17 Best Sudha Murthy Books for Kids

Sudha Murthy books have good language, moral values, are entertaining and have a calming effect on kids. Kids connect with Sudha Murthy stories as she writes straight from her heart. Let’s find which are the Sudha Murthy books for kids above 8 years of age.

What does Sudha Murthy write about in her books for kids?

Sudha Murthy books for kids have

  • mythological stories,
  • memoirs,
  • fantasy,
  • realistic fiction,
  • folktales.

Author Sudha Murty writes stories that are inspired by memories of her experiences. Yet, some of her work in children’s literature are also in other genres like fantasy, mythology, folktales and realistic fiction.

Kids from grade 3 can attempt reading Sudha Murthy books for kids. She has also written books for teenagers and grownups too. Overall, her books cater to kids, teenagers and adults.

Complete list of Sudha Murthy Books for Kids and Adults

Who is Sudha Murthy? (Biography)

We know Sudha Murthy as a prolific writer and wife of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy. But, did you know she is the chairperson of the non-profit organization Infosys Foundation? Her philanthropic activities at the foundation, include helping people and communities. Her Infosys foundation helps during a natural disaster and the under-privileged section of society.

She has one daughter named Akshata and one son named Rohan. Her son-in-law, Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister of England.

(More detailed Biographical Information of Sudha Murty is written after the 17 books given below. Check the table of contents to jump to the heading.)

BEST 17 SUDHA MURTHY BOOKS FOR 8 TO 15 YEARS OLD KIDS

Her books are not preachy yet inspire good thoughts and behavior in her readers. The stories inspire young kids to become a kind, responsible and humble human being. Sudha Murthy books for kids are worth reading and offer value for money.

1. Grandma’s Bag of Stories

  • Publisher – Penguin Books Limited
  • Year of Publication – 2015
  • Pages – 176
  • Genre – Children’s literature
  • Readers age group – Kids above 8 years
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This children’s book is one of the best Sudha Murthy books for kids. It is a collection of twenty plus short stories and Indian folk tales. The story is set in Shiggaon, grandma tells stories to four grandchildren named; Anand, Krishna, Raghu and Meena.

Aajji the grandma prepares delicious snacks for the grandchildren. She narrates stories of scorpions, mice, monkeys, kings, cheats and treasures. Colourful illustrations and an easy to read language makes this book a pleasure to read. Grandparents can read the stories aloud to their grandchildren. This is the best Sudha Murthy books for young children between 8 to 15 will enjoy reading stories from this book. There is a likelihood that readers might feel an impulse to visit Shiggaon to visit this grandma.

Also read: CBSE Budding Authors Program

2. Grandparent’s Bag of Stories

  • Publisher – Puffin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2020
  • Pages – 240
  • Genre – Children’s literature
  • Reader age – 8 to 13 years
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This children’s book will transport the kids to a world of wonderous stories with Sudha Murthy’s catchy narrative and Priya Kurian’s beautiful illustrations. Kids will fantasize Sudha Murthy as their grandmother as she shares stories in this book. This book is the second part of the Grandma series, after the first title “Grandma’s Bag of Stories”.

The stories will show you typical days during the Covid19 lockdown. The parents were busy, working from home and young children only had grandparents to keep them entertained. As a grandmother, Sudha Murthy tells simple stories of rice, wheat and beans that teach important life values.

Several such short stories in the book bring show her point of view on values and morals. The author is not preachy. Her stories are a blend of traditions and life lessons. The Murthy seniors prepared ration parcels for the needy as a donation. The grandchildren helped the grandparents in making the parcels and important life lessons were imparted. 

Sudha Murthy is conversational in her writing style and that’s the reason she connects with her readers. This book has an assortment of stories that a young independent reader can enjoy reading. Illustrations by the talented illustrator Priya Kurien will keep the young readers wonderstruck at the craft. This one is one of the most popular Sudha Murthy stories for kids.

