Over 10,000 copies of an original fairy tale narrating Malta’s environmental degradation are being distributed to all government primary schools in Gozo and Malta as part of this year’s National Readathon.

The book – The Land of Fairy Fails, written by Benjamin Portelli – is intended to encourage children to get lost in the world of reading and motivate them to use their powers and talents to protect planet Earth.

Organised by the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, the Malta Trust Foundation and the National Literacy Agency, the seventh edition of the readathon – with the slogan Any Time, Any Place – is geared to stimulate children’s creativity and to share ideas for a greener, healthier environment.

The book, aimed towards children aged 7 to 11, follows Wizard Willy as he embarks on a journey to clear the seabed from the plastic suffocating marine life, plant trees for cleaner air, and ditch his aerocarmarine for a greener mode of transport – his magic broom – so that we can all see the stars once the traffic smog clears.

The story, penned by Portelli when he was 17, as part of his Systems of Knowledge project, has been translated into Maltese by Martina Oliva. An interactive activity booklet has also been designed for the younger years.

Portelli, who turns 19 later this month, wrote this tale with the hope of making children aware and interested in the concept of environmental responsibility in an engaging way.

“I chose to base the story in classic fairy tales since they served as my own introduction to literature, and evoked my love for reading and writing. Fairy tales also serve the purpose of educating children on morals and values,” he said.

Portelli added that, “I noticed how in the growing age of technology, many children are losing touch with these kinds of stories, so I wanted to try and get young readers interested in going back to the classics by means of the book.”

The readathon – whose mascot is Ben il-Ballottra; the weasel is a fast disappearing species in Malta – will continue throughout schools until May.

After reading the book, parents and children are invited to send in their feedback on how they can drive the environmental change to childrenshub.mfws@gov.mt

Photo: MFWS

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