Ruskin Bond Books In Order

Publication Order of Rusty Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Chapter Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Ruskin Bond is an Indian children fiction and mystery author. He lives in Landour, India with his adopted family. He has been recognized for contributing to the development of children’s literature in India. He won the Sahitya Academy Award for his English novel; Our Trees Still Grew in Dehra in 1992. Bond was also awarded Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Ruskin bond uses Rusty mostly as the fictional character to write stories about his past which is closely attached to Dehra town since its valleys and hills inspired him. The author’s historical novel, A Flight of Pigeons, was made a movie in the Bollywood film in 1978 produced Shashi Kapoor. The Doordarshan TV has adapted most of Rusty’s stories as series while India incorporated others into the school curriculum including Time Stops at Shamli, The Night Train at Deoli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. Vishal Bhardwaj, Bollywood director, made the author’s children novel, the blue umbrella a film in 2005 which later won national Award as the best children’s novel. Bond’s was awarded as a British Commonwealth writer below the age of 30 the Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957 for his novel The Room on the Roof.

The Room on the Roof

The novel introduces us to Rusty, the protagonist who is an Anglo Indian living with his guardian after losing his parents at a young age. He is 16 years and is undergoing his puberty stage living in the outskirts of Dehra and has never been to town. Rusty feels very lonely and wants to escape to go and live with his Indian friends. He was warned of the Indians and is surrounded by the English way of living. He wishes to get freedom and a good life away from his strict guardian.

Rusty goes to Bazaar, a small town in the forests of India where he finds adventures, friends, and home. He finds the place charming since there is more life compared to the neighborhood which was boring. He starts going to the market secretly because if his guardian learns about it, he would be punished heavily. In town, he meets his new friends, Ranbir, kitchen, Somi, and others. One day he finds it hard to endure and escapes from his guardian home without minding about the consequences. He starts life with happiness, love, friendship, responsibilities, sorrow, and grimness.

The people around Rusty are unworldly just like him. Ranbir is aggravated at Rusty for not showing up in time on the day of Holi while Somi due to his compassion is willing to give Rusty a lift on his bicycle. Kishen and Rusty after having a misunderstanding about the tuition they form a bond. These things are good enough to form a lifetime friendship since they value things that are worth valuing.

The author introduces to another character, Meenar Kapoor who is dutiful and aware of the injustices in her life. She is concerned about her husband who is a drunkard and attentive to her only son and she is aware of her feelings towards the devotion of the genuine youth. However, she does not feel guilty about the things happening in her. The book revolves around the life of Rusty before and after escaping his guardian’s home.

In the course of the story, Rusty falls in love and gets heartbroken and watches his close circle of friends come in and go out of his life. He wants to explore his life expectations and is ready to face the trials and financial challenges that are faced by almost every insecure adolescent. The book is about friendships, caring and youthful life which makes youth rethink of your life as a teen and the pleasures you valued in your life then.

The Blue Umbrella

The blue umbrella is a story of an ordinary young girl named Binya who has never had any luxury since she was born and her blue umbrella. She meets picnickers one day and sees a beautiful blue umbrella and loves it. The picnickers agree to give it to her in exchange for her charm necklace with a leopard claw which was believed to be a sign of good luck. The umbrella becomes the talk of the village since it brings some adventure to Binya. The adults in her home village are very jealous of her while children admire it and give them a chance to hold. Binya is very happy and never closes her umbrella.

Ram Bharosa, an owner of a shop in the village due to his jealousy, orders a boy named Rajaram who was working for him in the shop to grab the umbrella from Binya. He promises to pay him three rupees if he brings the umbrella to him. However after Rajaram steals the umbrella, Binya spots him with it and runs after him, she is then assisted by Bijju, her brother who fights with Rajram and gives the umbrella back to his sister. This makes Ram Bharosa to stay in disgrace for about two weeks after people in the village abandon him and no one seems to trust him again. She pity Ram since she is aware that his current state is due to his longing for her umbrella. Out of her kind heart, she goes to his shop and hands over the umbrella to him. Ram starts showing off to the villagers this time with no guilt since he was given as a gift.

Ram Bharosa later gets a bear claw which is considered luckier than that of a leopard. He makes a pendant from it with a silver chain and gives it to Binya as a gift, and they end up being happy and free from guilt.

The story is simple, mesmerizing and loveable and has a smooth flow with an elegant language which makes you to be carried away as you read. It teaches some morals and keeps you entertained to the end.