAVED ; BY THE BEAUTIFUL COLORS, OF A TEACHER’S HAND. THEY GIVE FLOWERS OF HAPPINESS, TO EVERYONE , FROM TEENAGERS TO INFANTS. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE THAT WE MET, IS ONLY BECAUSE OF OUR TEACHER. AS SHE TAUGHT US ,THAT A LONG JOURNEY OF THOUSAND MILES ; BEGINS WITH ONE STEP. TEACHERS SHOW US A PATH OF DIVINE, AND AS WE FOLLOW THEM, THEY MAKE US SHINE. THEY WORK HARD, AND TAKE PAIN ; JUST TO MAKE US UNDERSTAND, ALL FOR OUR GAIN. THEY GIVE US ALL THAT WE NEED, SELFLESSLY, THEY TEACH US; WITHOUT EXPECTING ANY CHEECH. WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL TO THEM, AND THAT’S A MUST. ‘TEACHERS’ ARE THE GOD’S GIFT, THEY ARE A BLESSING TO ALL. THEY ARE ALWAYS FOR US, THEY PICK US UP WHEN WE FALL. WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE FIND, TEACHERS WHO ARE A FORM OF GOD. THEY UNDERSTAND US, AND ANALYSE OUR MIND; FROM A PEN THEY MAKE US A SWORD. THEY MAKE US LEARN, MATHS , SCIENCE AND OTHER SUBJECTS MADE FUN; HENCE THE RESPECT THAT THEY EARN, IS THE MOST WONDERFUL FEELING IN TURN. TEACHERS ACT LIKE A SHELL ; THEY PROTECT US WHEN NECESSARY SAFE ; WAS ALWAYS HOW WE FELT NEVER LET US SEE THE FIREY. (DARK) WE WERE ALWAYS IN LIGHT, BUT SOMEONE IN DARK, WAS ALWAYS ALONE , TRIALS OF THEM IN SPITE, BUT THEY SHOWED HIM ALSO A BRIGHT SPARK. EVEN IN PITCH- DARK. TEACHER’S JOURNEY IS THE HARDEST, AS THEIR DESTINATION IS THE FARTHEST, I KNOW THEY WILL WIN , BY SAVING EVERY CHILD FROM MAKING ANY SIN. I WOULD CONCLUDE AND SAY, THAT IT IS UN RETURNABLE TO PAY. FROM A STUDENT TO A TEACHER, AS THEY ARE THE GREATEST CREATURE. By Prerana Moolchandani, Grade 8, EJPN
What learning looks like at Ekya?
“The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its reasons for existing” - Albert Einstein
If you spend time with a young child, it soon becomes clear that the astronomer Carl Segan was right when he said: “ Every kid starts as a natural-born scientist”.
At Ekya the teaching-learning process happens most creatively. Teachers are considered as the “agents of change”. Attempts to change the teaching-learning process are focused on teachers, particularly the way they are trained and how they interact with the students. The latest teacher training place a greater emphasis on pedagogy and classroom practice as another way to improve science learning.
Science not only shapes our daily lives but also has an impact on countless decisions we make each day.
Students at Ekya are all the time engaged in doing science experiments and activities. Teachers help students to see themselves as scientists. They are encouraged to participate in the interactive sessions. Teachers create opportunities for students to learn and apply science instead of just reading about it in a textbook. Some of the teaching strategies educators at Ekya use to teach include -problem-based learning, incorporating educational technology into the lesson, Engineering Design, and project-based learning.
Students are encouraged to think like a scientist and sharpen their observation skills and learn to make and test hypotheses to conclude the answers. Teachers at Ekya strongly believe in the fact that visuals hold the power of staying longer on our minds than words. The students are taught the complex scientific facts with a visual treat. The use of a science kit makes the students feel proud after they complete an activity on their own. Critical thinking is part of brain maturation. This helps the kids to order their thoughts. Students develop their writing skills by using a science notebook. They are encouraged to record each step of an experiment while it is performed. Seeing results in action helps the kids develop critical thinking and science skills. Recording vocabulary words in the notebook provides a reference for future use. It also enables students to think, reason, draw conclusions and communicate effectively.
I would like to conclude by saying that teachers at Ekya focus on fostering a love for science. This in turn will help the students to encounter the world at a deeper level.
By, Manu Kakkar - Ekya ITPL
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