Children have own space at book fair

Abu Dhabi: Children aged 3 to 17 waited in long queues to have their picture taken at 'children's corner' at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Young Mariam who was visiting the fair with her school friends could not hide her excitement while standing in the queue: "I will take the photograph to my mother," she said.

Since the book fair started on Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre thousands of children have visited children's corner.

"The corner is a special space for kids to experience the fun behind reading and for them to form an attachment to the book fair from an early age," Dana Al Saraj, programme manager at children's corner told Gulf News.

Activities to encourage children to love reading take place in the area. They include environmental workshops and young journalists' workshops - to help youngsters find the 'hidden reporter' inside them. Sessions are in both Arabic and English and each session is designed for a certain age range.