Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar and is celebrated by Hindus—and also by Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists—all over the world. An important aspect of the celebrations, the lighting of earthen diyas and the burning of firecrackers symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.

There are several legends about the origins of Diwali. In Festival of Light: Deepavali Legends from Around India Canadian-Indian academic of Hinduism, Radhika Sekar, brings the adventures of Hindu gods and demons to life with a selection of these legends, written for children age 6 and older. Whereas the story behind Diwali varies from region to region, its deep spiritual meaning is the same: a celebration of one’s inner light.

For more on the history, traditions and significance of the festival, check this website. For more children’s books on Diwali, see this post.

Happy Diwali to all who celebrate this beautiful holiday!

As librarian at San Francisco Friends School, Chad Stephenson naturally thinks a lot about spiritual books for children. In addition to Becoming Buddha, which he earlier recommended to us, and his suggestions of books about Diwali for our November website update, Chad also offers the following annotations on favorite books to inspire and nurture spiritual development in young readers:

• Wolf Brother (fantasy/adventure) by Michelle Paver – The tale of a boy discovering his connection to the natural world through a spiritually demonic bear who he must confront
• Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein – A great laugh-out-loud story about power and consumerism with a non-moral ending. (1963)
• The Golden Compass [known in the U.K. as Northern Lights] by Philip Pullman – Meant for the older, advanced readers from 9 and up, this first book in the trilogy brings a fantasy twist to the Christian story of Adam and Eve, though cloaked in an exceptionally creative fantasy world. (Now out as a film as well)
• Stories from the Bible by Lisbeth Zwerger – Meant for older kids (ages 9-11), who are familiar with the Bible and enjoy longer, more elaborate versions. Zwerger’s exquisite illustrations accompany the King James version text.

We look forward to more of Chad’s suggestions and contributions to PaperTigers. His outlook and perspective are much appreciated!