explore our reading nook
Our reading nook is a small corner on the African Library Project website that offers reading suggestions for all ages from members of our community. There is a little something for everyone!
what is art of storytelling?
This year we were joined by two award-winning author / illustrator duos to celebrate children’s books and the power of reading for Art of Storytelling. Art of Storytelling started as a capstone event for African Library Project’s new youth fundraiser, Together We Read!. Rallying the support and passion of readers like you, we were able to speak one-on-one with Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, co-authors of When Stars Are Scattered, and Kevin Heneks and Laura Dronzek, who gave us a preview of their new picture book Sun Flower Lion.
looking for fun activities? get busy with some of our favorite prompts
Start a family book club! Choose a book to read together, and have conversations about the story to share your thoughts!
Story Charades! Choose a story your family knows well and act out the beginning, middle, and end while they try to guess the book!
Mark the spot. Get creative and make bookmarks using whatever materials you have at home!
Picture This: Illustrate a scene from your favorite book.
Dear Author: Write a letter to your favorite author.
Collaborative Story Writing: Have one family member start a story with one sentence, and take turns adding on one line at a time to create a completed story using collaboration!
why we read
Karabo Ramosamo, african library project alumni
Karabo Ramosamo is the perfect example of why reading is important. Karabo was born Botswana where he received an ALP library during primary education. Receiving a library spurred on a lifelong passion for books and literacy.
Ways we read
Monica Lesoha, african library project supporter & teacher librarian
Monica has 18 years’ experience as a school librarian and has worked both in primary and university-level education systems.
As an effort to keep students engaged with reading during COVID-19, Monica began reading aloud to children across Lesotho on Ultimate Radio Station in Lesotho every Saturday from 8 – 8:30 a.m.
In her most recent episode, Monica introduces children to Gwendolyn Brooks, African-American Poet and Pulitzer Prize Winner. Listen to the full audio here.
our bookish recommendations
We Are In a Book! by Mo Willems (2010, Hyperion Books for Children)
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen (2017, Harper Collins)
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (2013)
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris s and Shawn Harris (Chronicle Books, 2017)
The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez (Penguin Random House, 2018)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (Young Readers Edition, Puffin Books, 2015)*
March: Book 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (Top Shelf Productions, 2013)
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (Dial Books, 2020)*
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt (Athenium Books for Young Readers, 2013)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (Little, Brown and Company, 2009)
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018)
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (Random House Children’s Books, 2019)
The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit (National Geographic Explorer Academy, 2018)
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silvestein
Flamingos on the Roof by Calef Brown
An Inquistor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Random House, 2017)*
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Simon Vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
featured in september
March: Book 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (Top Shelf Productions, 2013)
Past Summits
View photo albums and more!
- 2022: Virtual Sessions (Watch Malawi Session | Watch Kenya Recorded Session)
- 2020: 7th Biennial Summit took place in Lesotho (view photo album)
- 2017: 6th Biennial Summit took place in Botswana (read the blog post)
- 2015: 5th Biennial Summit took place in Ghana (view photo album)
- 2013: 4th Biennial Summit took place in Malawi (view photo album)
- 2011: 3rd Biennial Summit took place in Eswantini (view photo album)
- 2009: 2nd Biennial Summit took place in Lesotho (view photo album)
- 2008: 1st Biennial Summit took place in Botswana (view photo album)
2022 Virtual sessions
Due to COVID-19 policies and enforced travel restrictions, the 2022 Summit was held virtually as two mini sessions. This allowed us to invite everyone who supports our work to join. Although the virtual sessions do not come close to replacing the power of an actual in-person gathering, they did allow for our community to hear from our Malawi and Kenyan Partners to present about their country and best practices for their work. There was also time for an open dialogue for the entire community.
The first session was hosted by the Malawi Partners in April 2022 (watch recording on YouTube) and the second session was hosted by the Kenyan Partners in November 2022 (watch recording on YouTube).