Prodigy on a mission to turn children into lovers of literature

She dashes off poems and reads Voltaire in her spare time. Now Adora, eight, is coming to tell British pupils how to write

Anushka Asthana and Matthew Ogborn Sunday February 19, 2006 The Observer Adora Svitak loves to read and write. Over the past 18 months she has had a 296-page book published and written 400 short stories and nearly 100 poems. Typing at 80 words a minute, she has produced 370,000 words while reading up to three books a day. The last novel she finished was Voltaire’s Candide. Not bad for an eight-year-old. As if that wasn’t enough, the child prodigy has also made it her mission to persuade other youngsters to ditch their computer games and pick up a book or a pen. ‘When I was little I thought everyone in the world liked to read, because it was so fun,’ said Adora. ‘But then I realised that was not exactly true. I want other kids to read and write more all over the world, because it helps them to understand things better.’ Adora tours schools in her native Seattle, demonstrating touch-typing and carrying out PowerPoint presentations on how she learnt to write and why it is fun to read. She takes in props, such as cuddly toys, to show how things around her inspire story ideas. One of her slides reads: ‘If I saw a black cat near my house, I could make up a whole story about a witch and the family she had cursed.’ In June she hopes to come to Britain to convince children here of the joy of reading. But some have questioned whether she will get as warm a welcome as she does in America. Children who have struggled with reading might feel patronised, said one child psychologist. And few will be able to understand the difficult books that Adora can tackle in a morning. She reads widely, from fiction to history and biography. She was only four when she started writing stories, but her writing really took off when her mother bought her a laptop at six. At seven, her first book, Flying Fingers, a mix of her own fiction and writing tips for others, was published. She already has a deal for her second book, a collection of poetry. Adora is supported by Joyce, who is an interpreter. But she insists the campaign is Adora’s own doing. ‘She does this off her own back,’ she said. ‘She understands what she is doing, but we do encourage and support her.’ Their decision to come to the UK comes after figures showed that 52 per cent of five-year-olds failed to reach literacy, language and development targets. Reading for pleasure is one way to push up achievement, according to Viv Bird, director of Reading is Fundamental, a project run by the National Literacy Trust. She said peer-to-peer encouragement was very important: ‘It is fantastic that Adora is getting people thinking about books. I just hope her trip is not met with too much cynicism.’ Bird said it would be good if Adora teamed up with local children who were also writing books. One British success is keen to meet Adora. Libby Rees, author of Help, Hope and Happiness – a self-help book for children whose parents are divorcing – said: ‘It would be fun to meet someone who has done something like me. I really hope I have encouraged children to write.’ Libby, who is 10, is set to host her own Trisha-style chat show later this year. Charles Faulkner, of her publishers, Aultbea Publishing, said it was the honest and positive outlook of children that made their writing unique. ‘It is not just their age, but the quality of work is very refreshing,’ he added. ‘These children are exceptionally bright and ahead of their years in school.’ Adora has the reading age of 20, according to her teachers. But success hasn’t gone to her head. ‘She is not arrogant at all,’ said her writing teacher, Felisa Rogers. ‘She is above average ability, but we make sure we tell her that this is because of her hard work.’ Adora the author Prince Garrick scornfully tossed aside a beautifully gold-embossed leather-bound book. ‘Peasant’s trash,’ he scoffed to the trembling minion who had presented the gift. ‘B-beg p-pardon, y-your sup-superior h-highness, I n-never meant no h-harm,’ the servant stuttered, stepping back and tripping over an ornately designed china pitcher.’ • Extract from Flying Fingers

All the best kid

little message

your comments helps me uncle

namaste love u kiss (kishan)

The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi

Hehehe. You know, whilst most Indian films SEEM to be directed by kids, perhaps if they were we’d be getting better stuff. The same old tired, hackneyed and unimaginative directors. If ‘Bollywood’ (meaning high budget Indian cinema) had an injection of youth it could only be a good thing. I thought Farhan Akthar etc were exciting, but then I learnt that he, like many other newer directors, are old family friends of Hrithik, Karan, SRK and co. It’s all one nepotistic incestuous world.

Pity Rahul Bose isn’t a looker, had he enjoyed more mass-popularity from good looks, he’s someone who could’ve instigated some change now he’s moved (not particularly impressively, it has to be said) into directing over the last few years.

And then, at that point, it’ll come back to content, and therefore the maturity of the artist. It won’t be remarkable, or even uncommon, that a 10 year old is making a movie. It’ll be remarkable if it’s any good. (Has anyone read a good novel by a teenager?)

I prefer directing to acting because of the creativity it affords me. From the beginning, I used to ask my directors about the technical aspects of the film, and hound the cameramen to show me their art. I want to continue directing and have already finalised the script for my next film, which will be a Hindi film,”

sound a little too articulate for a ten year old?

This makes it two stories about kid protegees from India…anyone remember that three year old marathon runner?