The Challenge
Over the past few years, Room to Read has established over 5,160 bilingual libraries in developing countries by working with local villages, educators, and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). To date, we have shipped over 2.2 million children's books in English to fill our library shelves.
However, in 2002, our Nepal team discovered that our libraries there were not being utilized to their fullest potential because students did not have access to quality children's books in their local language. Before learning English, these students needed to learn to read Nepali, to foster their intellectual curiosity and imagination through books they could understand, and to further promote their education. We quickly determined that there were simply not many quality Nepali children's books available. Parents were too poor to afford reading material for their children, so publishers weren't motivated to publish children's books in the local language.
Due to this lack of high-quality books in the local language, we boldly decided to fill the void in the children's book industry through our Local Language Publishing Program. With seed funding provided by the Skoll Foundation in 2003, we launched our program to create and publish new local language children's books, thereby giving children access to the type of books that will spark imagination, curiosity, and a desire to learn to read.
The Room to Read Local Language Publishing Approach
To maintain our commitment to providing a lifelong education for all children, the time has come for more exciting and relevant children's literature in their local languages so that children in the developing world have the same opportunities that many of us had growing up surrounded by children's books, either at home, at school, or in our local public library.
Our Local Language Publishing Program seeks to meet this challenge by providing children with materials that will inspire them to read, to expand their minds, and to develop a lifelong love for reading and learning. We are significantly increasing the quantity and diversity of children's books currently published in Khmer, Hindi, Lao, Nepali, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Vietnamese by sourcing and publishing new children's literature within all of the countries in which we work. Many of the books we publish are bilingual English/local language children's books and are especially beneficial to children because they can be used throughout a child's development - initially to stimulate a child's imagination and then to reinforce reading skills in the local language and to aid in the initial study of English.
The books are created entirely within the countries in which we work: we work with local writers and illustrators to develop new culturally relevant children's books. Many of these stories are adapted from local folktales; other stories are sourced from various writing competitions and writers' workshops that are sponsored and held by Room to Read. The competitions and workshops are designed to promote a culture of writing, not just reading, and to source and develop new creative talent. As a result, they are most appropriate within a local context, which can sometimes be very different than a children's book written for an American/European audience. Of all the manuscripts submitted to Room to Read, our teams only select the the top 25 percent of books submitted for publication; the books are often field tested by children to garner feedback on plot, character development, and general suitability for the target age group. Bilingual books are subsequently translated into English, with the goal of maintaining the local flavor and integrity of the story. All of our local language books are printed within the respective countries in order to promote the local economy and create jobs.
Our goal is to provide a variety of content to children in the developing world, covering a myriad of themes, including:
- Beginning words and basic vocabulary
- The environment
- Health
- Math skills and concepts
- Morals and values
- Animal life
- Family life
- Folktales, rhymes and poems
Below are samples of our local language books:
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Sophie Loves Books is a story of a very poor family in a remote village in
the countryside of Cambodia. Everyday Sophie would
follow her mother to school, carrying her little brother in her arms because her mother sold
fried banana cakes at the primary school in their village. While all the pupils were studying
in the classroom, Sophie used to hold her little brother in her arms and stand by the window
looking in at them. Through the help of a neighboring boy, Theun, and a teacher, Madame Bopha,
Sophie is eventually able to enroll in school, learn to read and write, and make many friends.
It is written in Khmer and English and is suitable for children aged 6-12.
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Chameli Ko Basna is a Nepali story of a young girl named Chameli. The only
daughter of wealthy parents, she discovers her mother's jewelry one day. The next day she
wears her mother's Shirphoola on her head to school. Each day she adds more jewelry. The more
she adds, the less attention she gives to her studies and to her friends. Eventually, Chameli
learns a great lesson in modesty and humility. It is written in Nepali and English and
suitable for children aged 7-12.
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Father's Jar of Money is a Laotian story about a boy who learns about the
value of working hard and saving money. In the beginning, the boy does not know how to work
hard because throughout life his parents have given him everything. One day he leaves his
family, and after some time away, he learns that one must work hard to make a living and save
money. He returns home to his family, still a young man, but much more grown and mature, with
a large sum of money to give to his father. Still thinking his son doesn't value money, his
father throws the money into the fire, but, the young man rushes to save it. Through this
action, he shows his family that he has worked hard to earn this money and that he is no
longer wasteful. The book is written in Laotian and English for elementary and secondary
school children.
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The Memorandum tells the story of a group of animals that come together to
come up with solutions on how to minimize pollution. They write a memorandum to all humans
that describes how pollution harms the environment. The memo explains the connection between
humans, plants, and animals and asks humans to find ways to reduce pollution. The hope of the
animals is to inform humans and help them change some of their wasteful ways. It is written in
Nepalese and English and is for students under 12.
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The Noisy Little Dinosaurs is a story written in Vietnamese and English about
a family of dinosaurs, whose curious little children love to play and make noise which
sometimes bothers their tired parents. The story describes how the family teaches the young
dinosaurs the importance of playing quietly while the grown up dinosaurs are resting. One day
the baby dinosaurs see that their screaming has given their father a very bad headache. They
realize that if they play without making as much noise it will not be as bothersome to their
father and they learn to play without making so much noise. For ages 5-10.
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Prakash (which means "light" in Hindi) explains the basic concept
of light as a form of energy. Vivid color photographs show different examples of light in both
natural and man-made settings. The book also elaborates on the various uses of light in modern
life and contains both definitions of important terms related to light and a few questions
designed to spark children's interest in the importance of light in our everyday lives. It is
printed in Hindi and English (in separate books) and is written for 3-10 year olds.
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Local Language Publishing Results
Room to Read is currently one of the top publishers of local language children's books in Nepal and Cambodia; our goal is simple - to be the "Dr. Seuss of the developing world" And to develop the talent and creativity of new writers in the countries in which we operate.
To date, Room to Read has published approximately 226 titles and printed over 2,090,000 books. Because we publish these books in the countries in which we work, we are able to keep our costs extremely low - approximately US$1 per book. Most importantly, young children in the developing world now have new, high quality books to read and enjoy.
| Country | Total Thru 2007 | 2008 (Projected) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambodia |  |
57 | 12 |
| India |  |
41 | 15 |
| Laos |  |
30 | 14 |
| Nepal |  |
61 | 20 |
| Sri Lanka |  |
17 | 12 |
| Vietnam |  |
15 | 10 |
| South Africa |  |
5 | 7 |
| Zambia |  |
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How You Can Help
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."
- Charles W. Eliot, The Happy Life 1896
Universal literacy begins with a book in the hands of every child. Consider how many books have brought you to this stage in your life. Can you imagine not having had such access to other thoughts, other imaginations, other visions? Millions of children do experience these wonders. You can make the difference in their lives.
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Donate to the Local Language Publishing Program - Make a donation towards publishing in a particular country, to the program in general, or leave it up to Room to Read to best allocate your contribution. |
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Sponsor the publication of a local language book. |
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Learn about volunteer opportunities with Room to Read. |
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Sign up for our quarterly electronic newsletter to get updates on the organization, our programs, and more. |
"Before I saw the colorful Room to Read books, I thought reading was only for homework. Now, I can read books that are fun and learn about other places and animals."
- Puja, Class 6, Masbar, Nepal
