Oh what fun it is to be young: Children grab favourite books at Young Readers Den

Along with books, stationery and toys, there is also an activity area for children.

KARACHI:

Children came dressed up as their favourite storybook and comic characters to the Liberty Books outlet in Clifton to attend the launch of the Young Readers Den (YRD) on Saturday, a space solely dedicated to books for the young ones to enjoy.

Sameer Hussain, one of the directors of Liberty Books, said that the YRD on the top floor of their existing outlet near BarBQ Tonight was the first bookstore for kids. “We felt that there was a need for such spaces so that young ones can treat themselves. Children can sit, relax and read, and not disturb their parents when they are shopping [for books],” said Hussain.

The colourful area has been arranged in sections according to genres, such as Classics, Adults, Urdu books, Best Sellers and more. Sections of stationery and toys also look inviting.

According to Hussain, the activity area for children will feature something new every month.



No age limit

The venue aims to caters to toddlers as well as teenagers. On Saturday, young musicians sang songs, such as Bum Bum Bole, to entertain the kids while encouraging them to sing along and dance. Areej, wearing ‘A proud young reader’ sticker, said that she wants to read every book available at the den. Ten-year-old Manaal Soomro was also excited at the prospect of visiting the den every weekend. Children crowded around the book shelves, grabbing a copy of their favourites. Carrying a copy of The Little Mermaid, Shumaila nudged her mom and said, “I want this book.” Abdullah, a young boy, however chose the more adventurous Ben Ten books.

A mother, Afsheen, felt that the initiative will help encourage interactive sessions and incline children towards reading more. The same thoughts were shared by Farhan Maqbool, who was of the opinion that children need to be pried away from PlayStations and become involved into reading.

Special guests

Some kids were dressed as Spiderman while others as butterflies and princesses. 13-year-old Wania Ahmed came as Harry Potter, wearing a Gryffindor robe with a fake lightening scar on her forehead. “This place is good, just a bit crowded,” she said, pointing towards the crowd of children and parents. She likes to read Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and fantasy books.

Her 10-year-old brother, who sat next to her, came as Peter Pan and said that he would definitely visit the bookstore. The HI-Five team of The Express Tribune held an activity for the kids to draw a Batman mask.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2013.