This is activity material for ages 8 and up, and a book for independent reading with the core vocabulary at 2nd-3rd grade level (US), or around reading level 4.

When I was in the 3rd grade, I found in our attic an old British tabloid with a spread laying out the basics of palmistry, or palm reading. I promptly learned the 2 pages by heart, and the next day in school my meteoric rise to popularity began. Friends and foes, and their grandmas lined up to have their palms read. While my family humorously dismissed my new-found talent, some kids and family friends were in awe and authentically grateful.

Fast forward some decades: I didn’t become a fortune teller, and have never even visited a psychic, but those 2 magazine pages gave me something that lasted beyond a few months of fortune-telling stardom. It was my first experience of learning a knowledge system on my own, and applying it in real life. It was also the first time I was thinking on my own

about people’s psychological and behavioral traits and comparing my observations with the interpretations drawn from that system.Later I invested time into studying palmistry for real, with Indian palmists, and comparing it with the Western system. It was purely a hobby: I have never used this art as a basis for any real-life decisions, or practiced it as a commercial pursuit.

Recently it occurred to me that my son and any kid - boy or girl - may enjoy playing with the palmistry system, and may be able to reap the same benefits I did as a child. Afte

r all, quite randomly, I ended up having an expert-level training in something I don’t use: I’d better share it before I forget everything!This book is based on the actual traditional Indian system of palmistry. I have not added anything from outside that system. My only contributions are:

• avoiding any gloom and doom in the interpretations of the lines and signs;

• avoiding any references to class or social status, as well as any fixation on ‘wealth’;

• avoiding any grownup content if you know what I mean;

• focusing on empowering content - such as finding and growing your talents, developing self-confidence, making good choices, and so on.

I don’t offer any judgement regarding whether palmistry works or not - it’s up to my readers to decide!

My readers and I make sure we respect both those who believe in esoteric arts (as long as they are not charlatans), and those who don’t. We don’t laugh at other people’s beliefs. The way I present the palmistry system is straightforward, with no unnecessary humor or simplification, just like I would teach an adult (so as an adult you may enjoy it too!)

We’ll start by drawing a strong line between the fortune-telling activity of modern-day psychics/clairvoyants (we’ll learn a new word - ‘charlatans’!) and the traditional system of palmistry with a history going back thousands of years to ancient India. Then I will lay out the theory, and we’ll practice using my hand, and then the hands of my best friend Katie, and of my son Eric.

Here are the benefits of playing with this book:

• It’s an activity that requires no toys, supplies, or guidance;

• It will prompt kids to think about their own and their friends’ traits of character, behavior and its consequences from a non-didactic angle - just exploring a mysterious ancient art rather than being told what behavior works and what doesn’t;

• It can help a kid learn about the talents, careers and achievements of family members and friends;

• It will help kids develop critical thinking in distinguishing real expertise from charlatanism, and learn their family’s position on esoteric arts;

• It may boost a kid’s social popularity, just as it did mine!