As the autumn breeze arrived, the fragrance of books filled the campus. In the 2025 school year, the Middle School Section launched the semester-long 2025 House Reading Event. From September’s curated reading list to October’s Teacher Book Salons, November’s library treasure hunt and lecture, and finally December’s Reading Carnival, the four chapters formed an immersive journey that blended reading, interaction, and experience. Throughout the semester, students engaged in reflective reading, lively discussion, and joyful participation, allowing reading to become a vibrant and natural part of their daily learning and life.

September: Opening the Reading Journey

At the start of the new term, teachers and students from Azure Long House, White Tiger House, and Vermilion Phoenix House each recommended a book they believed meaningful for middle school readers. These selections—ranging from fantasy and contemporary reflections to history and science—formed the annual House Recommended Reading List. Once the posters were displayed, students could often be seen gathering around them during breaks, browsing titles and exchanging impressions. The September reading list became a doorway into new literary landscapes, officially launching the reading journey for the semester.

October: Teacher Book Salons

In the refreshing days of October, the much-anticipated Teacher Book Salons took the stage. Uniquely, the three speakers were selected entirely through student voting, making them the reading guides students most wanted to hear from. Mr. Key from Azure Long House opened with The Night Circus, using immersive excerpts to lead students into the mesmerizing borderland between fantasy and reality. Mr. Guo from White Tiger House introduced The Beauty of Mathematics, Math Girls, and Game Theory, showing how mathematics can be interdisciplinary, warm, and thought-provoking—from the structure of language to randomness, cooperation, and competition. Mr. Stanley from Vermilion Phoenix House retold the intertwined stories of two medieval queens with dramatic storytelling, transforming the library into a vivid stage of political intrigue and revealing the human choices behind history. In each salon, students listened, questioned, reflected, and laughed. Teachers stepped forward as readers; students engaged as thinkers. These moments demonstrated that reading is not merely an assignment but a way of understanding the world, oneself, and life.

November: Seeking Light in the Sea of Books

November’s Library Treasure Hunt invited students to rediscover the shelves and brought new energy to the library. Books from the previous year’s House Reading List were quietly placed among the stacks. Over three lunch periods, students from the three Houses visited the Xsi Building Library in groups for a playful book-hunting adventure. 

Acting like young detectives, they searched for clues hidden between the pages. Whenever a student pulled out a book and discovered a small card tucked inside, they were delighted to find handwritten recommendations from their teachers—sometimes even bilingual quotes or shared favorites. These cards created warm, thoughtful bridges between teachers, students, and the books they loved. The activity rekindled interest in old yet valuable titles, filling the winter library with renewed warmth. The sentences hidden in the pages became small gifts of insight from different times and cultures. The spark of inspiration students felt upon encountering these words was the true treasure of the hunt.

At the end of the month, students attended a thought-provoking reading and writing lecture delivered on November 28 by writer and senior cultural media editor Mr. Liu Youxiang, titled “Reading and Writing as Ways of Understanding the World.” Mr. Liu introduced the concept of “editor-style reading,” emphasizing critical thinking, logical questioning, and thoughtful analysis. He also revisited the classical writing triad—ideas, evidence, and expression—outlining how an article develops from concept to structure. Using familiar examples such as Zootopia and new-media storytelling, he demonstrated how reading and observation enhance expression.

At the conclusion of the event, Mr. Shen Tianyuan, Vice Principal of SHSID Middle and Primary School, presented a school souvenir to Mr. Liu in appreciation. The lecture added depth to the reading series and helped students cultivate stronger critical-thinking and creative-expression skills.

December: Reading Carnival

December’s Reading Carnival marked the climax of the series. The event consisted of two parts: a school-wide fair followed by an awards ceremony. Before classes began, each homeroom transformed into a themed reading space—some decorating their boards with scenes from books, others hanging handmade posters. Students carrying their reading passports traveled through classrooms across Houses and grades, collecting stamps while engaging in interactive activities and exploring each class’s unique creativity. Highlights included classic literature challenges inspired by Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West, fantasy adventures based on Harry Potter and The Maze Runner brought to life through escape-room puzzles and maze survival games, as well as science-fiction and detective-themed activities featuring The Three-Body Problem for cosmic illustration and Murder on the Orient Express reimagined as an interactive mystery theater. Everywhere, students drew illustrations, tackled rapid-fire quizzes, wrote letters to characters, and shared reflections. With reading passports in hand, they revisited this semester’s reading highlights and deepened their understanding through hands-on experience.

After the carnival, each house gathered in its respective auditorium for the awards ceremony. A highlight video recapping the semester stirred warm memories—from reading lists and salons to treasure hunts and author talks. Students who collected the most stamps received recognition, and reading-themed Q&A games added excitement. Finally, every student received a House-logo ruler as a keepsake. The Reading Carnival allowed reading to move beyond the page and become a shared, experiential, and celebratory part of campus culture.

Enriching Our Campus Through Reading

From autumn to winter, the 2025 House Reading Event built a vibrant reading ecosystem that combined reflection with engagement and brought teachers and students together. It brought words to life, set ideas in motion, and made reading a visible, shareable, and lasting part of campus life. Though this chapter has come to an end, the light of books and the spirit of reading will continue to illuminate every student’s journey of growth.

(Written by Peiyao Tang

Pictures by Photography Service Learning Group, Ginger Xu, Xiaoling Gao, Teachers

Reviewed by Mr. Shen Tianyuan, Shiyu Wu, Louie Parker)