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For true Slumdog magic, read the book
By Upasan Bhaumik in WEST MIDLANDS, England --
Given that
“Slumdog Millionaire” was nearly about to make it straight to a DVD release,
some could say it was a miracle that it has now secured its place in history.
Indeed, the incidents that author Vikas Swarup tells us in Q
& A: A Novel – the story on which
“Slumdog” is based – are also perhaps nothing short of miracles.
However, any book is a series of coincidences, the 13 or so incidents that shape
Ram Mohammed Thomas’ life are brought about in a way that makes the book a
thriller, a love story, a story of life and perhaps most significantly, a story
of hope.
Each
chapter regales to the readers the story of how he can answer the questions on
the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” – a show that has the same
hype around it in India as the Super Bowl.
Using
this device, Swarup turns the 360-page book into a masterpiece of storytelling.
Read more
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When Hurricane Katrina smashed ashore in
2005, Louisiana teen Samantha Perez started writing about the
storm that washed away much of her old life. Her journal,
chronicled in the pages of The Tattoo, is all online at
Hurricane Journal.
Read it for an eye-opening and intensely personal look into the
eye of the worst storm in recent history. |
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-- THE OSCARS --
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Wall-E
recaptures beauty of animation
By Jason Lofters in ST. ANN's BAY,
Jamaica – As I write this, I look
around my room, and realize how incredibly fortunate I
am. Typing on my laptop, with my iPod and cell phone
next to me, surrounded by a shelves replete with books,
I understand how much I take everything I have for
granted.
Read more
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India celebrates Slumdog Millionaire
By Harsha Mishra in BAREILLY, Uttar Pradesh, India
– Celebration
has filled the air last week after the news that “Slumdog Millionaire” bagged
eight awards in the Oscars.
Composer A.R.
Rahman once more proved himself by capturing two awards for the Best Original
Song category and Best Song Score.
The movie got the
Best Picture Award, Best Director Award and four others including Best Song
Mixing Award.
It was a day of
immense joy and pleasure for Bollywood as well as the whole of India.
Read more
Mumbai slum movie
gains world's acclaim
By Sana Ali in SALWA, Kuwait
–
Who would have
thought it? After thousands of productions featuring Bollywood stars, one has finally come along that has managed to both awe the
world with its original insight to a street boy’s life and sneak away not one,
not two, but eight Academy
Awards.
Slumdog Millionaire” portrays a
young man with the simple vocation of a chai walla,
Jammal Malik, who has lived his life on bits and pieces in the slums of India,
and has somehow managed to luckily land a place on the show, “Who
Wants To Be a Millionaire.”
Read more
Oscar night is
honey for Jai Ho
By Mariah Pulver in
ORO VALLEY, Arizona,
U.S.A. – “Taste it, this night is
honey,” is a loose English translation of a few lines from “Jai Ho,” the winner
of the song category in the Oscars this year.
And that night was
sweet as honey for all those involved in the movie “Slumdog
Millionaire.” Not
only did they win Best Picture, but they won in seven other categories,
including both music categories, song and score.
Read more
Backward Benjamin
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-- NEWS --
Congressman seeks help from teens
By Kiernan Majerus-Collins and Wesley Saxena in
HARTFORD, Conn., U.S.A. -- Hoping to tap into the
experiences and ideas of young people and offer opportunities to
teens in his district, U.S. Rep. John Larson has formed a
Congressional Youth Cabinet.The cabinet consists of about 34
teens, ranging from sophomores to seniors in high school who
live in 16 different towns in central and northwestern
Connecticut.
Read whole story
Teens to
Congress: Education is key
By
Wesley Saxena in HARTFORD, Conn., U.S.A. – Education
is the key issue for young people, a group of teens told
Congressman John Larson.
The
teens, named to Larson’s new youth advisory council, all had
something to say about education. Whether they were concerned
with it locally or the overall importance of it and how it
affects the government.
Some of
the Youth Advisory Council members told Larson, an East Hartford
Democrat, that education is so critical that their parents
actually moved to a specific city so the children could attend
school there.
“My
family came here because they heard about how great the schools
were,” said Carson Collier, a senior at Berlin High School. “But
now, everything’s costing more and education isn’t viewed as
important. It shouldn’t be that way.”
Read whole story
By Kiernan Majerus-Collins/
Youth Journalism International
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