“Little Miss Sunshine, what are your plans for the holidays?” Dado tenderly asked Kubra, her 15-year-old granddaughter.

“I have decided, Dado, I will learn how to play the violin and start playing more basketball so I can beat your least favourite athlete,” Kubra said, gazing towards her brother.

“Okay, let’s have a quick match,” the 13-year-old Hassan said.

“No, Hassan, I am so tired,” Kubra replied calmly.

A playful commotion followed as the siblings argued over various things while their grandparents took sides. The room was filled with laughter.

The summer vacation had just begun. Kubra had given her last CAIE exam and felt relieved and happy to finally spend more time with her family and hobbies.

The next day, after breakfast, Kubra decided to help her mum in the kitchen, but realised she wasn’t there. She looked everywhere and finally found her in the storeroom upstairs.

“What’s happening, Mum? What are you doing here?” Kubra asked.

“I just thought this room needs a bit of cleaning.”

“No, Mum, not a bit, it needs a lot of cleaning.”

Together, they began sorting things, placing unnecessary items in one pile and useful ones in another.

While they were busy, her mum’s phone rang and she stepped away to answer it. In the meantime, Kubra’s eyes fell on a dull yellowish-brown box. It didn’t look very old, but it seemed forgotten. After a little struggle, she finally opened it.

What she found was completely unexpected, her long-forgotten collection of short storybooks, Montessori postcards and autographs from friends she barely remembered. She sat there for a while, unable to recall the names of teachers she once thought were a big part of her life. Nostalgia filled her and she was mesmerised by this treasure of memories and knowledge.

Ever since she was little, her parents had read her a story every night. That was how her love for reading began, a love now slowly replaced by screens.

Kubra carried the heavy box downstairs, left it in her room and rushed back. After cleaning the storeroom, the day went on as usual, but Kubra eagerly waited for the night.

After dinner, she said goodnight and began taking out the books. She already had a bookshelf in her study corner, so she had never really thought about these old stories.

The books reminded her of something her history teacher once said — knowledge becomes valuable when it is shared. Kubra decided to sell them and went to sleep.

The next morning, she showed the books to her dad and told him her plan. He disagreed. He said selling them didn’t make sense; instead, she should donate them to those who needed them more.

Kubra, however, felt selling them would give her some business experience.

That evening, when her dad returned, he asked if she had changed her mind.

“Yes, Dad. I was being silly. They are old, but still useful. I will gift them to children who love to read,” she said.

“Let’s place them outside Rahim Chacha’s bookstore, opposite The Book Bank. I am sure he’ll let you. Any child can pick a book for free,” Hassan suggested.

“You’ve got brains, Hassan!” Kubra exclaimed.

Rahim Chacha’s bookstore was on the main boulevard behind their house, surrounded by gift shops and flower stores. They had been going there since they were very young.

The next morning, the siblings took the box to Rahim Chacha and asked if they could place the books outside his shop.

Being kind and considerate, he agr­eed. They made a banner that read, “Gifts for the intellectually curious!”

They arranged the books neatly on a stand, giving the place an old-world charm. They also placed a small money box for anyone who wished to contribute.

The children sat there for a couple of hours, then returned home. They visited every day, and within a week, the stand was empty.

“Well done, kids! You’ll be amazed, not just children, but parents and even grandparents picked up books and left money in the box,” Rahim Chacha said.

“Congratulations, Kubee! Your collection finally served a good purpose,” Hassan added.

That day, Kubra went home truly happy. It was then she decided that when she grew up, she would open a bookstore of her own — “Kubra and Company”.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 11th, 2026

Ever wondered what questions you might have had when you were told to go to school for the first time? Or what questions might arise in the minds of children when they are told about this new chapter in their lives?

Lauren Child’s I am TOO absolutely small for school not only presents those, but also answers that will surely convince a child to go to school.

The boardbook revolves around two siblings, Charlie and Lola, who have a discussion about the pros and cons of school, with the relatively more experienced Charlie talking about the pros and Lola about the cons. It is interesting to note that Charlie isn’t much older than Lola, but since he believes school has done good for him, he tackles the subject impressively.

