Library Kingdom
Today we made a trip to our local library. The children absolutely love going there. It feels like stepping into a kingdom of tales, stories, and comics. They dash about, searching for the books they want to read or excitedly showing each other their latest finds. The library is quite large, so I sometimes struggle to keep track of exactly where they are — especially when, as usual, they all scatter in different directions. This time it was just Lilly and Mario with me. Karim and Sean stayed at home. As always, when we arrive, we pass the reception desk where the librarians greet us. I always remind the children beforehand to say a clear, polite “hello”. The librarians respond with warm smiles and offer help if we need it.
By now, the children know exactly where their favourite corners are. Even Mario, who still can’t read yet, races straight to the section with the comics he loves to “read” by pretending — turning pages dramatically and studying the pictures. Lilly, now in second grade, is already an experienced little reader, and I’m so proud of her. Her school teacher recently praised her reading skills, too. She devours everything: comics, fairy tales, anything that catches her eye. She really is our reading princess. Perhaps it’s because her big brother Karim is such an avid reader himself. He’s in fourth grade, and both of them read every single day — in three different languages. That’s quite a remarkable achievement, and it’s the beautiful result of growing up in our multicultural family. Mum and Dad come from different parts of the world, and we’re all living in a place where none of us was born. A typical migrant family — a joyful melting pot of cultures, languages, customs, and love. Once Lilly had chosen her own books, she immediately headed to the shelf where Karim’s favourites lived. She handpicked two books for him, then off we went to the counter to register everything we wanted to borrow.
In the car on the way home, the usual scene unfolded: the children immediately grabbed their chosen treasures and dived straight into their heroes’ worlds. I couldn’t help laughing to myself. I used to do exactly the same thing at their age. The apples don’t fall far from the tree, do they? What about your children and reading? Are they also little bookworms who can’t wait to get lost in a story?
