Redefining reading on World Book Day
發佈日期: 2025-04-23 19:34
TVB News
Today is World Book Day. A social enterprise in Hong Kong has worked to redefine the reading experience at schools and libraries with their roving book trucks. Jacky Lin spoke with its founder and beneficiaries.
A travelling library, transforming the solitary activity of reading into a communal experience. These "books on the move" are brought to various schools and neighbourhoods across Hong Kong by social enterprise "Rolling Books" to nurture reading habits among children -- one reading truck at a time.
Sasha So says: "I actually like reading books with my friends because they can tell me what they think about the book."
Toong Lam says: "Reading in the library it's like it's very quiet but in here you could see lots of different things like trees, flowers and grass."
Rolling Books recruit retirees as their drivers and reading ambassadors who are trained with storytelling skills. Among them is Yandy.
As a management (executive), of course, it was very stressful. And after retirement and enjoying these rolling books, I have the chance to be involved with the kids and also to have the chance to inspire them to read.
Manki Eldred, Vice Principal of Lam Tsuen Public Wong Fook Luen Memorial School says: "Students are overwhelmed with homework, assessments, and extracurricular activities, leaving them little time to read. And also, the worst thing is they can't resist the temptations of playing online games. In a setting, like this, outside of the classroom, outside of the library, students find it more motivated to read."
James Chong, a former bookstore owner, founded Rolling Books in 2018.
You can see the laughter, and the fun in like introducing each other with different themes of the picture books that get them into like getting more beautiful experience with reading.
The organisation also accepts donations of second-hand children's books from the public, hoping to increase the variety of books for children. At the same time, they also roll out a program to give away second-hand books for low-income families. Over the past six years, more than 3,000 low-income families have benefited.
