📖 The Dear Books Story:

Let’s Read Away, Our Way

Hi, I’m Rosa.

After spending five years as a Junior School librarian, I have seen firsthand how a child’s eyes can light up when they find the book.

Did that ever happen to you? That moment when a book grasped you, and just stayed?

Perhaps a line still runs through your head, or a character still inspires you. Maybe it was the whimsical friends in the hundred-acre wood when you were young, or the shenanigans of Spud and his hooligan buddies in your early teens. Perhaps it was a book your teacher read aloud to you once,“Do you like green eggs and ham,?” or a Where’s Wally that kept you captivated for hours.

Finding Quiet in a Noisy World

Reading has changed. The literary landscape in South Africa has shifted - for the better, and for the worse. Today, books have to compete with an ocean of digital media: YouTube channels in abundance, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite (and a new game every week) and endless streaming platforms.

And yet, there is so much hope. We have a growing South African children’s publishing industry promoting African stories by local writers. We have literacy NGOs working tirelessly to bring libraries to under-resourced schools. And we have an incredibly rich cultural heritage of storytelling.

With all the noise in the world, Dear Books is an invitation to take a moment for quiet.

Be it a graphic novel, a biography of Taylor Swift, a picture book where every second word is “snot,” or a juicy tween romance - even the most reluctant reader can find their one.

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📦 What’s Inside Your Monthly Pack?

We help you bring storytelling back into your day. Every single month, your child will receive a beautifully curated box of literary delights.

🇿🇦 The Local Voice: A hand-picked South African title to celebrate our own voices. (If an appropriate title is not available, our focus shifts to brilliant authors from the African diaspora and other marginalised communities.)

💎 The International Gem: An exciting international title - be it a hidden gem, a reimagined classic, or an oft-missed great story.

🫟 The Interactive Resource: A guided reading pack and a creative or educational activity designed by an educator to accompany the books and bring the stories to life.

❤️ Reading It Forward

Part of my mission at Dear Books is to pay it forward. Literacy is a gift that belongs to every child in our country. To support the ecosystem that raised us, please consider adding R5 to your order for Nalibali, one of the organisations growing literacy on the frontline.

When you subscribe to Dear Books, your child gets to fall in love with reading, and you can help another South African child do the same.

(This is me! With some AI assistance)