You have probably read countless articles on the importance and impact that reading has for students. Among the obvious advantages like building vocabulary, enhancing comprehension and providing in depth knowledge, there are also intrinsic values such as mental stimulation and relaxation! But how does reading, specially from a younger age, help pave the way to a good college?
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Lay Flat. Fold sides. Roll in thirds. Repeat.
Have you joined the Marie Kondo cult as well recently? Are you now de-cluttering, re-organizing, buying perfectly sized baskets and rolling up your clothes in pretty little rectangles, so they can stand on their own?
I take it then, you have binge watched the new Netflix show ‘Tidying Up‘?
Image credit: Women’s Weekly
It’s never too early to stand up, speak out to help bring about change!
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is a youth director who has been fighting for climate change for over a decade. Malala Yousafzai started talking about girl’s education when she was just 11! Standing up for what you believe in takes courage and a certain degree of tenacity. Why not share books with the younger minds that will inspire confidence and have them think about the great figures in history that stood up for what they believed in. After all, a book can have such a lasting impression on kids! Shouldn’t we try to put the right books in their hands?
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Starting this New Year on a happier note! Keeping it simple this time.
Ten things that make me happy! In no particular order. Except number ten, which is actually number one.
Dinner in our home starts off with a salad at the table. Always.
Typically it is a garden salad, but on occasion I will try to jazz things up and make something different. Sometimes the new salads are met with ‘seriously mom, beetroot salad?‘, and other times, they are eaten up without a word! This one is a family favorite!
Image Credit: Car and Driver Magazine
I spend a significant portion of my day behind the wheel. Starting from the early morning drop off to school, groceries, errands and after school activities – it all adds up to many miles in my car and multiple trips during the day! You could perhaps say that I’m a high mileage mom!
My vehicle of choice: The Honda – MRV. Or as it is known in some countries the Honda Pilot. As an expat, we have had our fair shares of moves, and every time I have had to buy a car, I always end up getting the Honda MRV. I don’t know what it is, but I have a strong affinity with that particular car. Perhaps it is the reliability or safety of the car? Or maybe the familiarity that I have developed with it over time? It just seems to have a certain je n’ais se quoi that makes me choose it every time! I have driven the Honda MRV for the last 11 years across 3 different countries! It is essentially a practical car for me which is more than I can say about my husband’s brand affinity with Audi’s (but that is for another blog post!)
From the best-selling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns comes Khaled Hosseini’s brilliant new short work of fiction, Sea Prayer.
I had been wanting to read ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by Celeste Ng for the longest time. It had become one of those books that everyone had read and I was lagging ridiculously behind. (Yes I know. It’s not a race.) A friend of mine quietly shared that she had a copy, and I was quick to ask if I could borrow it. But as luck would have it, there was a ‘waiting list‘ for it. When you reside in Doha, new book titles are hard to come by, so the notorious wait list is your only hope!
About the Author
Aisha Saeed is a Pakistani-American, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound, which my daughter and I recently read. You can hop over my blog post to read a spoiler free review.
She is an author, mother, lawyer and the founder of ‘We Need Diverse Books.Her previously published book was a YA story called Written in the Stars which received much praise!
Aisha lives in Atlanta with her husband and three sons.
I asked Aisha to share some insights with us on her recently released book, Amal Unbound. Thank you so much Aisha for taking the time for us!
What was your inspiration behind Amal and her story of indentured servitude?
Over the course of the year I have made a conscious effort to introduce my children to more diverse reads. Encouraging them to read books from different genres, authors and countries has definitely had a strong impact on their thinking. If you’d like to see what middle grade reads we’ve devoured this year, check out the books about differing abilities and rebel women that we’ve read.
More recently I came across Amal Unbound authored by Aisha Saeed. First of all, can we just take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous cover designed by Shehzil Malik! It has henna adorned hands with rose stems held together in prayer for hope. It’s absolutely beautiful!
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