KIDS NEED TO READ!

This nine-year-old is determined to share her love of books and ge South African kids reading

- MELON RADEBE

SHE’S been hooked on books since she was a baby.

Her parents started reading to her when she was just six months old and by the time Reamoleboha Monethi was six she was reading novels on her own.

So when she recently overheard one of her friend’s moms saying that she wished her daughter would read more, Reamoleboha (9) – or Rea as she’s affectionately known – felt it was her duty to intervene.

“I said to my parents, since I really like Diary of a Wimpy Kid I could lend one of my books to my friend, and they agreed,” the book worm, who’s in Grade 3 at Trinityhouse Glenvista in Johannesburg, says. 

Her friend ended up enjoying the book so much it inspired Rea to start her own book club to get more kids reading by lending them books.

“My mom and I realised it wouldn’t only be nice to share the book with one friend, but with the rest of my friends and everyone else who wanted to join,” the little girl says.

Her mother, Ntshepang (37), says when she looked at Rea’s bookshelf, which is packed with about 45 fiction and non-fiction books, it didn’t feel right that a title is read once then left on a shelf to gather dust, especially because books are so expensive.

With her mom fully on board, the enterprising pupil launched R BookHire, an initiative that hires out books to make them more accessible.

“Basically it’s a rotation of books,” Rea explains.