In 1995, UNESCO adopted a resolution proclaiming 23 April as World Book Day. The declaration of World Book Day reads: "I hope that people living in the diaspora around the globe, whether you are old or young, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are sick or healthy, will enjoy the pleasure of reading." ”
Indeed, books are the wealth of all mankind and should be transmitted to every corner of the world. How much of an impact can a good book have on rural children? We saw the answer from Hanghang, a first-grade student at Yantang Primary School in Dajing Town, Huize County, Yunnan Province.
01 He made his best friend and came out of the haze
Hanghang is a child with some special eyes, although his academic performance is very good, but because of his eyes, he has not been particularly confident, always keeps his head down when walking, does not like to communicate with other children, and is always sullen and unhappy on campus.
Until one day, the teacher found him playing with the other children in the class, and a long-lost smile broke out on his face, which surprised the teacher.
The teacher was curious, and took advantage of the gap between classes to find Hanghang alone: "Have you had any happy things lately, can you share it with the teacher?" ”
Hanghang happily told the teacher: "I saw a book "Best Friend" in the reading space of the school, this book made me feel that it is a very happy thing to have friends, I want to find many, many good friends! ”
It turned out that not long ago, the Refueling Future Project placed a reading space in Yantang Primary School. Since then, reading books in my spare time every day has become a habit of not moving. Nowadays, playing with classmates and reading space together to read favorite storybooks is already Hanghang's favorite thing.
He also quietly told the teacher: "I found that in the school's book corridor, when it was quiet in the morning, there would be small squirrels running to the campus, bouncing around very cute." ”
In fact, hanghang's good friends are not only the little friends in school. Beyond the distant mountains, there are also many monthly donors who pay attention to rural children. Although they can't go to the school to read a book to Hanghang in person, they have been telling Hanghang with continuous attention and love - we are also your good friends.
Speaking of dreams, Hanghang said that he wants to be a scientist in the future, invent a robot, help his mother work, and accompany him to study!
This little story, shining brightly, highlights the importance of reading. Reading not only heals the hidden wounds in hanghang's heart, adds a happy experience to his childhood, but also opens a window for him to explore the world, allowing him to have greater dreams and the motivation to pursue a better tomorrow.
02 Books make bridges, connecting urban and rural children
Reading brings us not only knowledge, but also the ability to embrace the world and love the world. And this ability is especially important for children who are in the early stages of exploring the world.
We invited two pairs of urban and rural children to read one of their favorite books together, although the children who are thousands of miles apart do not hold each other's hands in reality, but a good book is like a bridge, crossing the barrier of mountains and rivers, connecting friendship, and narrowing the distance of the soul.
The first "appearance" is the rural children Hanghang and Xiaoyue donors are happy, and the picture book they want to tell together is the "Best Friend" that makes Hanghang out of the shadow of inferiority.
The book uses humorous and light-hearted language to show the importance of childhood friendship. As it is written in the picture book: a good friend just likes to play together, likes to laugh together, and always thinks of each other in his heart. It's nice to have such a good friend! Did you have such good friends in your childhood?
In order to read this book better, Hanghang is very serious and hardworking. In the reading space and in the school garden, he was left practicing non-stop.
Now let's listen to the picture book story "Best Friend" told to us by Hanghang and Happy!
The next "appearance" is the village friend Nana and her paired partner Edamame, and the picture book story they bring is "Guess How Much I Love You".
In order to read this book well, Nana's children have asked the teacher for advice many times, repeatedly practiced at home, and carefully corrected each pronunciation
And when Edamame heard that the person he was reading with was his country twinning partner, he was overjoyed. As soon as he came home from school, he asked his mother to record a video for him, and after recording it, he repeatedly asked his mother, "How am I reading?" Until he felt very good, he "let go" of his mother.
When you love someone very much, you will want to describe this feeling, but, as the little rabbits and big rabbits in "Guess How Much I Love You" find: love is really not an easy thing to measure.
Want to know what the "love" in the story is like? Let's hear what Nana and Edamame have to say!
03 Let every child enjoy high-quality reading
The experience of hanghang is undoubtedly lucky, but behind hanghang, there are many rural children, and their reading path is not smooth.
For children living in the city, reading is only a question of "willingness or unwillingness", but for many children in the vast countryside, it is a question of "whether they can", and their extracurricular reading materials are few.
Everyone has the right and desire to read, but not everyone has the opportunity to read, which is exactly what future projects are eager to change.
In 2016, the Refueling Future Project officially launched the "Reading Space" project, which allows every child to enjoy high-quality reading by equipping each project school with a reading space, setting up a reading corner, and distributing reading bags.
The books read by children are selected by the bibliographic review committee composed of front-line teachers, children's book writers, children's reading researchers, professors of Chinese departments and other experts, and reasonably match various books and periodicals such as science, literature, geography, history and other books according to the needs of different grades, providing a unique "knowledge nutrition package" for children of different ages.
In the newly built reading space, the students began their own journey of "reading". Some students find recommended books in Chinese class to read, senior students pick up "Water Margin" and other tomes to immerse themselves in it, and students in lower grades love all kinds of colorful picture books and storybooks...
The students looked down at the figure of the book, which made the quiet campus have a little more book fragrance.
04 Use the starlight of reading to illuminate the future of rural children
Children are not only the beneficiaries of reading, they also act as the disseminators of reading, and launched a "My Favorite Reading Space Book Recommendation Contest", hoping that every good book can be seen by more people.
Wu Youying, a 6th grader at Bawang Primary School in Guangnan County, Yunnan Province, recommended a book called "Dreams".
Her reason for recommendation was: "In the past, I felt that dreams were like stars, visible but untouchable, so I didn't have to think about my future dreams, I just needed to manage the present." When I saw this book, I changed my mind and knew the importance of the future. If there is no dream, there is no good future. ”
Mo Yongfu, also from the 6th grade of Bawang Elementary School, recommended a book is The Adventures of Hal Roger.
His reason for recommendation is: "This is a very suitable novel for children, and you can learn from the characters in it to be a brave self and face yourself bravely." ”
Every child should have the opportunity to grow upwards, and reading is the path without thresholds.
A book that means vastness to children and satisfies their exploration of the "100,000 Whys" of the world;
A book can let children appreciate the majesty of the mountains, the vastness of the sea, and go to every corner that cannot be reached.
Even if you are far away in a mountain village, you can blow a cloud through a book and awaken a soul. In the end, the children grow up, and every soul can have a vast sky.
Invite you to join the refueling monthly donation and use reading to hold up a broader sky for rural children.