By Mzukona Mantshontsho
NOMPUMELELO MAAKE, Matric Class of 2024 Mafikeng High School matriculant who passed with flying colourshas penned a 162-page book entitled “The Adventurous Tales Of Pearl And The Mirror Girl”. It basically describes a series of events that take place in the book between the character and her reflections – The book is about fantasies of a girl talking to her own reflections.
The book is meant for young readers that are captivated by the art of reading. It is also meant for any other individual that needs a light- hearted read to be generally entertained.
The title of the book, what is it and WHY?
The title that I chose for my book is: “The Adventurous Tales Of Pearl And The Mirror Girl”. It basically describes a series of events that take place in the book between the character and her reflection.
How did the idea of a book come about?
The idea came about when I was in grade 5, at a time where I had started delving into the works of Roal Dahl. His very expressive, child-like writing style encouraged me to write about all the fantasies that I had in my mind. And one of those fantasies was this story about a girl talking to her own reflection! Overtime, this fantasy developed into a storyline that sparks the reader’s imagination and takes them on a roller coaster of emotions.
What can readers take from the book?
Readers can learn about the themes of self-esteem, an issue that is prevalent among many young people. Readers can also learn to face their realities when faced with challenges that seem too hard and impossible to overcome.
The culture of reading and writing, how did that come about?
My primary school created a very conducive learning environment in which the culture of reading and writing was cultivated. This cultivation helped to enhance my reading and writing skills. Overtime, my teacher became aware of my writing skills and encouraged me to continue writing. Which is how my culture of reading and writing came about.
How long did it take to write the book?
This book was an ongoing project that started when I was 11 years old. It took me a year initially to finish the book at that time, but soon turned into a project at the beginning of the year 2022 and got published late October in 2023.
What next for Nompumelelo Maake?
I will be pursuing Medicine going forward, her results:
English Home Language – 82%
Afrikaans First Additional Language – 79%
Mathematics – 83%
Life Orientation – 86%
Accounting – 91%
Life Sciences – 82%
Physical Sciences – 76%
Where can people follow you online to access the book?
The book is available on Amazon for online purchases. For physical copies, email me at mpumimaake6@gmail.com or message me on my social media platforms:
Facebook: Mpumi Maake
Instagram: mpumi.lelo07
