Tuesday, 19 May 20265J Zoe Kwan, 5L Cathy Chan, and 5L Natalie Tse were recently awarded the Harvard Book Prize for their exceptional performance in English. They have put their brains together and written a piece on the Joys of Reading to share with the school community. Read on to see what they have to say on the topic.
Where arcades and sweet shops brought smiles to others’ faces, I always felt giddy when I entered a bookstore. It has been like this since the very beginning I suppose, ever since my parents tucked me in bed with bedtime stories. Every night was a journey to a different world, from schoolchildren dealing with petty arguments to heroes fighting for their lives. Such joy, such excitement, all compounded within the brief moments before I fell asleep. ‘It wasn’t fair’ I had thought, when my parents were busy at work, not having the time to save me from the latest cliffhanger, and so I put on my big girl boots and started to read by myself. One word after the other, it wasn’t long before I finished the whole book.
These were the simplistic joys of reading, at least, they were for me. While others are dragged down by boredom, sinking slowly into the quicksand of time, I was having the time of my life anywhere, anytime — on the bus, in a restaurant, even when standing for painfully long hours in a queue. Books were lifesavers when you were a kid without a phone, and so armed with a bag stuffed full of books, I was ready for adventures.
Of course, as any teacher would tell you, “Reading is the thing that gives you a leg-up against the competition!” I don’t think I even need to begin going on and on about how reading improves your writing techniques, expands your vocabulary and even helps you utilise meaningful words naturally. It’s easier said than done though. Time and time again, I have seen my peers slogging through book after book just to complete some reading report that is due on the next day. Nobody likes being forced to do something, even book report books bring a bad taste to my mouth.
There’s really something worthwhile in the end though, every writer really tries their best to make their text contain meaning (or at least be worth laughing at). Whether it is just promoting general moral values, explaining a problem in greater detail, or blabbing about the great and awe-inspiring life you have lived (ahem), there is a reason why the written language hasn’t been replaced by 30 second short videos yet. Immersing yourself into the lives of others and learning from their experiences is much more memorable than diving into a rabbit hole of endless swiping.
It’s difficult to change these habits. I digress, even I find myself doomscrolling more often these days, but even the smallest step forward is better than nothing, right? Instead of swallowing down a book with words that you barely understand like “curmudgeon” or “esoteric” (heh), chew on something relatively simpler. Take your time instead of skimming through the pages, reading should feel like a leisurely stroll, not a race. Just reading short passages when you barely have the time builds up a routine, and that routine is what keeps things swinging, and perhaps this habit would lead to a decades-old addiction.
Sure, how slow things go at first may be frustrating, but perhaps there is another child out there stumbling through the words, confusing the meanings for ‘through’ and ‘thorough’, but is pushing through it anyway to get to the ending that they seek to uncover. If someone who is starting on their first novels is willing to brave these challenges, wouldn’t you, who has time and time again been trained in the art of words, be just as capable of taking the plunge?
