Magnus the Mongoose 'Send a Book Home' Literacy Campaign Expands!
- May 3
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
What began as a campaign to have Jamaicans send the first title in our book series, Magnus the Mongoose Meets New Friends home has grown into a movement, with more Jamaican authors jumping into the pool to get their books in the hands of more children this May.
Magnus the Mongoose is all about encouraging childhood education and literacy with a special focus on exposing children to Jamaican culture. Whilst it is important to broaden their scope, learning from different cultures, there has always been a heavy reliance on and influence from books outside of us! Our babies grow up reading a disproportionate number of books (if they read at all) that highlight outside what their every day experience would be. There is incongruence between what is seen, what is learned and what is reinforced, with little to injection of whimsy or fantasy that is part of our existence. Over time, our nuances, our appreciation of self, our language and our practices get eroded. The results of that are far reaching and telling.
In the "Send a Book Home" Campaign, which launched online on March 20, observed as The International day of Happiness, Jamaicans, local and overseas, were encouraged to send books to their former schools to help expose children to our stories by way of our authors. Some books have already been donated to schools in time for Read Across Jamaica Day while others will receive on the day. Schools who have or will benefit from the campaign include, Allman Town Primary School, St. Elizabeth Basic School, Holy Childhood Preparatory, Jesse Ripoll Primary and the Jamaica Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (JACLD). Our sponsors so far must be acknowledged in the hope that more will come on board - NCB Foundation, AIM Financial Corporation, Jamaica Civil Service Association, Netty's Farm, Careda's Caribbean Cuisine in Philadelphia, Jungle Communications in New York, Stephen Rookwood and STEPS Christian Academy in Connecticut.
Support Jamaican writers!
The list of Jamaican writers is endless so start looking and ASKING about them. They are the ones who help keep our culture alive! Check out authors such as Sabrena McDonald Radcliffe, AnnMargaret Lim, Opal Palmer Adisa, Hazel Campbell, Wayne Carnegie and a plethora of talented authors, who write and illustrate with Jamaicans and their children in mind. Parents have to get involved as 'monkey see, monkey do' - if children see their parents read, then 10 chances to one, their children will also read. Publishers such as Blue Banyan Books and LMH Publishing support local authors by printing and distributing titles and also showcasing their authors at international book fairs. Kozy Korner Books N More is dedicated to showcasing Jamaican authors in store and at various book fairs during the year and to creating a space for quality children's literature.
Kozy Korner Books N More - MasterMAC Plaza in Kingston
READ A BOOK. GIFT A BOOK THIS MAY!
May is Child's Month and there is a national focus on children. Use this opportunity to get a child to read about themselves so they can have a giggle and have their little hearts smile when they see themselves acknowledged in print. You know the little feisty statement we used to say when someone was staring at us? Take a picture it lasts longer? Imagine having a book, with still images that our babies can relate to ... #powerful
"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest" - C.S Lewis
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