CREATING FUN AROUND READING

"There is no substitute for books in the life of a child" - May Ellen Chase

The world is fast evolving and various technological devices are being released daily. The impact of this changing world is that many aren't reading anymore. Sir Richard Steele once said and I quote "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body". If many aren't reading, then we have less critical thinkers and more lazy minds in our society. 

Reading has myriad of benefits apart from keeping the mind sharp and agile. It also has the power to keep one relaxed, widen horizon, change perception, encourage positive thinking, improve  knowledge base, enhance writing and speaking skills and many more. I can keep going on about the benefits of reading.

It will be an injustice to deny children the love of reading. Parents have a key role to play in making their children lovers or haters of books. Emilie Buchwald emphasizes parental involvement in building the love for reading in her quote "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents".

This Summer holiday, every Nigerian parent has the opportunity to bond with their children and boost the love for reading and books through the Magical Books Summer Reading Challenge. 

The Magical Books Summer Reading Challenge is just one of the ways through which parents can inspire their children to read and have fun whilst doing it. It is a program that is also packaged to boost writing, vocabulary and comprehension skills.

This edition is for the Nigerian audience. It is not bound by time or space. Children will be reading in the confines of their homes with or without supervision from their parents during the stipulated time frame. Children also have the opportunity to choose books they love and want to read.

For more details on how to get your children involved, kindly send an email to us at magicalbooks4all@gmail.com. 

Thank you.

QUALIFY FOR A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK "PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE" by Rick Warren

Hello friends,

How have you been? We hope fine.

Are you yet to order your copy of the books “Be anxious for nothing” and “Purpose driven life”. Kindly get your copy soon enough so you can follow us as we start reviewing the books.

The first book we will be discussing is “Be anxious for nothing” by Joyce Meyer. If you have gotten your copy, please ponder on the following questions as you read the chapters.

You can also send us your answers.The first person to send us the right answers using the book as a guide will get a free copy of the book “Purpose Driven Life”. Deadline for the receipt of answers is 12/04/2015.

WEEK 1 – BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING by Joyce Meyer

We are thinking beings. Daily, we deal with so many things that threaten our joy and peace. Some of us find it difficult to control the fear, anxiety, worry that lodges in our heart.

In chapter 1, we have the following questions to ponder on.

QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER 1 (JESUS AND PEACE)
1. Who gives us peace?

2. What kind of peace can swallow our anxiety, fear, turmoil, worry and frustration?

3. Do we get to a point in our lives when we are rid of problems that threaten to steal our peace?

4. When we are faced with issues that threaten our peace, how should we deal with them?

5. How do we enter into the joy and peace of God’s kingdom?

QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER 2 – It’s ok to lighten up!

6. How would you describe anxiety?

7. What does anxiety do to us?

8. What steps can we take to curb anxiety?

9. How does Joyce Meyer describe the kind of anxiety she once felt?

10. What is the impact of being upset over little things?

11. Why does the devil try to make us tense, get us tied up in knots, upset, disturbed, worried, disquieted and distracted?

12. What is the one way we can develop spiritual maturity in the midst of trying circumstances?

13. How can we live in the fullness of the Lord’s joy?

14. How can we respond when the devil brings anxiety to us?

15. What are the three (3) categories of anxiety?

QUESTIONS FROM CHAPTER 3 – The arm of the flesh

16. The bible speaks of two (2) vastly different arms. What are they?

17. How does the arm of the flesh affect our lives?

18. What is the best way to overcome the devil and his demons?

19. How does the arm of the spirit affect us?

20. How would you relate the story of Ishmael and Isaac to the arm of the flesh and the arm of the spirit?

21. At different point in our lives, we all go through situations that test us. What is the purpose of the “testing ground”?

22. How would we succeed despite our adversaries and their devices?

23. What happens when we do not wait for the Lord to work out his plans in our lives?

24. In page 44, what kind of the arm of flesh does the author say can hinder us from experiencing joy and peace? How can we overcome it?

25. In page 45, what are we encouraged to let God build? According to page 52, what three (3) areas are we to let God build?

26. God would like to perfect us until we get to what point?

27. What standard does God measure us with as described in page 47?

28. God wants to build us up. How can we allow God achieve this in our lives?

29. We need to lean all of ourselves on God, believing only He has the ability to do for us what needs to be done in us. Our only job is to do what?

30. What are God’s instructions to us for finding peace and joy?

Please send your answers to magicalbooks4all@gmail.com

Thank you.

