Students say they are enjoying the reading challenge

Dubai: "We all can dance if we found the music we like," read a school principal to pupils during a half-an-hour session set aside for the Dubai Cares Million Book initiative.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae may sound like a children's book but has lessons for those of all age groups and backgrounds, said Neville Sherman, during his enthusiastic interaction with some 30 pupils in one of the classes at Westminster School in Al Ghusais.

"Life is about finding what you like and you're at the age where you will soon be out there in the world to discover that. The book is not about dancing, it's about finding what you like," he said to the pupils who have collectively managed to read 14,860 books since the beginning of the initiative.

Sameen Anwar usually reads 2-3 books a week but has finished around a hundred books ever since The Million Book Challenge began. One book each will be donated to underprivileged countries for every book read by a Dubai pupil.

"We are definitely not driven by competition or the prospect of meeting targets set for ourselves under this initiative. We are solely driven by the enjoyment of reading and taking part in a noble cause," said the 17-year-old. Youngsters would take to reading if given literature that suited their style and age, she said.

Another student, Bahar Bahrouzi said reading took her to a different world filled with excitement and enjoyment. She attributed her passion for reading to childhood reading activities with her mother and to the conducive environment at school.

Top rung: 15 books or more

Total number of books read by November 10: 527,777

Top three schools so far: