Confused about which books to give to your youngsters during the Year of Reading? The National's Rym Ghazal and Zeyna Al Jabri, of Buzoor distribution, have these recommendations for 8- to 10-year-olds.
Special thanks to Zeyna Al Jabri, of Buzoor distribution, who assisted The National in compiling this list of 50 recommended books for children of different ages to guide parents in the Arab Reading Challenge. For further assistance contact Al Jabri on arabic@buzoor.com and check the website www.buzoor.com.
White and Colours (Al abyad wal alwan) by Amal Hajim Baalbaki
Publisher: Asala
A fun story of how other colours refuse to play and paint with white, until they realise the importance of white.
The Strange Card (Al betaqa al ajeeba) by Samar Mahfouz Barraj
Publisher: Al Salwa Books
The story of Marwan, who receives a special treat from his father, a strange card that buys him everything he wants.
The Flying House (Al bayt atta’er) by Rania Zbib Daher
Publisher: Academia
The story of Abeer, who on her eighth birthday makes a wish to see her grandmother, who her mother says now lives up in the clouds. Will Abeer get her wish and see her grandmother again?
The Longest Laugh in the World (Atwal dehka fil 'alam) by Salma Qureitem
Publisher: Dar Al Hadaek
The story of Malek the bird, who is sad, and his friend the turtle, who tries to figure out how to make Malek laugh.
The Flying Shoes (Al hitha' ata'er) by Mohamed Al Ashri
Publisher: Asala
Omar, an inventor, has been planning something special. Will he succeed?
Masoud the Tailor (Al khayyat Masood) by Elias Zoghaib
Publisher: Hachette Antoine
A day in the life of Masoud the tailor, and his adventures.
I Like Us to Read Together (Uhibbu an naqra'a maan) by Mary Khoury Fadel
Publisher: Asala
The story of Lulu, who likes to read with her mother, and what they learn together.
I Am Always With You (Ana dawman maak) by Abeer Anwar
Publisher: Asala
The story of a boy who feels alone, but why does he feel that way?
Our Father Zayed (Baba Zayed) by Salha Ghobash
Publisher: Kalimat
Baba Zayed is the story of the UAE’s Founding Father and his childhood.
Arranging My Things (Tantheem aghradi) by Hala Mohamed Turki
Publisher: Asala
Reem learns new ways to organise her things when her aunt visits.
My Grandmother Will Always Remember Me (Jaddati satatathakaroni da'iman) by Samar Mahfouz Barraj
Publisher: Yuki Press
The story of a girl and her grandmother, who is starting to lose her memory.
When My Grandfather Drowned (Heena ghareqa jaddi) by Ola Husamo
Publisher: Asala
The story of when a girl “mishears” what someone says about her grandfather.
Red Line (Khat ahmar) by Samar Mahfouz Barraj
Publisher: Dar Al Saqi
A sensitively written story about “red lines” that exist in our lives, especially in those of children.
A Trip to the Museum (Zeyarat al muthaf) by Safa Azmy
Publisher: Wahat Al Hekayat
An adventure story about a group that visits a museum.
Zeina and the New Shoes (Zeina walhetha' al jadeed) by Rosette Adwan
Publisher: Asala
The story of Zeina, who loves her new shoes and wears them everywhere.
Farhana and the Garden Without Animals (Farhana wa hadeeqa bidoon haywanat) by Rania Amin
Publisher: Dar Elias
Farhana loves animals, and goes to the zoo to meet them, but then wants to help them.
Stranger (Ghareeba) by Sheikha Zeyada
Publisher: Asala
The story of a girl who is “different”, and what happens when she goes to school.
The Treasure of Happiness (Kenz al saadah) by Nahed Shawwa
Publisher: Noon
The story of two children who find happiness in everything around them.
The Mystery of the Ninth Floor (Loghz al tabeq al tassea) by Sana Shabbani
Publisher: Kalimat
The story of a boy who thinks of himself as a failure, but a delivery to a mystery address changes his life.
Malek Doesn’t Know Fear (Malek la ya’ref al khawf) by Amani Al Ashmawi
Publisher: Dar Al Hadaek
Malek says he’s not scared of anything, until something happens and he must face the truth.
