“Transported, connected, joyful:” Belinda Nyarku | My Bookmark

Belinda Nyarku (they/them) is a program associate for Reading Partners DC. They first learned to read in preschool when Belinda’s mother would read to them and their brother every night before bedtime. A fan of reading herself, Belinda’s mother would supply her kids with children’s books whenever she got the chance. 

“I started reading independently at the age of 4 and found myself connecting friends with books that got them just as interested in reading for leisure,” Belinda says. 

For Belinda, it’s hard to pick just one favorite book that they had as a child. But they do remember one book called Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti about how the moon became a part of the sky.

Belinda continues to feel transported, connected, and joyful about reading by being a part of Reading Partners. Whenever new books come into the DC reading centers, they get excited and intrigued about all the new stories hitting bookshelves today. 

One book they wish was around when they were little is Hair Love by Matthew Cherry. “I think it would have helped me embrace my natural hair much earlier on!” Belinda says. 

Belinda believes that books and reading can empower students in so many different ways. “Gaining perspectives, learning about various subjects, and seeing various experiences and visuals can empower students by helping them broaden their thinking and learn to love and advocate for themselves.”