Room to Read

My little Reading Room will finally welcome children to read and share stories on 3rd May. I can't remember when it was that I first started talking about setting up this place. There have been days when I all but lost heart and decided to shelve the idea, but I'm glad I stuck it out.

A big thank you to every one who has helped make my dream come true. Special thanks to The Dram Projects who has given me support in so many different ways, not least providing the actual space (in Section 17, Petaling Jaya) for the Reading Room.   

Tots to Teens

Making Dreams Come True

By DAPHNE LEE

A LITTLE girl is bewitched by a pair of blue shoes that call out to her, compelling her to buy them.

Another little girl is awarded a pair of ruby slippers when she inadvertently kills a wicked witch.

Yet another adventurous young female falls down a rabbit hole into a world where sheep knit, rabbits wear waistcoats and cats disappear, inch by inch, leaving behind large, toothy grins.

And of course, let's not forget the young lady who hides in a wardrobe and finds her way into a land where it's eternally wintry.

When I was first told I could write this column, five years ago, I wanted to call it either Down the Rabbit Hole or Through the Looking Glass. The idea was that books lead you to extraordinary places and introduce you to weird and wonderful people, creatures and things. Of course not all books feature talking animals, power-hungry witches or enchanted shoes, but there is something magical about all books, or at least all books that tell a story well. The magic is in the writing, the ability of the author to turn words into pictures, to weave sentences that make hearts leap and stomachs turn, to transform ink and paper into worlds that the readers can step into as easily as through a door.

Judith Ridge, who is western Sydney's young people's literature officer, said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald last week, "Sometimes you can have a very narrow view of what your life is going to be like, and I think that's particularly true of kids from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. I think literature is one way they can see that there are other possibilities in life."

Stories, in other words, illustrate how life is full of potential. Beggar-boys marry queens; powerful rulers fall; ordinary little girls become best-selling authors. People in books are forever taking the road people in real life don't take. Or, they might take the well-trodden path, but it leads somewhere unexpected anyway!

A book is chockful of ideas - practical ideas, ingenious theories, romantic notions, totally crazy dreams. Any kid who's ever had a farout thought that he suspected would confirm that he were insane can rest assured that that there's probably something equally ridiculous, mad or inane in some book somewhere (if not, he can rejoice in the fact that he's an original thinker!). So, you could say that books give validity to one's whims and fancies, schemes and dreams - big and small. Books say it's OK to have an idea or opinion that doesn't match everyone else's, or even deliberately challenges what's accepted and established. Call it creativity, imagination, contrariness or thinking out of the box - it's what leads people to invent amazing machines, discover cures, climb mountains, find lost lands and, indeed, write good books.

I've been thinking a lot about the way books have the power to change lives because a friend asked me recently why I was so adamant about establishing a community library. He asked me this question when I was in a mood and complaining about how hard it was to get my project up and running because, basically, there was just me to do the planning and implementation and my sponsor, The Dram Projects (TDP), to provide financial support (the library, or reading room as I like to call it, is a non-profit project and just one of the several community projects TDP supports so I am working on a fairly tight budget until I find more sponsors). Anyway, it's quite an uphill struggle but yes, I am determined that the reading room gets off the ground and a huge reason is because (cornily) I want books to touch the lives of kids in the same way they have touched mine.

I was extremely lucky growing up because I was given free-run of the book cupboard. And my mother and older sisters in particular answered all the questions that arose from my reading (even the awkward ones like - from a four-year-old - "Can you have babies if you're not married?"). I also had a series of absolutely brilliant lit tutors who encouraged me to shoot my mouth off about literature (and every thing else) and gave me the confidence to give voice to my thoughts and ideas.

So, this reading room is not just about books, but also about providing a supportive and nurturing environment.

What I hope it will offer children and teens (especially those who don't have access to books at home, in schools and in their communities) is books (of course), the opportunity to make their own reading choices, and a platform to talk about, ask about and argue about what they've read. This will, hopefully, help them develop into thinking, questioning, confident people who place a high premium on dreams, flights of fancy and the pure magic (and power) of well-told tale. Who knows, it might be the start of a other centres like it. After all, anything is possible, as Malaysians have realised in recent times.

The Reading Room at The Dram Projects will open its doors (at long last) on May 3. Stay tuned for more details.

Comments

[sharon]

Hi Daphne,

Would like to bring my 4 year old daughter to your little reading room. May I have the address please ? Thank you.

[Adelyn Hanny]

Dear Daphne
What a wonderful project. Would you accept book donations to your reading room ? I know of someone who has lots of novels to give away. Let me know by email.

[Julianah Low Abdulllah]

Dear Daphne

I read your article in the sunday star and would like to seek your advice as to how to get my 15 years old teenage boy to read! I started reading to him when he was a baby and I have taught him to read when he was like 4 years old.Started with the Ladybird series and then progress to the Bearstien bears series. He loved to hear me read when he was small. Then when turned 11 to 12 years old, I decided to stop reading aloud to him because I thought he should read independently by then. On hindsight it was a mistake and I had to force him to read. Tried all sorts of books. read your comments once that they have to like the books they read. Took Kamal (my son) to bookstore tried all sorts of books on him. But he's not interested in fantacy, spy novels or historical stories. He then excalimed to me that " you can teach me to read but you can;t force me to read"!! also claimed that he;s not born to like reading...!!

Do you have any ideas how to ovrcome my problem with Kamal and can you suggest any books that I can get him to read. Kamal likes to potter around with tools and I tried getting books like DIY but he didn't even opened it.

Would appreaciate your comments.

[Daphne]

Amelia! Great news about possibly finding more sponsors for the reading room. In time I'll also be looking for volunteers to help do some storytelling and painting with the kids. In time I hope to be able to pay them tho, even if it's just with a book token.

Elaine - Hopefully, things will get to the point where books will be available as freely and at no cost in Malaysia as in Australia (or wherever it is you happen to be). At the moment, however, resources don't allow borrowing without some security deposit being placed down. Am still trying to work out details. But until I do, at very least, kids can come and read some good books on the premises.

Jen - Thank you very much for your encouraging words. I think in time we will make a difference. I have to keep reminding myself that all this will take time, but no matter, just so long as we all keep going and hoping and working! :-D

[Jen Robinson]

Congratulations, Daphne! I have no doubt in mind mind that you'll truly make a difference for kids through this reading room.

[elaine]

hi Daphne,

i m currently in overseas but follow your column closely each week via internet. I think your idea on reading room is fantastic!! I m amazed that the country I m in now has wonderful reading room even for babies and toddlers. Can u imagine that library is everywhere and with 1 single card u can borrow up to 50 books for 1 month without any membership fees!! i wish to show u the reading room they have over here!!

all the best in your proj!!

[Amelia]

Hi Daphne: I'd love to help however I can, do let me know if you need anything.

I'm currently involved in projects in which my clients are always on the look-out for projects in the community that they can invest finance/ time in...I'll keep your Reading Room in mind and bring it up when I can