3. The Gopi Diaries: Coming Home (popular Sudha Murthy books for kids)

  • Publisher – Harper Children’s Books
  • Year of Publication – 2019
  • Pages – 104
  • Genre – Children’s fiction, A mix of memoir and fiction
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

If you are searching for the Sudha Murthy books for kids then The Gopi Diaries is one of my personal favorite. This book is the first part of the two-part series of the Gopi Diaries. This book is about the pet dog Gopi. The narration of the story is by Gopi the Golden Retriever dog as he comes to a loving new human home full of adults. 

The family of adults is visited by two children and they become very fond of Gopi. The grandmother or aajji is very fond of Gopi. But grandfather or aajja is not too fond of the dog. The author Sudha Murthy has a golden retriever dog too. The story is inspired by her dog’s imaginary point of view. Gopi visits the vet and this is where he meets other dogs. They tell Gopi some anecdotes about the vet.

The story has been narrated in a simple flowy style and the reader feels that they are Gopi the dog. The illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat are appealing and engaging for readers. The font is clear and spaced out for an easy read, supported by colourful illustrations. This book is ideal for independent readers beginning to read chapter books. At the end of the book is a photo of the real Gopi which is Sudha Murthy’s dog.

4. The Gopi Diaries: Finding Love 

  • Publisher – Harper Children’s Books
  • Year of Publication – 2021
  • Pages – 136
  • Genre – Children’s literature, A mix of memoir and fiction
  • Readers age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This is the second part of the series Gopi Diaries. In this book, the story has progressed by one year and Gopi has become bigger and stronger. Gopi is naughty and confident, making new dog friends, and facing new challenges.

Also read: Budding Authors Guide to Write Story

In this book, Gopi meets two new pet adoptions, Hari and Nandi. They are adopted from a shelter. Gopi is insecure yet becomes friends with Hari and Nandi. Gopi takes care of them and supports them. Gopi’s adopted family appreciates his acceptance of the two new arrivals. Read this book to find Gopi’s perspective about the world around him.

5. The Daughter from a Wishing Tree: Unusual Tales about Women in Mythology 

  • Publisher – Puffin
  • Year of Publication – 2019
  • Pages – 102
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Mythology
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This children’s book of Sudha Murthy is full of unusual mythological tales. As the name suggests, the stories in this book are about women from Indian mythology. They will inspire you with their strength and grit. The tales are mysterious and enchanting. These women from Indian mythology have fought with the asuras and protected devotees.

Sudha Murthy brings to light several stories of women in our mythology that are not mentioned frequently. More popular stories are of Ma Durga, Devi Sita and Drupadi. The author dives deep into the mythology and presents stories of different forms of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Parvati, among others. The book is great for teenagers as a chapter book after having done with reading Amar Chitra Katha.

6. The Magic of the Lost Temple

  • Publisher – Penguin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2015
  • Pages – 164
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Adventure
  • Readers age group – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

The Magic of the Lost Temple brings lost stories from a temple in Karnataka. By an unexpected turn of events, the protagonist Nooni, a city-bred girl has to stay at her grandparent’s house in the village. She engages in a variety of activities like papad making, learning to ride a bicycle, organising a picnic with her new friends in the village.

Also read: How to Edit Short Story? (Creative writing)

Accidentally Nooni discovers an ancient stepwell in the middle of the forest. She tries to find the hidden secrets behind the temple there and discovers unexpected secrets. Taking her friends along to this stepwell, Nooni has quite an experience in uncovering the mysteries around this lost temple in her village. Readers above 8 years will enjoy reading this book.

More Books of Sudha Murthy for Kids

7. The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories

  • Publisher – Penguin Books Limited
  • Year of Publication – 2015
  • Pages – 160
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Fantasy
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

Published in 2015, this Sudha Murthy books for kids is a must-read for young readers above 9 years. The book is a collection of thirty plus short stories and folk tales. In the stories, you will witness a princess who thinks she was a bird, the rich rulers and the misers, the wise and the foolish and an assortment of strange odd situations and characters that will keep you entertained from cover to cover.

One such story is that of an old distressed couple saved by a magic drum. The book gets its name from this story. Most of these stories were told by her grandparents and other stories were narrated to her by friends from around the world. The author is fond of narrating these stories to young people. Presented in this book, the stories now reach a wider audience.

