Dear Yayah

I bought this novel for my 11 year niece - This is the the sequel to the 1st book "Dear Yayah" .  I bought her the 1st book few months back . I love to buy books for my children & nieces - just to distract their attention from that cartoon channel - even for  a while :).

When I was a little girl, I always wish that I were given interesting books (according to my age, of course). What we were like when we children of 10, 11 years? start to have boyfriend (puppy love:)). having an object of interest at school? a crush? a best friend? girl things ? 

I normally  read random page to see if I like the writing style - if I never read any books from the author before - then come the words and fonts - is it big enough? - comfortable enough for me to read? - fonts and size can really put me off sometime. And as I went through "Dear Yayah", I found out that both areas suit me. I would love this book if I were a 10 year girl.

 

                                                                          *Dear Yayah 1*

So that why I pick this book . I did not read the 1st book (it is meant for my niece anyway)  . But now after having accidentally :) read Dear Yayah 2 , I fall in love with it. "Farihah Iskandar"- the author, she is good 

My niece only comes during one of the weekends or during school holiday - When I started reading the novel, my attention is only random reading -  just for the sake of flipping through it (what do you expect- it is a children book - the language is simple and direct and it is not that thick  ) but I ended up REALLY reading it -

It is about a girl in who stays in  in a hostel. boarding school? She has  2 male best friends - One is a special friend - very dear to her heart - her boy friend and another is a childhood best friend whom she have as much love as  what she has for her boyfriend. She saw this dear friend only on school holidays or when she goes back to her hometown .

This book is  about a  nice sweet girl with her circle of  friends , about how to handle a feeling of being in love while in school and how to carry oneself responsibly as a child ,  a student and  a friend - "Yayah"  is the name of her diary. She tells "Yayah" all.

The novel has emotion . I feel sad when her beloved best friend died. I smile at her "cute " relationship with her so called boyfriend (who happens to be in the same school as hers)  - it is sweet and "comel"- communicate to your boyfriend using letter ? -main pas pas surat?  :)

The heroin is this novel is "Jihan" - a 17 year old - but the book writing style is more toward younger teenagers - around 10- 14 years old- coz I think it is too simple  for a 17 years old - and when Dear Yayah 1 started, "Jihan" is slightly younger at 15, or 16 years old .

When I was 17 years old I was already reading Mills & Boon . Even  "Khadijah Hashim " novel -  is more matured and deal with more complex topics.  Remember "Mira Edora"? Her falling in love with teacher- Teacher is  mother ex-boyfriend- Mira running from home etc ,  

But "Dear Yayah" deals with  more subtle issues -  it is cute and  interesting - and when I read it as if I  am going back to the days when I was a little girl .The language is simple and direct but strong enough to convey emotion - sad, funny and confused all mix up.

As I am writing this - I googled for " Farihah Iskandar books" - there is Dear Yayah 4. Need to find Dear Yayah 3 first -  need to read it first before I pass it to my niece :).

Ps: children are luckier these days - as I saw many choice of interesting novels from local Malaysian authors- last time it was hard to find a Malay novel that cater for young children - So I read Enid Blyton - remember  Lima Sekawan, 7 Sekawan - all translation . Oh how I love the Famous Five (Si Gemuk, anjing dan kawan- kawannya ?) - it was so funny and entertaining -