MAKE THE MOST OF APRIL

"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family". - Kofi Annan.

Hello dear friend,

We welcome you into the month of April. We hope that this month marks a positive and significant change in your life. We also pray for you, that God will continually keep, guide and lead you.


BOOK OF THE MONTH
In the month of April, we will be reading two books:

1. "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.

This book is more than just words. "It's a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? By the end of this journey you will know God's purpose for your life and will understand the big picture-------how all the pieces of your life fit together.


Having this perspective will reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction, and, most important, prepare you for eternity". (p. 9)


2. "Be anxious for nothing" by Joyce Meyer

Difficult times, trials, and tribulation are part of living in this world. However, God has provided a way for us to enjoy peace as a part of daily life.



We can choose either to allow ourselves to be burdened with worry and anxiety or to live in the peace and joy the Father intended. Find out in this book how to really draw on the peace of God in the midst of negative circumstances.

Would you like to join us as we read these books? Then order your copies from us now and we will deliver it to you within 3 working days. (Terms and conditions apply). We will be sharing snippets from the books with you too. If you are joining us in reading, you can also share your favorite parts from the books with us.

Do you have books in mind that you think we should include in our "to read" list? Kindly share them with us.

Please follow us in the subsequent weeks as we learn and grow together. Do not forget to get your own copies.

Thank you.

CELEBRATING NIGERIA'S INDEPENDENCE

"Nigeria has no business with poverty. With our human and material resource, we shall strive to eradicate poverty from our country" - Olusegun Obasanjo.

 Today, Nigeria celebrates 54 years of independence. Today, we are reminded as a country of where we used to be, where we should have been if we had made the right choices, where we are now and where we hope to be. Our dream is to see a Nigeria filled with peace, brotherly love, respect for human life, selflessness and genuine patriotism amongst the citizenry.

We celebrate Nigeria's independence with this lovely poem from our team member (Olamide Oti).

We hope that you enjoy it.

I am She

Olamide 

I was doomed from the beginning.

Before I got a chance to know my family,

I was sold into slavery.

My father was royalty,

but when my new parents came,

He sold me off like a bale of cotton.

So, I became one of them.

Dressed like them,

Talked like them.

Ate, what they ate and quickly, I forgot my roots.

I was perfect at birth they said,

Ten fingers and toes all wonderfully made,

A headful of coarse black hair.

And no identity.

Throughout adolescence,

I was at war within myself.

I had many vices;

The love of money,

Of all things glittery and sweet

Of murder, drunkenness, and pride.

Many have died for me,

“For you”, they said, all for you.

I had an inheritance, but they took it all away, and called it theirs.

They named my streets after their sons while my father looked on unable to stop them.

My lands, my people, my crops…All gone!

My oil was my nemesis

It bubbled from within me

And came forth black, sweet and pleasant.

For a moment, it was my salvation,

Now, it seems it will be the death of me.

It is all I have left,

Until there is nothing left of me.

Today, I am coming of age

I weep for my sons, who have squandered it all,

For my daughters, who are struggling to rebuild me.

There is much to be grateful for,

For peace, however fragile,

For the seasons and for time,

For time, heals all wounds

I am in labour, while the world looks on

Each birth pang piercing through my core.

The world awaits a generation who will rejoice in my heritage,

Who will take back all that I have lost,

Who will reclaim my lost glory,

A generation that would not be ashamed to call me ‘mama’.

I am of many cultures woven loosely together.

Beautiful on the outside

Broken on the inside

Many wars rage on in my heart,

Those caused by beliefs, tribes and tongues that never agree.

The odds are against me, it would seem.

But, I am Nigeria,

I will thrive.

For more of Olamide's posts, kindly visit http://gabriellalove.wordpress.com.

Thank you.

MAGICAL BOOKS AT IFLA CONFERENCE.

“At the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing.”  - William Golding, The Spire.

Magical Books, a Nigerian social enterprise involved in reading advocacy was selected to, and did present an innovative poster at the just concluded 80th edition of the International Federation of Library Associations – World Library International Congress held in Lyon, France from the 16^th -22^nd of August, 2014.

The World Library International Congress organised by IFLA is a yearly event that brings together actors of knowledge from all over the world to discuss, share and disseminate knowledge. This year’s theme was tagged “Libraries, Citizens, and Societies: Confluence for Knowledge”. There were several programmes which included open sessions, workshops, pre and post congress satellite meetings and poster sessions with several interesting sub-themes.

