The Magic of March Reading Month

There is a magic switch for fascination with stories, both fiction and non-fiction, that often gives us a great desire to delve into the stories or lives of people, themselves, so we can experience all the adventure, mystery, and cultures we haven’t lived through or in. Through stories, the lifting off of Amelia Earhart’s plane no longer remains in history. We’re taken to the passenger’s seat, experiencing the same thrill of the plane’s rise. Through stories, Harry Potter’s world becomes our own. Through stories, we also search for buried treasure alongside Jim Hawkins whilst dodging no-good pirates.

For fourteen years, our library has elevated the celebration of stories during March Reading Month, selecting a specific story or genre to learn, experience, and love. Over these years, students have learned about science, poetry, folklore, biographies, and several authors. They’ve read the wonderful classics of Dr. Seuss, The Magic School Bus, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “We had real golden tickets,” explains our librarian, Mrs. Susan Zhang. “I put a golden ticket in the chocolate, and the students who found the [ticket] probably felt like Charlie.” She says she even dressed up as an Oompa Loompa during the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme.

The first theme that launched this favored program was The Chronicles of Narnia, which, coincidentally, is the same theme featured now. As in many years, Mrs. Zhang says she’s received support from different departments through design and book readings. “It’s really fun! I like that I can incorporate different departments… It’s the only time of the year we can meet different departments’ people, and we can share our reading.”

During this year’s March Reading Month, our library has been transformed, beginning with the very entrance. Rather than a simple door, students enter through the magic wardrobe that transports them to the snowy world of Narnia. Over the weeks, they’ve had tea at the home of the faun, Mr. Tumnus, and eaten Turkish Delight offered by the White Witch.

All moments of immersion into this ‘other world’ within the library have encouraged students to pick up books and to read. “Reading is a lifelong hobby for everybody, a real habit for everybody, and… it’s tied to your academics, your success. If you have this kind of habit, then you never stop learning. Reading is not limited to just reading a physical copy. You can expand your reading to eBooks, audio books, and that will help you grow,” says Mrs. Zhang.

"If you have this kind of habit, then you never stop learning."

She’s provided further enticements for reading for our fourth through eighth-grade students. For our fourth and fifth-grade students, a word count competition first began last school year and started again for our 2025-2026 school year. In this competition, students are invited to read books and take quizzes to assess their knowledge. Once they’ve passed, the words from the book become countable and are added to their total word count already read. Many students, Mrs. Zhang says, have become ‘millionaires’ in their word count, and she hopes one day, some will even become ‘billionaires.’

The top three word counts from each class are calculated and shared. “We first count them weekly, and then, quarterly, and by the end, we count it for the whole school year to celebrate the success of the students’ reading.” This program, Mrs. Zhang says, has already caught the attention of our third-grade students, who are excited to join it next school year.

For our students in sixth through eighth grade, there is the Kids Read Competition. Last year, Mrs. Zhang and several LifePlus Schools collaborated to kick off the first annual competition. Last year’s event was held at our partner school in Qingdao, and we’re delighted to host this year’s event next week, on Friday, March 27.

There are four students per team, with one additional student as an alternate. These teams have pored over the selection of 51 books across the genres of adventure, award winners, classics and fairy tales, fantasy, historical fiction, nonfiction, mystery, realistic fiction, sci-fi dystopian, and world literature.

“They have done a great job! Amazing!” says Mrs. Zhang. “Some of the students have read the books more than once.” To support students in this program, she and our sixth-grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Annie Platt, have met with students during Tuesday lunches, given pop quizzes, and played question-and-answer games to keep their knowledge of the stories sharp.

"There's no destination for reading... just start at the starting line."

With each program hosted by our library, our students are becoming greater academics and learners of life and literature. Well done, readers! This is where adventure begins. “There’s no destination for reading… just start at the starting line.”

Check out more moments from March Reading Month here!