Just having this shortlist is rewarding for a children’s author

In between sips of coffee on a rainy Bangalore afternoon, Roopa Pai, author of the Taranauts books, a fantasy series for children between the ages of 8 and 12, confesses to being a reluctant fantasy fan. “I can’t really connect to adult fantasy fiction. Even The Lord of The Rings didn’t quite grab me,” says Pai, eyes twinkling.

“I am a huge fan, though, of fantasy written for children and young adults — from Harry Potter to the more recent Percy Jackson series,” she adds.

Quite a confession from an author whose first foray into writing a fantasy series — eight books, no less, two of which are on the stands while the third awaits a launch this month — has won her a place in the shortlist of the Vodafone Crossword Book Awards in its newly constituted category, Children’s Books. The Quest for the Shyn Emeralds, the first book in the Taranauts series — fast-paced, cheekily written adventure books set on an alternative universe called Mithya featuring three kick-ass child protagonists — has been nominated in this category.

Full report here DNA