Each year, Book Week invites a simple yet meaningful question:

In an age of increasingly fragmented information, what does reading truly mean for a child?

At YCIS Qingdao, we believe reading is more than an academic task. It is a lifelong capacity. A way to understand the world, to express oneself, and to connect with others. 

This year’s Book Week, themed Love of Reading, brought these ideas to life through authentic, lived experiences across the campus.

From ECE to Secondary, students engaged with reading in ways that reflect their stage of development, each discovering their own path into the world of books.

In ECE, stories serve as a bridge between language and imagination. Through activities such as storytelling sessions and reading buddies, children begin to develop confidence in listening, speaking, and expressing ideas.

In Primary, reading becomes increasingly interactive and creative. Character dress-up, bookmark design, classroom door decorations, and book-themed photography invite students to respond to what they read. Books are no longer only consumed, they are interpreted, reimagined, and shared.

In Secondary, the focus shifts towards critical thinking and creation. Author workshops, subject-based reading tasks, interviews, and reflective activities encourage students to question, analyse, and extend ideas beyond the text.

Throughout the week, reading also became a shared experience. Book swaps, reading recognition, and parent participation in classrooms helped foster a culture where reading is not an individual task, but a collective journey, one that continues beyond the classroom.

A highlight of this year’s programme was the visit from author Dr Martin Maudsley.

Students across year groups participated in a series of workshops, exploring themes ranging from “singing stories” to myths and transformation. These sessions moved storytelling beyond the written word, allowing students to experience narrative as something dynamic, something that can be performed, adapted, and reimagined.

Through these interactions, students not only gained insight into how stories are constructed but also began to consider their own role as storytellers. The experience reflects an inquiry-based approach to learning, where guidance and exploration come together to deepen understanding.

As the week drew to a close, the Character Parade offered a vivid expression of students’ engagement with reading.

Students stepped into the roles of their favourite literary characters from classic figures to imaginative creations shaped by their own reading journeys. Moving through the campus together, they brought stories into shared space.

This was not simply about costumes. It was an act of interpretation — a way of understanding a character from within and presenting that understanding to others.

In that moment, reading became visible. It became something that could be experienced collectively, beyond the page.

Reading does not always lead to immediate change. But over time, it shapes how we think, how we understand, and how we see.

When a child chooses to open a book, to enter a story, or to ask a question, learning has already begun.

At YCIS Qingdao, we hope that such experiences become a natural part of each student’s growth and a quiet starting point for journeys that extend far beyond the classroom.