8. How the Sea Became Salty

  • Publisher – Puffin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2019
  • Pages – 40
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Fantasy
  • Age group – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This book was published by Puffin books in 2019 and is fit for young readers above 8 years. The book has colourful illustrations and easy flowy text with an attractive font. This book can be an enjoyable read for newly independent readers. Folktales and short stories about everyday things are interesting and entertaining. Readers will be lost in the illustrations. Reading develops creativity in young readers and fires up their imagination.

9. How the Onion Got Its Layers 

  • Publisher – Puffin
  • Year of Publication – 2020
  • Pages – 44
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Fantasy
  • Age – 9 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This book by Sudha Murthy is well illustrated. Readers are known to like this book. An interesting story in a lighter vein for young readers, about how onion got its layers. Have you ever wondered how these layers develop? Scientific explanations are for science books. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know an imaginative and interesting story behind this happening? 

10. The Bird with Golden Wings: Stories of Wit and Magic

  • Publisher – Penguin Books Limited
  • Year of Publication – 2016
  • Pages – 164
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Fantasy
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This Sudha Murthy book for kids has colourful illustrations and an assortment of stories with wit and magic. This book is easy to read and independent readers will enjoy reading them. Select this book for telling stories to your children or grand children.

They are value-based and entertaining stories. The book has twenty-one enchanting stories to fascinate children. Stories of magical creatures, rulers and their kingdom entertain readers.

Empathy and compassion towards others give intangible benefits and sometimes tangible benefits too. These values make the world a better place. A bird with golden wings rewards a poor girl for her kindness. The book gets its name from this story. The illustrations are imaginative and colourful.

11. The Man From The Egg: Unusual Tales About The Trinity

  • Publisher – Puffin
  • Year of Publication – 2017
  • Pages – 200
  • Age – 10 years above
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Mythology
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This popular Sudha Murthy book for kids. The book has interesting stories of the trinity of gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. The young generation of kids can get to know these mythological stories by reading these books. Nuclear families have busy working parents and grandparents could be far away.

Any which way these books give young readers the freedom to acquaint themselves with stories from our mythology. Some stories from Hindu mythology are popular. Sudha Murthy dives deep and tells some unusual stories about the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

12. The Upside-Down King: Unusual Tales about Rama and Krishna

  • Publisher – Puffin
  • Year of Publication – 2018
  • Pages – 256
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Mythology
  • Age – 10 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

Sudha Murthy tells unusual tales about the Hindu Gods Rama and Krishna. The illustrations are expressive and interesting. The mythological stories are full of magical powers and righteousness. 

Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are the two most popular avatars of Lord Vishnu. The stories about them are of boons and curses, the guidance by the gods. Humans and the demons co-existed on earth and the gods came to rescue in the fight between good and evil. This book has unusual stories and not the same stories that we hear all the time. Anybody interested in mythology could read this book.

13. The Serpent’s Revenge: Unusual Tales from the Mahabharata, Sudha Murthy books for kids.

  • Publisher – Penguin Random House
  • Year of Publication – 2016
  • Pages – 200
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Mythology
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This book by Sudha Murthy recounts interesting facets of the epic Mahabharata. The book has uncommon and rare stories. How many names did Arjuna have? The curse of Yama. What lesson did a little mongoose teach Yudhistira? The book has stories from the kurukshetra war.

This war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas is an important part of Indian Hindu mythology. Most people in India are aware of this epic war. This war divided the royal family and even gods had to take the side of waring brothers. The stories of Mahabharata depicts all human emotions.

Stories from ancient temples called Sthala Puranas have references in the book. Sudha Murthy has researched by diving deep into mythology by referring to a variety of sources. She presents the stories in a manner it will connect with today’s readers. 

14. The Sudha Murty Children’s Treasury: 3-in-1 book combo

  • Publisher – Puffin
  • Year of Publication
  • Pages – 600
  • Genre – Children’s fiction
  • Age – 8 years above
  • Stars -4.5 out of 5

This book offers value for money. There are several captivating illustrations by talented illustrator Priya Kuriyan in the collection of short stories. It’s a collection of Sudha Murthy short stories including three best children’s books.

