A Leap in a Blue Moon

Note:I got a copy of this book for review. A leap in a blue moon= A leap in dark+ once in a blue moon(Idioms) The writer Ishwar Vedam is an IT professional based in Bangalore and he has woven this engaging story around idiomatic expressions, and dedicated this book to his li'le daughter. This book is about story of a 11 year old girl Nidhi, who hates idioms because their meaning does not add up to the meaning of individual words in the idioms !Like Alice in Wonderland, she falls through ground while playing in the garden with her friend and finds herself in a different world, a world full of interesting people who do not know of our world. How Nidhi finds her way back to her home from this new world forms the plot of this book. Some of the interesting people she meets in this new world Graria are (1) Joe who is burdened by huge rock on his chest which melts away when someone listens to his woes. (2)Jack, a "couch potato" who has become like a Potato, whom Nidhi helps (3) Waldi, a walking dictionary, having a slit at the back of his head, which whirs out printed pages of information...and so on. Unlike telephones in our world, Nidhi also finds "grapewine", through which one can see and listen the latest happenings in the new world Graria. Also there is "writing on the wall " which shows the future. The writer Ishwar Vedam has put in a lot of effort to make the characters in the book live and talk.Also the description of this little girl Nidhi's way thinking, her emotions, her use of her intelligence and experience to take smart decisions to escape from her never ending troubles in the new world , will make you smile. The young readers come to know of and master many fantastic idiomatic expressions by the time they finish this book and the adult readers find this book entertaining , engrossing and full of suspense and thrill! Recommended for all age groups.

I never heard / read a story focussing on Idioms and phrases. This is a good read in which the author narrates the story through interesting Idioms and phrases with the central character being a young girl. The story is gripping, entertaining and well written. I like the story a lot and it ended on a happy note. I would recommend the book for any voracious reader or for summer vacation reading. I am waiting for the sequel of this book and I hope it is published soon :)) Thank you Vedam Sir, Joshua (12 yrs)

Both my precocious 7-year-old and I enjoyed this book. She could not put it down, and as soon as she read the last page, let out a loud moan, "I want more!" She is hoping for a sequel to the book. The story takes a couple of chapters to get into it, but after that you're hooked. The setting reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, in that the girl from the real world falls into (here, leaps into) a fantasy world that obeys a different set of rules, and you can't tell who or what is coming around the corner. There are wily characters, a bad guy, idiom-linked behaviours that you first wonder at and then start looking forward to and enjoying, an intriguing cat who walks both worlds. I must say I agree with my daughter, I too am looking forward to reading a sequel!

I bought this book for my son but once I started reading it, I really got engrossed in it. It is a very different and creative story about a girl falling into a different world on an occasion and it leads to one event after another which is very well linked to idioms. The story is well paced and has all the elements to keep one interested till the end. I was wondering on how a nice creative story could be built around Idioms and Ishwar Vedam has given us a splendid entertaining creation of it. The book ends with a hope of a sequel. I look forward for the sequel and wish Ishwar Vedam all the best.

A very well written story about a little girl who mysteriously finds herself in another world. Only way to get back is to keep solving the puzzles that she comes across. Loved the creativity and imagination behind all the characters. Great stuff!!!

This book is so creatively written for the kids of age group 10-12 years. There is so much to learn while enjoying this fairytale. My son, 10 years old, loved the book. He is waiting for another one from Ishwar.

Excellent read ! The way Vedam creates the characters and weaves the story , it bounds you to the chair & makes you not leave the book till the last pages is over ! A must to satiate your reading hunger 😊

Through a fantasy tale wound round a little girl who hates memorizing idioms Ishwar Vedam has cleverly used the same figure of speech as an effective language tool. The literal meaning of the idioms " load off the chest" and 'green fingers ' amidst numerous others, clearly brings out their meaning, though the metaphorical analogy is not highlighted and has to be grasped by inference,which a twelve year old may fail to comprehend. There are also subtle lessons on the negatives of too much TV watching (couch potato) and acting in haste without thought. The Alice in Wonderland feel tends to drag at times .... All in all a great attempt at portraying how a language is enhanced and made more effective by its figures of speech.