Boris Pfeiffer inspires during the DISD Book Week

The annual book week at the German International School Dubai (DISD) from February 19th to 23rd was a complete success. The aim was to promote reading among students and get them excited about books. The week offered a varied program ranging from inspiring readings and poetry workshops to a book dinner and a book character day.

A special highlight was the visit by the renowned and popular author and theater director Boris Pfeiffer. Known to most children as the author of "The Three???", Boris Pfeiffer is one of the three German authors who write the Three Question Mark stories. With lively readings, he brought the book characters to life and captivated the students inside. "His readings were authentic, funny, entertaining and very educational! He loves writing poetry and guided us through his intellectual museum of poetry! Thank you so much for allowing us to take a look behind the scenes of a true Poeta Doctus!" summarized librarian Lidija Babic.

The variety of books he presented appealed to different interests and awakened the students' love for reading. The children will not only remember the readings, but also the personal interaction. Boris Pfeiffer was approachable, answered the many questions of the interested students and interacted with enthusiasm. One primary school  student wanted to know how he came up with the names of his book characters. "The names come to me suddenly and out of the blue," explained the author. "Sometimes I dream about the characters and then a name pops up." 

The students from the different classes experienced exciting readings from different works, adapted to their age and interests. The younger readers in grades 1 to 4 experienced a captivating reading from "Die drei ??? Kids, Der Monsterschreck" and other exciting stories. The 5th graders immersed themselves in the world of "Survivors", while the 6th and 7th graders explored the "Academy of Adventure". The 8th graders were entertained with "Celfie".

Another Book Week highlight was the "book dinner" for the third graders. In an authentic restaurant atmosphere with a virtual open fire, they had the opportunity to rate the books listed on a menu and recommend their personal favorites. This creative event not only promoted reading comprehension, but also an exchange about different tastes in books.

There was also a crime writing competition and a poetry workshop, which will result in a book of student poems. Primary school librarian Sandra Krauser and the head of the German department at Primary School Katharina Begovic organized a competition to write a crime story. The jury with Boris Pfeiffer crowned Yasmina from class 4a the winner. "You wrote a story that touched my heart. The girl in your story doesn't give up trying to help her father. You also incorporate a false lead and give your detective story a special twist," said the professional author, congratulating the overjoyed young author.

An exciting project has emerged from the author's poetry workshop with classes 9 to 12. DISD students have until the end of April to submit contributions for a book with Boris Preiffer. These will then be compiled into a book with pictures, a book cover and a foreword.

The book week ended with the book character day, on which the student*ins brought their favorite book characters to life with creative costumes. They were judged on the recognition value of the character and the creative implementation of the costume. The winners were Cloe and Celina from 1a, who dressed up as Balloon House and Carl Fredricksen from the book of the Disney Pixar film "Upstairs". At Secondary School , Frida Kahlo (Milla 5b), David Bowie (Emma Lou 5b), Elli (Tea 6a) and Bibi Blocksberg (Mia, 5a) won with their creative costumes.

DISD Book Week 2024 was a complete success. Not only was the joy of reading encouraged, but the student*inside were also inspired to explore the world of books in all its facets.

On the day of his departure, Boris Pfeiffer looked back with satisfaction on an inspiring week in Dubai: 'I am deeply inspired by the diversity of cultural and linguistic forms of expression. It broadens my horizons and promotes an enriching dialog'. He continued enthusiastically: 'I was particularly impressed by the openness for dialog, the enthusiasm for reading and the diverse teaching staff. One student here even inspired me to create a character in my current novel. It's encounters and people like this that make a destination special. Dubai has really fascinated and inspired me in this respect."