Her superstars were Anne Frank and Roald Dahl

Dubai - She believes children deserve love and books.

By Staff Reporter

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Thu 28 Jul 2016, 7:55 PM

Last updated: Thu 28 Jul 2016, 9:58 PM

ANUJA SIRAJ is the author of A Lifetime's Worth. She contributes to The Teenager Today and is a blogger and educator. She believes children deserve love and books. "Not just kindles and e-books." she says, "but to hold a book, smell the magic, and know what it is like to be in a library.
What book(s) are you reading?
I have just finished 'All The Bright Places' by Jennifer Niven. Being a huge advocate for mental health awareness, I feel that this one deserves special mention. . I am also currently reading I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb.
What are the books that changed your life and shaped your outlook?
Without missing a beat I can say, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. She is a delight to read from and I remember finding a tattered copy of this in the history section of the British Library when I was fourteen. It changed my life and it taught me that perseverance won, even when the endings did not al-ways seem fair or happy. I also be-gan reading The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot around this time and both encouraged me to keep journals, and the latter really drove home the idea that it was okay to be a wallflower some-times.
What books would you pass onto your kids to read and treasure?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, all of the The Mystery Series by Enid Blyton, which children sim-ply must grow up reading vora-ciously like I did. The same goes for the complete works of Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson, be-cause, these were my legends growing up. I would also give my kids The Harry Potter series be-cause I feel like they would be robbed of a childhood without-those. 'P.S., I love you' by Cecelia Ahern for when they're a little older and crying into a book starts to get embarrassing.
Books that you never tire of reading and re-reading?
The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella and most of her stand-alone works as well. The woman is hilarious and for me re-reading her work is like a good old re-run of the television series 'Friends' over a giant tub of popcorn. It makes you laugh out loud and brings up good memories.
A book you believe every person must pick up at least once?
The True Face of Islam: Essays by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan by Raamish Siddiqui, which I read out of boredom during an airport delay situation and really did not want to put down. Also The Alche-mist by Paolo Coelho and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, all amazing and deserve to be read at least once.- staff reporter


More news from