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Children go for fantasy fiction at SIBF 2021

From Artemis Fowl to Percy Jackson, it is the genres of fantasy, mystery and adventure at the Sharjah International Book Fair that are proving to be a major draw for UAE’s youngsters

10:04 PM | 5 Nov, 2021
Children go for fantasy fiction at SIBF 2021

Sharjah – Children of all age groups are flocking to the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 by the hundreds – a delightful sight symbolic of the evident love of reading and literature the UAE and events like SIBF are successfully instilling in them. A quick walk through the Expo Centre’s halls with a question to these young readers – which genres, and books in particular, will they purchase and also recommend to their peers – was returned with a unanimous response: fantasy fiction!  

This is what young SIBF 2021 visitors, from grades 6 – 10, had to say.

Neha Sabin, a Grade 7 student from Amity Private School Sharjah, has chosen Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns. “I like it because it has both mystery and fantasy. There is a twist in the plot which makes it really interesting. I also like Thea Stilton which has mystery and gives information about countries.” 

Cyril Garg, a Grade 8 student of DPS Sharjah, has gone for a big haul of Percy Jackson books, Enid Blyton’s Five Findouters and Big Shot, the latest in the Wimpy Kid series.

Samantha Espina, a Grade 3 student who is being homeschooled through the distance learning programme of Lighthouse Christian Academy, USA, has picked up the Dog Man series, the comedic graphic novel of a canine police officer who is part man part dog. She finds the story and the graphics interesting. “I also like Mr Men books,” she asserts.

Cheryl and Carolyn, in Grade 6 and 10 respectively, at Gems Our Own School, have also gone for fantasy and adventure. Cheryl says she really loves adventure books where heroes and villains clash in  strange lands. Carolyn has bought Artemis Fowl and The Atlantis Complex as she has read most books in the series. “I was excited to see it here and wanted to finish reading the series,” she said happily.

From Harry Potter to Percy Jackson, it is fantasy and mystery that have a spell-binding influence on youngsters in the UAE. 

SIBF 2021, which runs its course in Expo Centre Sharjah until November 13, is offering an exhaustible choice of books and genres represented by 1.3 million unique titles that children and young adults have an opportunity to sift through and buy.

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Pakistani rupee registers marginal gain against US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal and Dirham; Check forex rates

Pakistani rupee continued its momentum against the US dollar, and orther currencies in the open market on Thursday, as the local currency also improved in the inter-bank market.

Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

On Thursday, the US dollar moved down and was being quoted at 283.2 for buying and 286.15 for selling.

Euro comes down to 308 for buying and 311 for selling. British Pound rate dropped to 358.5 for buying, and 362 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED witnessed slight drop and new rate stands at 77.4 whereas the Saudi Riyal remained stable at 76.

Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - 7 December 2023

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar USD 283.2 286.15
Euro EUR 308 311
UK Pound Sterling GBP 358.5 362
U.A.E Dirham AED 77.4 78.1
Saudi Riyal SAR 76 76.8
Australian Dollar AUD 187.2 189
Bahrain Dinar BHD 757.23 765.23
Canadian Dollar CAD 209 211
China Yuan CNY 39.89 40.29
Danish Krone DKK 41.19 41.59
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.41 36.76
Indian Rupee INR 3.42 3.53
Japanese Yen JPY 1.39 1.45
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 921.71 930.71
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 61.02 61.62
New Zealand Dollar NZD 174.54 176.54
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.05 26.35
Omani Riyal OMR 739.62 747.62
Qatari Riyal QAR 78.22 78.92
Singapore Dollar SGD 211 213
Swedish Korona SEK 27.12 27.42
Swiss Franc CHF 324.94 327.44
Thai Bhat THB 8.06 8.21

Gold prices in Pakistan move down despite positive global cues; Check latest rates here

Gold price in Pakistan remained under pressure as the yellow metal moved down despite an upward trend in the international market.

Gold Rates in Pakistan Today - 7 December 2023

On Thursday, the price of a single tola of 24-karat gold stands at Rs217,100 and 10 grams of 24k gold costs Rs186,130. 

Single tola of 22 Karat Gold costs Rs199,000, 21 karat rate for per tola is Rs189,960 and 18k gold rate is Rs162,825.00 for each tola.

In the global market, gold prices hover at around $2026, gaining $8.30 on Thursday.

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

Today Gold Price in Pakistan (4 September 2023)

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Karachi PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Islamabad PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Peshawar PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Quetta PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Sialkot PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Attock PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Gujranwala PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Jehlum PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Multan PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Bahawalpur PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Gujrat PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Nawabshah PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Chakwal PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Hyderabad PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Nowshehra PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Sargodha PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Faisalabad PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565
Mirpur PKR 217,100 PKR 2,565

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