At the poster session, Magical Books had the opportunity of presenting her poster titled “Magical Books: A Reading Advocacy Project” at stand 121 in the midst of about two hundred (200) poster stands. These stands were available to approximately three thousand and Five Hundred (3500) participants for viewing, networking and partnerships.

The poster created by the C.E.O/Program Coordinator, Mrs Seun Aina and presented by Mrs Adetoun Oyelude of the Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, an active member of the Magical Books Network detailed the organization's active role in promoting healthy reading habits and lifelong learning attitudes amongst children, teenagers and adults in Nigeria. The photographs on the poster highlighted their activities in the area of reading advocacy in the media, schools and organisations.

It also showed other activities which include organising of reading clubs for children, book clubs for adults and seminars and workshops that build life skills in children and adults.

Just recently, Magical Books and Global Youth Leadership and Girl Child Foundation (GYLGF) concluded a three week Summer Reading Club  from the 11^th - 30^th  of August, 2014. This year’s edition was coordinated by Dr Adepeju Oti, founder of GYLGF.

The edition included loud session story times, book talks, craft, educative games, excursions among others.

With the support and partnership of thousands of people in their network, Magical Books is getting closer to achieving its vision of seeing a Nigeria where both young and old see reading as a lifelong activity, a tool for personal growth, social change and national development.

To know more about this organisation, visit and like their Facebook page at Magical Books Nigeria and follow on Twitter @magical_books1.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PEACE

 "Happiness, true happiness, is an inner quality. It is a state of mind. If your mind is at peace, you are happy. If your mind is at peace, but you have nothing else, you can be happy. If you have everything the world can give- pleasure, possessions, power - but lack peace of mind, you can never be happy." - Dada Vaswani

Peace of mind is a virtue given to man by God. Life will not always be easy on you. The tougher it gets, the tougher it makes you. Through it all, one needs absolute peace.

 To find peace about who you are (understanding that you are beautiful/handsome from within and who you are is not found in anybody's description of you).

To find peace about what you do (that you do what you do because you love it or you do it because its leading you to something greater than yourself and you are contributing to lives positively).

 To find peace about the choices you have made ( understanding that you felt those choices were the best when you made them, that those choices have made you better, stronger and made it easier for you to decide on new choices that will be better and that there is a greater force somewhat involved in using those choices to mould and prepare you for a bigger task).

To find peace about the people in your life ( understanding that you will need to live with some people for the rest of your life and no matter what happens, you will need to live in peace with them as much as it lies with you and that you can also stay away from others who will do anything to destroy your peace of mind). 

Peace is really not found in the world or in humans because it is difficult to be at peace in a tumultuous world. Peace is something we need to work towards everyday. Its something we need to seek God for. He has said my peace I give to you not as the world gives but as he gives.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING

"Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship." - Kofi Annan

Learning is a lifetime journey and it is important that children are supported very early in life with their learning. Learning can be formal or informal but the focus of this article is on supporting children age 5 and above with their learning. Therefore, I will be focusing on supporting their learning with subjects such as Mathematics (Numeracy), English (Literacy), Science and other formally taught subjects.

Depending on where you live, the curriculum used to teach your child will be unique to that geographical location/country. However, the following suggestions can be useful in supporting your child with their learning. The list is not exhaustive.

·         Mathematics/Numeracy support – Right from an early age, it is good to play number games with your child. This can be done while taking a walk, when driving with them in the car or on the bus. You can count how many people you can see and so on and so forth. You can also play matching games with your child to teach them about shapes and sizes. Your child can be supported to copy patterns and colour them. Using visual aids can also help your child in learning mathematical vocabulary. Investing in number charts and magnetic shapes is a very good idea. Your child will be able to see the numbers and arrange them on a magnetic board or on the fridge.

·         English/Literacy- This involves listening, speaking and reading. Therefore, every parent should ensure they read to their child at a very early age and encourage the child to listen and respond to stories, songs and rhymes. The art of comprehension should be encouraged. This means after reading to your child, ask them questions and let them respond so you can be sure they have understood what you have read to them. Their response also helps you to support their speaking skills and also extends their vocabulary. Through their speaking they learn the art of interaction. It is very important that children see us read as they pick up on what we do. You should read with your child and pause occasionally to discuss the book and explain to the child who an author is, the plot and the characters in the book etc. Another good idea is to take your child to the library or book store and let the child select a book he/she wants to read.

