First Read - One Book, One Camel - Q19-27

Last updated 11 months ago

10 questions

First Read - One Book, One Camel - Q19-27

Last updated 11 months ago

10 questions

A camel struts proudly, two boxes secured tightly to its sturdy frame. But these boxes aren’t carrying what you might think—inside, you’ll find adventures, fables, and voyages. That’s right—you’ll find books!

Libraries in Motion

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 2.

This cool camel is part of the “Camel Mobile Library” in Kenya. The Camel Mobile Library helps to promote literacy, which is the ability to read and write. Since 1979, the government of Kenya has worked hard to improve literacy rates. Now, around 80% of adults in the country are able to explore the world of books.

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 3.

Librarians from Kenya’s National Library Service operate the Camel Mobile Library. It is a way to get books to places across the country, such as Kenya’s eastern province of Garissa. The people of Garissa work as animal herders and move about from place to place. Permanent libraries aren’t always nearby, so books come to the people instead.

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 4.

Librarian Rashid Farah says, “The people whom we serve lead a nomadic life. They are here today, but tomorrow they might be gone.” Delivering books by camel is one creative solution to help more children learn to read.

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 5.

In this way, the Camel Mobile Library works closely with school classes. When the mobile library arrives, the camels kneel, and herders unload the crates. A tent is set up and mats laid out. The librarians carefully arrange books by subject. School classes take turns sitting under the tent, and each child eagerly reaches out to receive a book. Mohamed Farah, a local schoolteacher, says, “By seeing the mobile unit, they get more interested—so they also get used to learning.”

Why Camels?

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 6.

In many places, library books are delivered by car or truck. However, camels are especially useful in desert regions like Garissa. The landscape is so rough that many vehicles have trouble getting there.

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 7.

Local residents are used to seeing products such as food and medicine arrive by camel. “The local people identify so much with the camel,” says Rashid Farah, “and therefore, we feel that if they see the camel transporting books, they’ll come and use the services.”

A Source of Inspiration

Select the two most important sentence in paragraph 8.

The schoolchildren aren’t the only ones inspired by the camel library. Alfred Muchilwa is an illustrator of children’s books. Muchilwa is always looking for stories that are meaningful to children in his country. He has traveled about 250 miles to the Garissa region from Nairobi, the country’s capital. He sits quietly, sketching scenes for his story. Muchilwa hopes to bring this place to life on the page.

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 9.

The Camel Mobile Library is the subject of his newest book. He has chosen to focus on one charming camel named Gellow. In the story, Gellow is delivering books for the first time and becomes frightened by a lion. Gellow loses his load of books, but children come to the rescue to save them from ruin.

Creating Change

Select the most important sentence in paragraph 10.

Muchilwa’s story about Gellow captures the attention and imagination of children. The community members have a strong tradition of storytelling based on their everyday experiences. Muchilwa’s story is about real-life events and characters in a familiar setting. It is a great way to engage the children’s hearts and minds through a book. The children appreciate how the setting of the story matches their daily environment.

Select the sentence in paragraph 11 that is the controlling idea of this selection.

Muchilwa hopes to encourage children to become lifelong readers and learners. He believes that reading is a toolkit that helps people communicate with others, express their ideas, and feel connected to the world. The Camel Mobile Library is making a big difference, one camel delivery at a time.