Five favourite books:

3) Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe. This book is a classic featuring 11-year protagonist Chike who wants to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba but has no money to do so. Watching all the ferries crossing makes him even more keen to go. As it so happens a friend of his takes him on adventure to raise the money including meeting up with a magician who says he can double Chike’s money. In the end he manages to raise the money and makes it to Asaba. He finds it is exciting but quite different from his hometown and yearns for home.

4) I am Malala by Malala Yousufzai and Christina Lamb is an autobiographical story of Malala’s love for education which earned a shooting by the Taliban. She was lucky to have survived her gunshot wounds and went on to become a Nobel peace Laureate. A person of great courage at her age, this is a book for children of all ages. It will not only help them to value education more but will remind some of how privileged they are to be going to school in a place of safety. At our writing boot camp, children are encouraged to understand the importance of their privileges by taking them to orphanage homes where they are encouraged to adopt a child by proxy.

5) Reading like a writer by Francine Prose is an important book for anyone who enjoys reading and writing. It is more suited to children between the ages of fourteen and fifteen years of age. This is a seminal book for all those who wish to write well. Here are some quotes from the book for your perusal. “Do not lose sight of the fact that words are the raw materials out of which literature is crafted.” “Being a good writer depends on the skill and capability of choosing the right words.” “Word choices make a huge difference in the significance of a sentence.” This book, trust me is one of my favorite books. Get one for the readers and writers in your home, read one yourself. The reward is instant. Amazing Book.