What gets you really excited? Is it just cartoons and PlayStations? No, not really if you went by the number of enthusiastic children who turned up to support an event that helps underprivileged kids who do not have access to books.
Scholastic India organised the fifth annual One Nation Reading Together (ONRT) event recently at Sacred Heart MHSS, Chennai where students from over 35 schools participated. The 90-minute-long programme saw students share the stage, singing songs and performing skits on the importance of reading.
Madhuvanti Arun, Correspondent, Calibre Academy was the chief guest. “Books are our life-long companions and they help you visualise things the way you want to. No two persons have the same imagination. I don’t get to read as much as I should, but when I start reading, I can’t stop. That’s what books do,” she said. Dr. Eric Miller, Director, World Story Telling Institute, also interacted with the students.
We who love books...
The pledge, which the students took, was exclusively written for ONRT by author Ruskin Bond.
Students took part in a procession, holding school banners and placards with slogans such as ‘Reading books cleanses the mind’, ‘Books are our silent friends’ and ‘Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body’. Following this, there was a half hour session of reading and other fun activities to celebrate reading.
Every year, on the last Friday of November, Scholastic India organises ONRT in different cities across the country. For every school that participates, Scholastic India gifts 100 books each to needy schools or NGOs working with children. The event is usually held only in Chennai, but this year, Madurai was also one of the centres.
