Viku Goes to School: A Story from the Forests of India

Viku Goes to School is fourth in the Viku adventure series begun with Viku and the Elephant. In the new book, although Viku wants to spend his days in the forest with Haatee, his elephant friend, his father sends him to school, saying, "Otherwise you'll never know all the new things happening in the world." And his mother tells him, "Haatee can live in the forest, but you have to grow up and earn money. You cannot do that without a good education." Viku doesn't know anyone in school and soon meets a boy who bullies him. How is he going to handle the bigger boy? Could Haatee help? As Viku works through the problem, the reader identifies with him and his struggle and will think about how to deal with similar situations in his or her own life. Then farmers come to Viku for advice when wild elephants trample their fields. How will he help? These Viku stories are fast paced and intriguing while telling us about life in another culture.

This book works well as a read aloud story for young children, is suitable for early readers (2nd and 3rd grades), and an excellent chapter book for 4th and 5th graders.

Praise from National Award Winning Teachers

Viku Goes to School gives us a unique glimpse into the life of a young boy named Viku. It speaks to time-tested friendships, resolving conflict, and building on hopes and dreams for a better future – a genuine, heartfelt story that will leave young readers feeling like they know the characters in a very personal way. The questions at the end of the book provide thoughtful discussion and guide the reader to interact more personally with the text. It is definitely a teacher/student friendly classroom selection. I loved the book the first time I read it, and as a teacher I know it will be a well loved favorite of students. What an excellent book to read aloud in a classroom. It would stimulate discussions to address bully problems and students could form opinions and search for better solutions. This book is a favored addition to my library.
– Kathie J. Heusel, Milken Educator Award (2008), Great Falls, Montana

Children everywhere will connect to this 4th adventure as these friends journey into their new challenge of beginning school, confronting bullies, and finding a way for humans to live in harmony with elephants. Debu Majumdar artfully blends lessons learned from Viku’s new school with those learned from Haatee’s life in the jungle to help readers understand how to overcome such struggles and see how Viku thinks through and solves problems with his elephant friend to turn the difficult situations they encounter into opportunities for all to learn, grow and bring a balance to their worlds.
– Roni Gold, Milken Educator Award (2010), Springfield, Massachusetts

I am always looking for books that address bullying in schools and Viku Goes To School is a wonderful story that addresses this issue. Through Viku’s experiences, we learn about bully behavior, as well as lessons about how to deal with bullies. We also get insight into the student exhibiting bully behavior and learn why he is targeting Viku. Viku’s resolution to this problem is both inspiring and heartfelt and will provide wonderful opportunities for rich classroom discussions.
– Martin Martinez, Milken Educator Award (2010), Gresham, Oregon

Viku takes on another life challenge and stays true to himself. He uses his common sense to stand up to a bully, and then becomes a friend to this boy. Viku's ability to problem-solve and think through situations can be used to inspire and model to school aged children how to appropriately navigate through situations.
– Jennifer Smith, Milken Educator Award (2006), 29Palms, California