The Reading Adventures

I have been surrounded by books since I was a baby. On my second birthday I was given “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes,” a book of children from different places by Mem Fox with artwork by Helen Oxenbury.

The book features children born in the hills, deserts, the poles, and towns. They have different colors, clothes, lifestyles and looks. I still read this book sometimes.

“There was one little baby who was born far away. Another who was born the very next day. And both of these babies, as everyone knows, had ten little fingers and ten little toes.”

 When I was three, the original unabridged Lewis Carroll, “Alice in Wonderland,” was read out to me at bedtime by my father over a month. By the time I was four, I was reading books aloud by myself. Dr. Seuss’s “Fox in Socks,” “Oh, Say Can You Say?,” “Green Eggs and Ham” are books I remember. “The Foot Book,” that I read at that age is on YouTube, if you want to watch.

My home was a library in many ways. We had hundreds of books on art, music, theatre, science, maths, picture books for children. We lived on rent and every time we shifted, we would have trucks of books to move. The series, “Narnia,” was among the books that I read when I was five. I read “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” “Voyage of the Dawn Raider,” and “The Silver Chair,”. Later on, I got to watch the movies as well. 

Among the books I really enjoyed was the 100th anniversary of Peter Pan, the artwork in it was especially interesting. Then there were the movies and the TV series… the art-based series were better, I think, than the 3D one.

In terms of style, I was really interested in adventures that have different kinds of creatures. Some of them are a little scary but most of the time they have happy endings.

I also got to read on the internet using the Gutenberg Project and others. I was able to read “The Hobbit” online as well as Richmal Crompton’s William stories. My father got me Tom Sawyer and many other interesting stories.

Since I came to the US a couple of months ago, I’ve been to four libraries and really enjoy the Etta J. Wilson Elementary School library. I am missing our library at home in Kathmandu though. Like I said, we had so many picture books, poetry, fiction, science, math, and hundreds of art and theatre books many of which I see in the libraries in the US!

I have read lots of books here. I read books with my sister as well. We go to the library once every three weeks and get 24 books for her. She reads the Bob books herself now, though she does ask when she is stuck with a hard word or two. This week she is reading, “Ballet Sisters,” “I am a Super Girl,” and “Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?” 

Because there are thousands of books in the library, and many of the best ones were already at my home, I really enjoy going to libraries in Wilmington, Newark, Kirkwood Highway and the Christiana Barnes and Noble store.

Libraries are one of the most important places to learn. We can spend hours reading there. Here in the US, there are many art activities, computers, events and games in the library. I can use libraries to research instead of researching on the internet. Even though the internet is faster, easier and gives you more information, it is not healthy to spend all the time in front of a computer screen.

I get books from my school library once a week. My father and I order books from Amazon, Facebook marketplace and other websites. We bought Hannon’s complete “The Virtuoso Pianist,” with all the sixty exercises. We recently got a Yamaha Clavinova piano too so now I have revised practice exercise 6 and read up to lesson 19, one more and I will have completed Part 1.

Dolly Parton's programme delivers free books at home for children under the age of 4 here. Zoya has received “Drop,” by Emily 

Kate Moon. 

It is a wonderful story of the water cycle. “The Little Engine That Could,” by Watty Piper teaches her how to think positively. She is now reading the book “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes,” too, the birthday gift I received at the age of 2!

My father writes articles for papers and sometimes, so do I. I have written and published 15 articles and a book and have contributed artwork to three other books. Books are really helpful to me when writing articles and giving me “Ideas” to make artwork and photos. I thank “The Rising Nepal” for publishing my articles so others too may read about reading and learn.

Grade  Four

Etta J. Wilson Elementary School