A Message From Our Founder
As the head of the library committee in my children’s school, I made two incorrect assumptions - that kids would be avid readers, and that they would love reading my childhood favourites- Enid Blytons and classics. My first reality check came quickly; kids were reading less. Eventually, my second assumption also fell by the wayside - most children didn’t want to read Enid Blyton’s books or the classics that I had grown up reading. I was determined to whet the reading appetite of children and share my love of books with them. I discovered and researched a vast treasure of contemporary children’s authors and books. These books fascinated me: the writing was complex and intimate, and addressed issues faced by children across the world. Thus began my work: for twelve years, I curated and reviewed children’s books that covered a variety of genres and themes.
A management graduate and erstwhile banker, I educated myself in creative writing to help me understand the techniques that make for good writing. Armed with this knowledge and my understanding of the books available to children, I began building my list of recommended books. I also experimented with different approaches to get kids interested in reading books. Several things worked, but the most effective method was my book club for children. I used the format of the book club as the base for a reading program in a leading school in Mumbai that continues till date and is appreciated by students, parents, and teachers.
My relocation to Hong Kong with my family in 2016 encouraged me to expand my horizons once again. I researched reading resources available to parents and understood the gaps in those tools and resources. This realisation led me to my idea of setting up a website that could reach a wider parent audience; this website is the culmination of that vision and three years of work. KidsMustRead.com provides parents with a custom-built search engine that helps them access suggestions on the best children’s books in the world and advice on what parents can do to encourage their children to read books.
I hope that children, with the help of their parents, will discover their love for reading. My goal is to give you the tools to help take your child on this wondrous journey.
Note: I also volunteer and am the co-chair of AWA WISE, the professional women's wing of the American Women's Association (AWA) in Hong Kong.