A GNA Feature by James Amoh Junior
Accra, Aug. 31, GNA – There has been a resurgence of the idea that children’s books should be morally instructive and nutritive even.
No wonder a four-year-old girl, who showed up at this year’s Ghana International Book Fair (GIBF)—where some particularly wonderful books had been displayed—eyed an exhibitor with a thinly veiled impatience, retorting “can I please get a great adventure book.”
Perchance, this four-year-old had been wowed by the strides made by nine-year-old Juanita Oppong-Amponsah, a class five pupil of the North Legon School Complex, who has authored five books and inspired participants of the book fair, mostly pupils, to cultivate habits of reading and writing imaginatively.
Published by Adwinsa Publication (GH) Limited, the five fascinating adventure books by Juanita, written in series, is titled “Adventures of Lucy” and details the life of an eight-year-old girl, Lucy.
The granddaughter of a celebrated Ghanaian writer, Peter Kwabena Amponsah, Juanita also celebrated by her peers, says as a child, she enjoyed listening to stories from her parents and peers.
Particularly, she relished bedtime stories from her parents especially from her father who mostly put her to bed with riveting stories.
The Pupil, who has been writing for two years, draws inspiration from Madam Elizabeth Akua Ohene, ace Ghanaian Journalist and Politician, whose articles she reads as pupil but had also read about her in a class two history book.
At age six, Ms Juanita started telling similarly exciting stories to her friends at the North Legon School Complex, many of whom showed up to celebrate her strides at the outdooring of her books at the 19th Ghana International Book Fair held at the National Theatre.
However, at age seven, she started writing in exercise books as that began a journey into the self, writing in rich emotions and imagery but of human realities.
She will, two years on, create positive ripples into society with her first five books titled “Lucy and the Book”, “Lucy and the Lost Fairy”, “Lucy and the Wonderful Promise”, “Lucy and the Mysterious Painter” and “Lucy and her dream”.
Ms Juanita would have authored her first book at age eight, but she told the Ghana News Agency that she lost the exercise book which contained the story titled, “The Thief”. Perhaps, that imaginary thief may have, in reality, dealt her book a big blow.
“I read a story book that was in series, and I conceived the idea of writing the Adventures of Lucy,” she said, stressing that the “excellent” writings of Madam Elizabeth Ohene had greatly inspired her.
Her reasons for writing, she adds, is to add up to literary knowledge and particularly to help other children to cultivate the habit of reading to become great writers.
Child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim explains in his book “The Uses of Enchantment: The Importance of Fairy Tales” that a good book would “promote [a child’s] ability to find meaning in life.
He continues: “It must stimulate his imagination; help him to develop his intellect and to clarify his emotions; be attuned to his anxieties and aspirations; give full recognition to his difficulties, while at the same time suggesting solutions to the problems which perturb him.”
Perhaps, the four-year-old was daunted by those rather lofty requirements when she asked for a “great adventure book.”
Madam Elizabeth Ohene, herself a prolific writer, who joined Juanita to ‘outdoor’ her books, said, writers change the world by showing a beautiful perspective, and thus urged pupils to cultivate lifetime reading and writing habits for their self-development.
She said: “Believe me, this is the best time of your lives. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different. A successful life is when you’re sure that the young people who will come after you will have a better life than you have had. You will make it possible for the old people to be able to say, they have succeeded if you have a better life than they had.”
“Please read, it doesn’t cost anything.” Madam Ohene advised the pupils, whose excitement obviously stemmed from the ability of their colleague to author many books at age nine.
A study conducted in the United States by the National Centre for Education Statistics (2011) revealed that high school students who regularly engaged in leisure reading scored significantly higher marks than their peers who did not regularly read for pleasure.
Mr Kwaku Oppong Amponsah, Chief Executive Officer, Adwinsa Publications (GH) Limited, in an interview, agrees, and says: “those who are great readers become great leaders” and reiterates that those who read widely, did not struggle with learning in the classroom.
He told the Ghana News Agency that his outfit, established in 1977, had not only provided books for children over the years, but had continuously encouraged reading in schools.
The idea, he noted, was because technology had gradually taken over reading and children were getting more glued to watching extraneous videos on the internet and elsewhere instead of reading electronic books on those platforms.
Mr Amponsah said the phenomenon, if not carefully checked, would adversely affect not only children academically, but reading may become extinct eventually.
The CEO said, to help enhance the education system in Ghana and get children to study hard and be successful, there was the need to encourage reading at an early stage.
The 19th GIBF on the theme: “Reforming the Book Industry for the Future Generation”, focused on discussing strategies to make the future of book publishing meaningful and sustainable.
For little Juanita, her attempt at authoring will continue to fulfil the evolutionary role of writing which will inspire a loving society- the kind of world children will inherit to ultimately become the best versions of themselves.
She hopes that her books will end up on the shelves of the 112 public libraries across the country and 11 others in the Greater Accra Region, to increase the book stock in the country from the current 1,212,503 books.
That would be an effort to promote reading and the acquisition of knowledge in various disciplines as envisioned by the Ghana Library Authority.
In that regard, Mr Edward Addo-Yabo, Acting Greater Accra Regional Director of the Ghana Library Authority, says various literacy interventions programmes have been initiated.
One of such programmes, he says, is the “Wild About Reading” programme aimed at encouraging pleasure reading among young people and to raise children who show willingness to read and write.
Indeed “reading can be magical as it transports people imaginatively to a world where they are exposed to different ideas and cultures.” Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, Country Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO Ghana), said.
This reaffirms the importance of books and the books industry in Ghana as significant to the country’s cultural heritage and development. It is, therefore, hoped that all persons take refuge in reading to develop knowledge, enrich their perspective, and increase their verbalised and internalised thoughts.
GNA