Year of Reading: 20 books for 8- to 10-year-old kids

Courtesy of Al Salwa Books

Courtesy of Academia

Asala 7-9 years When my grandfather drownedBook covers to go with Focus story by Rym Ghazal

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 [e-mail] 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.