  • How I Taught My Grandmother to Read 
  • Grandma’s Bag of Stories
  • The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories

Sudha Murthy recounts stories from her childhood and real-life experiences as a teacher. Her writing style and narrative are immensely relatable to the local psyche and young readers consider her like their grandmother. The entertaining stories in this book combo set are full of wisdom and values.

  • Publisher – Penguin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2015
  • Pages – 144
  • Age group – 8 years above
  • Genre – Children’s literature, memoir
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

This is a very popular children’s book of Sudha Murthy, wherein she recounts real-life incidents from her life. Incidents like, her grandmother asking her to teach to recognize alphabets. Sudha Murthy had promised her grandfather that she would help stock useful and interesting books in the village school library.

This motivated her to take up a large-scale update of rural school library stock with interesting books and computers, under the Infosys Foundation social work. Stories include incidents like her train ride with the President of India.

Her mother advise her to save money. It was this habit that let Sudha Murthy lend her savings to her husband. With this money, Murthy started a small software company.

Also read: Best study tables for kids.

It is interesting how Sudha Murthy has believed in doing what she believes is right. She has the courage to make her dreams come true with her strong principles. The author has not changed them with fame.

Sudha Murthy has stood by the principles she was raised with and this is why she is what she is. Sudha Murthy inspires us with her values of kindness and helping others even as we pursue our goals.

Which is Sudha Murthy’s latest children’s book?

16. How The Earth Got It’s Beauty?

  • Publisher – Puffin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2021
  • Pages – 44
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Fantasy
  • Age – 7 to 10 years
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

Sudha Murthy’s latest among children’s books is “How the Earth Got Its Beauty?”. This book has a lot of imaginative, artistic full-page watercolour illustrations that support the author’s engaging storytelling.

Through the stories, Sudha Murthy attempts to show the beauty of our beloved Earth through her magical storytelling. Mother earth takes the form of a young girl and sees what is happening on earth especially with the natural resources.

This book arrives at a time when adults and children need to have sustainable lifestyles for nurturing Mother Earth’s natural resources. For this reason, this book is essential in children’s reading list for building awareness. 

The narrative will build empathy for Earth from the imaginative viewpoint of Earth being a living person. Normally young readers read books about the Earth from a scientific perspective, however, this book brings a fresh change through emotional storytelling for kids age 5 to 8 years.

17. The Sage With Two Horns – Sudha Murthy books for kids

  • Publisher – Puffin Books
  • Year of Publication – 2021
  • Pages – 216
  • Genre – Children’s literature, Mythology
  • Age group – 8 to 12 years
  • Stars – 4.5 out of 5

In this latest book, Sudha Murthy brings to you stories of wit and wisdom that are about sages, kings and sculptors. These are unusual stories you might not have heard before, yet will amuse you with the author’s engaging writing style and attractive illustrations.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF SUDHA MURTY

A well-known author, philanthropist, motivation speaker, a parenting guide, a role-model and an esteemed member of the Rajya Sabha, Sudha Murthy inspires and motivates everybody including women.

Nominated by Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Sudha Murthy is a respected member of Rajya Sabha in the Indian parliament. She is an inspirational person believing in simple living and traditional Indian values. A pet lover herself, she has written a childrens book series “Gopi Diaries” based on her pet dog. She makes a positive impact on many lives as a philanthropist at the Infosys foundation and her various books for children and grown-ups.

Her biographical book “An Uncommon Love” written by Chira Banerjee Divakaruni recounts the early life of Sudha and Narayan Murthy when they had ambitious entrepreneurial plans and limited means to reach them. She is the wife of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and mother-in-law of UK PM Rishi Sunak.

