'I wanted to help others find joy in books'

'I wanted to help others find joy in books'

Arnay Agarwal, 11, is a grade six student of Greenwood High International School. An avid reader, he was shocked at the fact that there are many who don’t enjoy reading. “I was once telling a friend about a book and she had no idea what I was talking about. I wanted to create something that helps other people find the joy in books,” says Arnay.

To this end, he started ‘Reading Rhino’, a mission to encourage other children to read. He started the blog ‘Jake the Explorer’, where he writes book summaries, short stories and reviews. He even tells stories through interesting podcasts on varying topics. Reading summaries from a child’s perspective would encourage other children to read, he says.

The young writer began reading when he was only three years old. “I began by reading books with a few words and lot of illustrations. Over time, I began choosing books with more text and by the time I was six, I was reading novels,” he says.

His favourite authors are JK Rowling, Enid Blyton and Clive Clusser.

“I am inspired by authors like JK Rowling, who, even though their books were rejected initially, kept on trying and finally succeeded. Clive Cussler and Enid Blyton write stories that enchant you and transport you to magical worlds. But most of all I am inspired by my mom, who taught me to be persistent in my writing and keep on
trying to write well. She is the one who supported me and helped me continue writing, even when I as about to give up,” he says.