A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
Online Reading Classes for Kids in the UAE, 1:1
A college mentor from India, a real book, and your child's own verdict on it, after school on UAE time.
Character interview
A thoughtful idea
What is Bookstaken?
One child. One mentor. One book at a time.
Loved by Parents, Enjoyed by Kids 💛
across the world
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
Why families abroad choose Bookstaken
Four things that matter when you live far from home.
your time
Your time zone
Pick a time that suits your family's week. Every time you see is in your own time zone.$20
a session
Your currency
You see and pay in your own currency: $20 a session.Someone from home
A college student from India, like an older cousin, reading with your child every session.Their mother tongue, too
Our free book hunt finds stories in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and many more Indian languages.
School in the UAE
At school
About a quarter of the children in Dubai's private schools are at Indian-curriculum schools, second only to British-curriculum schools.
With Bookstaken
A syllabus moves at a class's pace. Bookstaken moves at your child's: a book picked for them, read in full and talked through.
Source: KHDA, Dubai private schools, 2023–24.
Indian favourites to read together
By writers from India.
Grandma's Bag of Stories
Sudha Murty
Ages 5+
A summer at their grandparents' house, and a grandmother with a story for everything.
Moin and the Monster
Anushka Ravishankar
Ages 8+
Moin finds a monster under his bed, and it is nothing like he expected.
The Room on the Roof
Ruskin Bond
Ages 11+
Sixteen-year-old Rusty leaves his strict guardian's house for a room on a roof, and a new life.
Ages from Penguin India, Baobab Books.
Where to find English books in the UAE
Your child reads their own copy of every book.
Kinokuniya
The Dubai Mall
The UAE's largest bookshop
Magrudy's
Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Best known for children's books
School breaks in the UAE
Schools can differ, so check your child's calendar.
Winter break
Mid-December to early January
Summer holidays
July and August
Indian-curriculum schools follow their own calendar.
An hour with a mentor, for less than a local tutor
What a local tutor usually charges for a primary-age child, next to our price.
Less than a local tutor
What an hour costs in the UAE
Bookstaken
AED 73
from AED 61 on longer plans
A local tutor
AED 75–200
Local tutor rates from Care.com, TheTutor.link, MyPrivateTutor, FamilyTutor, KIS Academics and Tutorlyft, October 2026.
Prices in other countries
UK
Local tutor£20–35 an hourBookstaken£15 a sessionAustralia
Local tutorA$40–120 an hourBookstakenA$30 a sessionCanada
Local tutorCA$30–75 an hourBookstakenCA$28 a sessionUS
Local tutor$23–30 an hourBookstaken$20 a sessionSingapore
Local tutorSGD 25–50 an hourBookstakenSGD 25 a session
Local tutor rates from Care.com, TheTutor.link, MyPrivateTutor, FamilyTutor, KIS Academics and Tutorlyft, October 2026.
What happens in every session
60 minutes, 1:1, on Google Meet.
- Stop 1Ice-breakingA riddle or a quick chat to settle in.
- Stop 2Book discussionIllustrated slides on what they read, talked through together.
- Stop 3ReviewTheir verdict on the book so far.
- Stop 4WritingTheir own story, chapter by chapter.
- Stop 5ClosureA recap to end on, and your report on WhatsApp.
See a sample book conversation
Here is a made-up scene to show the kinds of questions a mentor can ask. In a session, the conversation follows your child's book and their answers.
Leela found a red umbrella on the bus. It had stopped raining, and her stop was next. She stayed in her seat, watching the door for someone to come back.
Retell: What did Leela find, and what did she do next?
Look for clues: Why might Leela have waited? Which detail in the scene makes you think that?
Give an opinion: Would you have made the same choice? Tell me why.
Imagine: What if nobody came back? How would you continue the story?
The aim is to hear their thinking and help them explain it. These are example prompts, not a test or a fixed script.
Kids say "Fine." Our reports say the rest.
After every session you get a report: what they read, what they talked about, and how they're growing.
9:41
Aarav's session report
Week 8 · The Jungle Book
Speaking time
AaravRiya
52%
48%
A note from Riya
Aarav came in bursting with questions about Mowgli leaving the jungle. He argued Bagheera was the real hero, and backed it up with two moments from the book. He's reading with his head and his heart now.
Session snapshot
91%Engagement+4%
86%Vocabulary+3%
90%Understanding+5%
84%Fluency+3%
Session timeline
AaravRiya
0 min60 min
0–15 min
Jungle riddles
15–45 min
Who's the real hero?
45–60 min
A new last page
Illustrative report: the names, book and figures are examples. Your child's report reflects their own session.
A note from their mentor
A few warm lines on their best moments.
Their story journal
Every chapter they write, collected in one place.
Sit in on the first session
See how it works before you decide anything.
What it costs
Free
Your first session.
No card needed.
Then, the more you book, the less each costs
- 4sessions— each
- 12sessions— each
- 24sessions— each
Book as many a week as you like, and pause anytime.
Your local prices are loading. Each step shows the average per session when you buy that pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What times are available in the UAE?
Whatever suits your family. Tell us when your child is free, after school, in the evening or at the weekend, and we match a mentor who is free then too. Every time shows in your own time zone.
Q: What language are the sessions in?
English, from start to finish: the book, the talk and your child's own story.
Q: How does this fit with school in the UAE?
About a quarter of the children in Dubai's private schools are at Indian-curriculum schools, second only to British-curriculum schools. A syllabus moves at a class's pace. Bookstaken moves at your child's: a book picked for them, read in full and talked through.
Q: Which children's books from India are good to read together?
Try Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murty, Moin and the Monster by Anushka Ravishankar and The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond. Each Bookstaken book is picked for your child's interests and reading level, and your child reads their own copy.
Q: What do we pay in?
Dirhams: families in the UAE see and pay every price in dirhams.
See all 7 questions
Q: When are the school breaks in the UAE?
Winter break: mid-December to early January. Summer holidays: july and August. Indian-curriculum schools follow their own calendar. Schools differ, so check your child's calendar. Our free reading plans for the breaks are on the site.
Q: Is the first session free?
Yes. It's 60 minutes, 1:1, on Google Meet, and no payment details are needed to book it.
Wherever you are, the first session's free.
60 minutes, 1:1, with a mentor matched to your child.
