■ Literacy NGO Read to Rise shared the first reading of the fifth book in the Oaky series, Oaky Runs the Race, with the children at Rocklands Library on Wednesday April 4. The series was written by Westridge born author Athol Williams and illustrated by his wife, Taryn Lock, who is also the co-founder and executive director of Read to Rise. The four-year-old NGO’s programmes have been endorsed by the Department of Basic Education, and they have worked in 45 primary schools in Mitchell’s Plain and 20 primary schools in Soweto. Read to Rise offers class programmes for pupils in the foundation phase. It involves a school visit where they have a fun, interactive session with each class. They have lessons, read a story, discuss the story, sing a song and give each pupil their own new book to take home. Pictures: Fouzia van der Fort