Introduced to books at an early age, Athena Nikolis now 10, has a website where she reviews books in English as well as French
In an email interview Athena from Montreal lists out her favorite books, what got her into reviewing books and start her own blog. She also has a few tips for you to review and read books of your choice...
Q. Since when did you start reading?
From a very young age, my parents and grandparents read many books to me. But my true passion for reading began when I started reading novels on my own at the age of 6. The first series I read was the Noddy series by British author Enid Blyton. Since then, I read many books every week.
Q. What kind of books do you read?
I read many different kinds of books, but my favorites are adventure, mystery, and historical fiction.
Q. How many books do you have?
I have several hundred books in my bookcase. However, I am lucky that there is an excellent public library close to my house. I go to the library every 3 weeks and borrow at least a dozen books each time.
Q. How do you decide on what books to read?
I choose my reading collections by several ways. Sometimes, they are books my parents read when they were young and loved, others are suggestions by friends or the librarian. Usually I know, within the first look, if I will get attached to the book series. When I do, I usually read some of the books over and over again.
Q. Your favorite authors.
- Enid Blyton
- Elisabetta Dami
- Roald Dahl
-Judy Blume
-Carolyn Keene
Q. Your favorite books.
My favorite books are:
- Sans Famille by Hector Malot (a french book),
- I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai,
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares,
- Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh,
- The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
My favorite book series are:
- The Famous Five and The Secret 7 by Enid Blyton,
- Canterwood Crest by Jessica Burkhart,
- Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene,
- The Baby Sitters Club by Ann Martins.
Q. Tell us about your website. Why did you decide to start one?
The idea to start a website came up when a family friend showed us her own blog. I was intrigued by the idea and since books had become such an important part of my life, I started a reading blog.
My goal was to make book suggestions to other young readers like myself and, this way, share my love of reading. My website is bilingual, as I make book suggestions in both English and French. I have structured it by age groups and language to make navigation in the site more user-friendly. The blog includes suggestions for both novels and book series that I loved and have grown up with.
Q. How do you review a book?
In my blog, when I finish a book and want to review it, I start with a short summary of the book or series. I then share my impressions of the book followed by some more information such as the date of publication, the author and publishing house. Finally, I rate it on a scale from 1 to 5. You will notice that most of the books are at least rated as 4 stars as I tend to only put the books I have loved!
Q. Tips to youngsters who want to review books.
If you love books, there are avid readers who probably want to hear about them!
- Give a brief summary and appreciation of a book you just read
- You review on an existing book review forum or by creating your own blog like myself
Q. Tips on reading books.
- Find the style of books that you will love.
- There will be some books that will expose you to stories and worlds that you would never have imagined.
- Reduce screen time and rather invest it in reading books and get attached to a story