I’m a member of the Facebook group “Parents, Find Children’s Books and Authors Here.” As the author of a children’s book called “Making New Friends,” I like to see what both authors and parents are sharing in this group. Well, I have to tell you that I was fascinated to find this charming young boy by the name of Stanley Singh in the group. I listened to him read a children’s story and was captivated by his accent and how expressive he was in telling the story. I immediately wanted to find out more about him. So, here we go!
JJS: Hi Stanley. First of all, how old are you? Can you also tell us about your school, grade level, and hobbies.
SS: I’m ten years old and and I’m in Year five going into Year six. My hobbies are football, gaming, biking, and reading
JJS: I like your accent. I know that people in different places have different accents sometimes. What kind is yours?
SS: I’m from East Yorkshire and my grandma is from Nottingham. My accent is a combination of both.
JJS: I’ve watched you tell several stories and you’re a very good reader. Do your teachers tell you this and have you always been a good reader?
SS: All my teachers are very impressed and proud of me. I have received many reading certificates. I also received a Head Teacher’s Award.
JJS: How did you get the idea of reading stories for children?
SS: Being at home during Covid, my sister and I were bored. One afternoon, we were watching a news story where parents were busy working from home on their laptops. We came up with the idea of telling stories to children.
JJS: Covid has been very hard for everyone. Did you miss school?
SS: We really missed school and we realized it was a really sad time for everyone. Small children couldn’t go to school or nursery so we wanted to make them smile through stories.
JJS: That’s lovely! When did you start doing this and who does the videotaping?
SS: It all started in November last year. My sister, Shaan, does the videotaping. She also edits the videos to make them more exciting and colourful.
JJS: Shaan’s doing a great job! How old is she?
SS: She’s fifteen years old.
JJS: A wonderful big sister! How about your parents? I have a feeling that they must be very supportive and caring people.
SS: Our parents have been very supportive during this adventure. They were going to work as they were both key workers and also helping us with our big project to make children smile.
JJS. That’s wonderful, Stanley? How have authors, parents, and children responded to seeing you reading different books live and sharing in other ways?
SS: Some authors have noticed our videos and sent their books along with positive messages to read on camera.
JJS: I saw a video clip with you – the one on race. That was very good. I understand that you’re also going to be doing some others soon that deal with topics such as bullying and mental health.
SS: Many young people experience these things and find it hard to talk about them.
JJS: That’s very true. It’s good to talk about these things. I look forward to seeing more of these kinds of videos, Stanley. I missed a very important question. What kinds of books do you like to read?
SS: I have been reading Marcus Rashford’s book “You are a Champion” and it has been very inspiring to me so far. I also like Marvel books.
JJS: Have any new opportunities or experiences come about for you since you started this?
SS: Yes – the positivity has made us more confident to take this further. Although it was only through lockdown we started doing this, we want to continue.
JJS: I know you’re only 10 years old. Do you think you want to continue sharing stories with children or working with children in some other way as time goes by? Any thoughts about the future?
SS: In the future, I would like to be a professional football player. However, I do enjoy reading.
JJS: Thank you so much for sharing like this with me, Stanley. I feel very happy and proud to see a young person like yourself doing something like this – making a difference in the world at such a young age. When I saw my first video with you reading, a big smile came to my face. You’re a good role model for other young people and I wish you all the best now and in wherever life takes you in the future. I have a feeling that you’re going to go very far in life. Good luck to both you and Shaan!
SS: A pleasure. Thank you!