Sudha Murthy Childhood

Born on the 19th of August in India, Sudha Murty spent her childhood in Shiggaon, Haveri, Karnataka, with her parents and maternal grandparents. She attended Shiggaon High School. Her father, Dr. R.H. Kulkarni, who was a surgeon, and her mother, Vimala Kulkarni, nurtured little Sudha together with her three siblings and supported her in all of her endeavours from the time she was a youngster. 

young sudha murty with parents and siblings
Young Sudha Murthy with her parents, sisters and brother.

Her upbringing was in a family that placed a strong emphasis on education and “simple living high thinking”. This instilled in her, from a young age, a desire to accomplish something remarkable. The early events of her childhood and the close relationship she had with her grandmother provided the material for several of her writings. Srinivas Kulkarni, Sudha Murthy’s brother, is an eminent astronomer who was awarded the Dan David Prize in 2017.

Education of Sudha Murthy

In recognition of her outstanding achievements in the classroom, Sudha Murthy was awarded a gold medal from the B.V.B College of Engineering in Hubli, where she received her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering.

Also read: Sudha Narayan Murthy Early Life Biographical book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Later on, she entertained the idea of pursuing further education and went to the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore to earn her Master of Engineering degree in Computer Science in 1974. She went on to receive a gold medal from the chief minister of Karnataka for acing both (bachelors and masters degree) final exams.

The truth of the matter that she finished first in both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees is evidence of the effort and dedication that she put forth throughout her education. She was among the very few female students at her engineering college and for this she had to face some challenges.

Sudha Murthy Career

Throughout her life, Sudha Murthy has been a staunch supporter of women’s rights and a trailblazer in the advancement of educational opportunities. She sent a letter to Tata Motors (Telco) leadership, complaining about their preference towards selection of men for engineering jobs.

Post this letter, she was given the opportunity to interview with the company head, J.R.D. Tata, and went on to become the first female engineer to be ever hired in India. Her role at Telco was instrumental and crucial in the process of changing the employment rules of the corporation.

sudha murty cooking pongal
Being a simple and down to earth person with traditional Indian values, Sudha Murty cooked Pongal as prasad at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram during the Pongal festival in 2023.

Presently, she is a social worker, philanthropist, and author, in addition to being a teacher in the field of engineering. In addition to this, she is involved with the Public Health Care Initiatives of the Gates Foundation and is married to Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, who was one of the original founders of Infosys.

She made the announcement that she will step down as chairman of Infosys on the 31st of December 2021 and devote herself to the Infosys Foundation, which is held by her family. Young Sudha Murthy was concerned for the rural people.

She introduced computers and libraries in rural schools of Karnataka state. Later she helped setup the Murty Classical Library of India, that is part of the Harvard University Press and provides Indian classical literary works from the past two centuries, in regional languages and English translations as well.

Literary Career of Sudha Murthy

In addition to writing short stories and novels of fiction, author Sudha Murthy has also penned non-fiction works like technical books, travelogues, articles, and memoirs. Her writing is suitable to both adults and young kids. A few of her works are considered for middle school kids reading lists and her short stories are often included in classroom textbooks.

Sudha Murthy has written books in Kannada, Marathi and English. Her books have been translated in other Indian languages as well. Sudha Murthy continues to write several books for children and all other age groups. Heart-warming storylines in her books have values embedded within the story. 

Awards

Amongst her several awards, Sudha Murthy received the most prestigious, fourth highest civilian award by the government of India, the Padma Shri award in 2006 for her social work. In 2023, she has been conferred with the very prestigious Padma Bhushan award by the government of India.

awards won by sudha murty
Sudha Murty received the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award from President Droupadi Murmu. Also present in the picture, Sudha Murty’s daughter Akshata Murty Sunak (first lady of England) standing next to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar present at the award function.

Parenting Advice by Sudha Murthy

Parenting advice by Sudha Murty – Video credit – Brut India

Conclusion:

Every bookshelf will yearn to display Sudha Murthy children’s books. Juvenile readers grab a quiet spot and read her stories to experience the world through Sudha Murthy’s perspective. The author recounts stories and her real-life experiences through her books. Her books have a value-based old-world charm that will leave you feeling better after reading them and help young readers grow into good human beings.

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Also read: How to improve reading comprehension

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