Tales For Tweens: A Collection Of Progressive, Inclusive & Forward-Thinking Stories For Indian Youth

Much of what we find ‘acceptable’ and ‘normal’ comes from what we have grown up seeing around us. Whether this is the environment of one’s home or global trends, our childhood and how we shape our thoughts then pave the way for our mindsets.

In India, children and the youth are barely exposed to inclusive and progressive ideas, language, concepts, and more. The world taught to them through books and school exists in the binary, pays no heed to mental health, and certainly does not shed light on personal development across spheres. This is why books such as Tales For Tweens, a book for tomorrow’s progressive citizens, are important.

Deepak Varuvel Dennison put together this book which explores topics such as body positivity, gender identity, finance management, climate change, and mental health. A progressive book meant for young adults has been missing in the Indian market, but Tales For Tweens changes that. As a collection of stories across neoteric concepts, the book pulls tales from StoryWeaver, ‘an open-source platform, under the Creative Commons (CC) License’. The book leverages an Inclusivity Index which is used to make the stories as inclusive as possible. The index’s framework takes into account various factors and allows for stories to build upon them.

The book ensures representation across various groups of genders, sexualities, abilities, faiths, occupations, and more. This pushed the book in a direction where stereotypes are broken, and progressive thinking is instilled in young minds.

Our exposure to what we see, hear, and even read every day outlines our way of thinking. Tales For Tweens is one such piece of media that is making the effort to make this as inclusive as possible. The world out there is not accurately represented in our books –– in reality, it is the largest mix of people from all walks of life, all finding their own identities.

Get your copy of Tales For Tweens here.

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