·         Writing- While I was growing up, my mother used to say to me, ‘reading makes a ready man and writing a perfect man’. As soon as your child can hold a pencil safely, give the child a blank piece of paper and a pencil and let the child attempt to write whatever he/she can on the piece of paper. A lot of patience is needed. Once the child is able to hold the pencil effectively, teach the child to write his/her name. You can progress to giving the child the opportunity to write your shopping list when you need to go shopping or when they get to the age of making many requests of what they need, around age 5 to 7, tell them to write you a list of their needs.

Science and other subjects – It is a very good idea to introduce your child to reading non-fiction books at a very early age. This will give the child the opportunity to learn more about the world we live in and introduce them to subjects like Geography, Science, Art and Design, Music and Physical Education etc.

The best legacy you can leave your child is the gift of good education all round. Expose your child to learning. Be interested in their education, support them and if you are the busy parent due to the nature of your work, engage the service of a good professional who can support them. Be wary of those who just collect your money but do not help your children to improve in their learning.

About the writer

Felicia Yetunde Onilogbo is an educationist who loves teaching children and training adults. She has a passion for developing children and women and supporting them to realise their potentials. She is happily married with three lovely children.She has written a book titled 'You Are A Person of Influence' 

GIVING YOUR CHILD AN EARLY START TO SUCCESS II - READ THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TEMILOLUWA ONILOGBO

In this interview, Temiloluwa talks about his passion and interests. He is a teenager who is passionate about drawing, designing and the sciences. Read this interview to find out more about him, his interests and his advice to other teenagers yet to find out their passion. Enjoy!

Please can we get to know you?

My name is Temiloluwa Onilogbo, I’m 15 years old and I’m in my fifth year of high school.

Temiloluwa's work

What is your major in school (Sciences or Arts)?

I don’t really know what a major is – haha – but my favourite subjects in school are maths, the sciences (especially Chemistry) and art.

Why science?

Sciences are basically Maths applied to real life, especially in Physics, and I really enjoy Maths and the interesting experiments in subjects like Chemistry. I’m quite good at Maths (I got a Gold Award in this year’s UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge) which is why I’m going to take it along with Physics, Chemistry, French and Psychology for my A-Levels after GCSEs in pursuit of an engineering course at University.

     

Why Engineering?

I will probably go for Chemical Engineering because I really like science and it’s something that I would want to do. Also, it pays well – haha.

What do you love doing during your free time?

Generally, I like to play sports like basketball and tennis with my friends; I really like drawing and painting and do it a lot. I sing in a rock band as well as play the bass guitar and keyboard.

 How do you put your skills to use?

I’ve been playing the bass guitar for two years now and I play it in my church’s praise band.

You mentioned something about really loving to draw and design? Can you tell us more about this interest? When did you start drawing and designing?

I’ve been drawing more seriously since I was 11 years old and I draw influenced mainly by the Japanese manga/anime style like in shows such as Naruto. I do a lot of random designs but I am also in the process of writing a manga of my own. I even have a Facebook page: T3MILOL’s Drawings and Stuff at https://www.facebook.com/t3milol .

Temiloluwa's work

 Where did you learn it?

For the most part, I learnt how to draw things from taking photographs as well as from my Art teachers in school. In terms of the manga style, I get that mostly from TV and manga I read.

Did you get enough sufficient knowledge from school or you went for some more training?

In my school, they don’t teach the style that I use the most so I learn by myself using books and watching YouTube videos. My favourite artists on there include Mark Crilley, Whyt Manga and Sophie-chan.

What tools/software do you use in drawing and designing?

To make the drawings and paintings, I use a range of media, including traditional watercolour paints for example as well as digital programs such as Photoshop and Manga Studio.

Do you do creative work for people?

I have done some design work for people – designing logos for T-shirts; leaflets and flyers – but I haven’t actually worked for pay before.

Who encourages you to do the things you love? You say you are preparing for your GCSEs, how do you get the time to do things you love in the midst of school work?

My parents and people in my church who know about my artwork support me to carry on. In terms of how I find time, I just make sure I crack on with my work so I have spare time.

What is your advice for other young people who are yet to realize what they are good at or are passionate about?

I would just say that even if you don’t know now, when you find that there’s something that you’re good at, you find yourself doing a lot or something you really like, then you should work at it and then see how far you go.

Thanks for your time.