Reading at the Main Library

It was a quiet day at the Main library on Rotten Row today, Thursday 28th June. Schools must have been busy.

Last week (when I had planned to be there but work got in the way) a whole class full of children were brought in by a happy teacher. This week 4 children from Blakiston Primary School arrived and were happily read to.

Today, Thuthani started with a story of blindness and a lesson on treating everyone as equals. He was interactive and got them thinking and talking (even though they were a bit shy 'cos I appeared)

The children's corner at the main library is a worn out space.  One whole wall has a window, but as it is not shaded the books need to be protected from the sun so the side of the bookshelf facing the window is empty. The chairs are broken and there is no privacy through the glass.

The shelves are, however, filled with books and surprisingly there are a large number of very nice new books, including reference materials. So if you are looking for books for your children, go subscribe at the Main library, you will be surprised I think.


 Melissa, one of the new volunteers has been diligently turning up to read and support the children at the Main Library since April. I asked her why and she said she had fond memories of growing up in Kadoma and attending the library there. She said on Saturdays they would show movies. As you had to be a library member to see them this encouraged the children to use them. Melissa feels parents just do not prioritise librares and that is why children no longer attend.


But back to the story telling. I read a book titled 'The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed'. What an adventure that baby had. Then Melissa read 'The Tiniest Hippo', a story about the smallest hippopotamus in a group who played tricks on the group everyday until one day the whole group played a trick on him.

As there was still some time, the children read to us. A book dash saw Shaun reading first with the story of 'Curious George Goes Fishing' and well read for a 7 year old. Ropafadzwa read the Goldilock's story. Ruponiso is only 5 years old, with two front teeth missing and as he could not yet read told us a story of a dead baby..strange but he was so dynamic he had us entranced with the detail and the upset mum. Finally Noushe ( a lovely name meaning kingship or royalty) who is 8 years old, read a forest tale.