BKMT READING GUIDES
Luka and the Fire of Life: A Novel
by Salman Rushdie
Paperback : 240 pages
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Introduction
"You've reached the age at which people in this family cross the border into the magical world. It's your turn for an adventure--yes, it's finally here!" So says Haroun to his younger brother, twelve-year-old Luka. The adventure begins one beautiful starry night in the land of Alifbay, when Luka's father, Rashid, falls suddenly into a sleep so deep that nothing and no one can rouse him. To save him from slipping away entirely, Luka embarks on a journey through the world of magic with his loyal companions, Bear, the dog, and Dog, the bear. Together they encounter a slew of fantastical creatures, strange allies, and challenging obstacles along the way?all in the hope of stealing the Fire of Life, a seemingly impossible and exceedingly treacherous task.
Excerpt
Chapter OneThe Terrible Thing That
Happened on the Beautiful Starry Night
There was once, in the city of Kahani, in the land of Alifbay, a boy named Luka who had two pets, a bear named Dog and a dog named Bear, which meant that whenever he called out, "Dog!" the bear waddled up amiably on his hind legs, and when he shouted, "Bear!" the dog bounded toward him, wagging his tail. Dog, the brown bear, could be a little gruff and bearish at times, but he was an expert dancer, able to get up onto his hind legs and perform with subtlety and grace the waltz, the polka, the rhumba, the wah-watusi, and the twist, as well as dances from nearer home, the pounding bhangra, the twirling ghoomar (for which he wore a wide mirror-worked skirt), the warrior dances known as the spaw and the thang-ta, and the peacock dance of the south. Bear, the dog, was a chocolate Labrador, and a gentle, friendly dog, though sometimes a bit excitable and nervous; he absolutely could not dance, having, as the saying goes, four left feet, but to make up for his clumsiness he possessed the gift of perfect pitch, so he could sing up a storm, howling out the melodies of the most popular songs of the day, and never going out of tune. Bear, the dog, and Dog, the bear, quickly became much more than Luka's pets. They turned into his closest allies and most loyal protectors, so fierce in his defense that nobody would ever have dreamed of bully_ing him when they were nearby, not even his appalling classmate Ratshit, whose behavior was usually out of control. ...
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Discussion Questions
No discussion questions at this time.Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
Praise: "Playful" could be Salman Rushdie's middle name, he's been called it so often. But in his second book for kids of all ages, he takes his fondness for play up a few levels with a quest fable that mimics a video game, complete with special effects. It's nonstop fun. It's about big things: love, imagination, death, life. And like many a video game, it's a tad frenetic. —The Washington Post “A magical fable . . . nonstop fun.”—The Washington Post “A fantastic adventure tale.”—New York Post “Riddles, puns and other wordplay enliven the writing. . . . The charm and cleverness of this buoyant fantasy will draw you into its Magical World.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune “Smart and entertaining . . . should please children and adults alike.”—The Miami Herald “[Rushdie’s] exuberant wordplay is evident on every page.”—The New York Times Book ReviewBook Club Recommendations
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