When Charlie tells her that Lola would be able to count if she attends school, she says that since she can already count from one to ten, she doesn’t need to go. She even says that school would distract her from her very busy schedule at home, and rejects the idea of reading because, in her mind, when you have a telephone, you should know how to speak instead of write.

Charlie explains to his sister that not everyone has a telephone and nothing is more important than learning new things with friends. Talking of friends, Lola doesn’t want to dress like others in school, doesn’t want to eat alone and is worried about her invisible friend Soren Lorensen.

Charlie tells her that she can wear what she wants, take lunch from home and be there for his friend, who might be more nervous than her.

The illustrations help you understand the discussion between the siblings; even though Charlie wins the argument in the end, Lola’s points are also valid.

Boardbooks are usually full of fun and games, but this one is both imaginative and informative. It helps us understand that going to school should be appreciated, because it is the one place where you learn things that even parents may not be able to teach you.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 11th, 2026

As human beings, we are all equal. Some may be wealthy while others have less or even nothing, but this is merely a test from God. Those who have more should never look down on those who are less privileged.

The people who collect our garbage, clean our homes and keep our streets tidy are not ordinary. They are often referred to as “golden hands” because they sacrifice their own comfort and well-being to maintain the beauty of this world.

You might be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or anything else, but that does not make a cleaner’s profession any less important. Every job has its own responsibilities and value. Cleaners fulfil their duty with dignity, often showing respect towards others even when they receive none in return.

Nowadays, if even for one day our maids or household helpers take leave, our mothers become worried, and that’s just one person missing. Now imagine a world without any cleaners and garbage collectors. It would quickly become unrecognisable, dirty and unpleasant. No one would want to step outside.

In a world where people are judged by what they have rather than who they are, it is easy to forget a simple truth: no work is small and no human being is less deserving of respect

We should be truly thankful to the people who clean our surroundings. But if you pause for a moment and reflect honestly, you will realise how poorly we often treat them.

And how do we repay them? Too often, we shout at them for the smallest mistake or treat them rudely, simply because they are poor.

Everyone makes mistakes, but when these workers make even the smallest error, they are shouted at and treated harshly. Why? Because people know these individuals are helpless, that they work out of necessity and will quietly endure the mistreatment. But the silence of the oppressed does not go unheard, the Almighty responds in His own time to the injustice they suffer.

One of the biggest problems in our society today is that when a poor person cries and asks for help, we often assume they are pretending. Yet when we watch fictional dramas on television and see someone crying, we become emotional and moved. These workers are human beings too but, unfortunately, many people fail to recognise their humanity. They are burdened with excessive work, treated more like machines than people.

Some people even give their domestic workers leftover or spoilt food, or torn clothes they themselves would never wear. But why do we forget that they are human too? They have the same emotions, the same dignity and the same right to be treated with respect.

The moment you disrespect someone simply because they are poor or because of the nature of their work, you forget your own humanity.

People are pursuing higher education, but what is the value of such education if it does not teach respect? In that case, an illiterate person who knows how to show respect is better than someone with degrees, but no humility.

Two things truly reflect a person’s character: their patience when they have nothing and their behaviour when they have everything. Based on this, we can all take a moment to judge the kind of person we truly are.

Even wild animals are, in some ways, better than us, as they remember kindness and recognise injustice. We, on the other hand, often forget the sacrifices made by those who serve us silently. Despite being called the noblest of creatures, we disrespect those who give up so much to keep our world clean and beautiful.

We all remember the devastating earthquake that struck Balakot on October 8, 2005. It destroyed everything — lives were lost, homes were levelled and property vanished in an instant. This tragedy is a reminder of how fragile life and material things are. So what is the point of being arrogant about wealth or possessions, and belittling others? Yet, many still fail to understand this.

Have we ever stopped to think how it would feel if we were in their place? What if we were the ones being ignored, humiliated or fed what others would not touch?

We should be grateful to God for the blessings we have. But instead of showing gratitude, many of us anger Him by treating His creation as inferior. Oppressing the poor may seem like a small act to some, but when a poor person cries in pain, even if they do nothing in return, God listens.

So reflect. Change. Start today.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 11th, 2026