Al Ain Reads Book Show welcomes 27,000 reading fans

The event featured about 60 exhibitors from across the country - 40 per cent more than the previous year.

Ahmed Saeed, 14, from Applied Technology High School, enjoyed dipping into many of the titles on offer at Al Ain Reads. Satish Kumar / The National

AL AIN // More than 27,000 people visited this year's Al Ain Reads Book Show - 4,000 more than last year.
The event, which ended today, featured about 60 exhibitors from across the country, 40 per cent more than the previous showcase.
Now in its fifth year, the show has attracted more interest every year, with residents taking their children to buy titles covering subjects from general knowledge and religion, to science.
Ehab Elnahs from Egypt took his two children, Mohammed, 11, and Sarah, 7. "I loved the show as it offered a good collection of books for children," Mr Elnahs said.
"I've been waiting for this kind of show because my children have a very good habit of reading different kinds of books."
Mr Elnahs buys titles for his children whenever he hears of any book exhibitions, whether they are in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
His son, Mohammed, said: "I bought Alf Lailah wa Lailah [One Thousand and One Nights], the popular adventure story. I love reading books on adventure, prophets, science and the Earth."
The only children's library in Al Ain is at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khaled Future Generation Society.
It exhibited at Al Ain Reads to promote the library as part of an initiative to encourage children to increase their scientific knowledge and make reading a daily habit.
Aya Mustafa, supervisor at the library, said: "The centre honoured about 30 students this year and awarded them with certificates for reading more than 1,000 books at the library."
Mohammed, who spends about four or five hours in the library every Saturday, was one of the children who received the certificate.
Another visitor, Emirati Fauziah Rasheed, said: "I think such shows should be held twice a year so that we can bring our children more and more because they feel happy to be here and can choose books from the many collections."
[e-mail]