Veda Ramaswamy, Vashi
May 11, 2011 - DNA Navi Mumbai
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go, quoted Theodor Seuss, a popular American author and cartoonist, most widely known for his children’s books written under the pen name Dr Seuss. What could be a better time of the year to cultivate the habit of reading among children than hot summer when they are finding ways to beat the heat and stay indoors?
General book libraries are heard of, but libraries that specialize primarily in children’s books are yet unknown to many. There are several such libraries in Navi Mumbai that have been established to cater to the needs of children. Choose And Pick and Small Wonder Children’s Library in Vashi, Just Books and Samarth Library in Nerul are the major book lending libraries in Navi Mumbai. Each library provides a variety of options to choose from, proving to be an added benefit for the kids as well as for the parents, since it’s less expensive than buying books time and again.
“It’s never too late to introduce the world of books to children. The greatest gift you can give your children is the love of reading,” said Prakash Karamchandani, owner of Choose and Pick library in Vashi. The library boasts of around 10,000 books for children, including books for toddlers, kids as well as teenagers. The uniqueness about their collection is that they are creative, interesting, fun yet educational. From simple story books to imaginative touch-and-feel, pop-up books, one can find an array of entertaining books here; Ladybird, Dr Seuss, Archies, Heidi, Pepper and Bubbles being some of the hot picks. “The concept of having a kid’s library is so innovative. It saves the parents from spending money as well as time in searching for book stores with good quality books. It also keeps the kids occupied during the holidays,” said Hema Kutty, a resident of Nerul, whose son is an avid reader of the Disney books.
Samarth Library in Nerul consists of around 4000 books dedicated to children alone. Enid Blyton, Tinkle, Vampire Series and Harry Potter books are few of the most sought after books here. “Kid’s books libraries are a boon. It not only helps children in utilizing their time positively but also saves the parents from the dilemma of spending excessively on books,” said Varsha Deherkar, one of the co-owners of Samarth Library. The dearth of children’s libraries in Navi Mumbai is what led her to start her own venture.
Similarly, Just Books, another children’s library in Nerul has a wide range of books which include classics like Akbar and Birbal, Panchatantra, Amarchitra Katha, Mahabharat and Ramayan among the others. Small Wonder Children’s Library in Vashi focuses on kid’s books too. With over 2000 books in English, Hindi and Marathi languages, this library is a child’s paradise. “There are various libraries in Navi Mumbai which cater specially to children. What is lacking is the awareness about such facilities. In around Rs 250, children get to read five books per week here, whereas if you go to purchase it, you might get just 1 book at the same price,” said Nangai Sundar, owner of Small Wonder Children’s Library.
Other general libraries like Akshargandh in Kharghar and Town Library in Vashi also lend children’s books apart from the regular ones. So now you know how and where to keep your children busy and entertained this summer while at the same time going easy on your pockets.
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