ISLAMABAD: Fifth grader Abdul Hadi is fond of reading children stories and history books at a time when most children his age are interested in playing video games on smart phones and spend a large part of their time on social media. He has read over 1,000 books, including all parts of the Harry Potter series.

“There is something special about holding a book in one’s hands as it provides more understanding so there is no comparison to it,” he said while talking to Dawn, adding that he tried reading e-books too but he could not become accustomed to it because he liked touching paper and flipping through them.

During his interview, he shared his thoughts about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and discussed national and international politics, explaining the reason behind the fall of Adolf Hitler’s government in Germany. Besides reading, Hadi enjoys watching news on Deutsche Welle (DW) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

According to his parents, Hadi read the first few pages of a novel written by Sidney Sheldon when he was just five.

“One day, he told me that he had read few pages of my book. I was surprised and I thought he might be joking but he insisted that he had been reading it since the last few days,” said Hadi’s father Atif Shahzad.

“Nowadays, he is reading The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History by Michael H. Hart and the biography of Hitler,” Mr Shahzad said.

Hadi has a mini library in his house and visits the National Library (Islamabad) and Army Library in Rawalpindi. He told Dawn that recently his maiden article was published in a children’s magazine Hilal and the second one is lined up.

His mother, Sumaira Atif, said all parents must encourage their children to read as this was the most effective way for them to grasp information and retain it.

“If children are taking more interest in mobile phones and computers, then parents can give them an incentive. For instance, saying that they should read a few pages of a book, if they want to use a mobile phone. Parents can incorporate the habit of reading books into their child’s routine by using such tricks,” she said, adding that reading contributed towards developing a child’s communication skills and activated their imagination.

It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to create the culture of reading books, she said.

It is relevant to note here that over the years, with technological advancements going on throughout the world, children have lost interest in reading books. Not only children, but adults are also hardly seen reading books anymore.

There are several libraries in the twin cities but most remain deserted because people are simply not interested in making the effort to go and read. This practice was common in the past though.

Under these circumstances, Hadi’s is an exceptional story that carries with it inspiration for both children and parents as simple habits like reading can create a positive impact in a child’s life in the long run.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2022