On 10 September 2020,classes VI and VII attended a session conducted by Oxford University Press, to observe Reading Week from 8-14 September.

The session was steered by Dr. Tanushree Singh and commenced with an introduction of herself and the announcement that two libraries had recently been opened by thePressin Faridabad and in Delhi.

Dr Singh spoke tohighlight the importance of reading graphic books and novels.She showed the students a famous graphic book The Dog who saved the World as she shared what a graphic book is. The students then named graphic books they had read like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Students also volunteered to discuss longer stories like the Harry Potter tales that they had enjoyed.

The speaker explained the various forms of books like paperbacks and hardbacks and e- books. She stressed that students should avoid pirated PDF versions and emphasised that they only buy paper versions or online original copies. She also encouraged the students to save their pocket money and invest in either books or even save up for a Kindle. She shared her preference of enjoying reading an 'actual book' rather than an online version adding that it was a wonderful feeling to hold a book and flip its pages to read!

Dr Singh shared tips on how to choose a good book. She mentioned the three important aspects that should be taken into account. These include knowing ones preferred genre (area of interest), reading the summary of a book (normally available on the last page or the back cover) and reading through the books first page. She shared tips on choosing a book vendor keeping in mind the time taken for delivery, the delivery charges, original and good quality of paper, return policy in case of damage etc.

She enlightened the students that in case some of them aspire to become writers, they must first be good readers. She said that students should spend time reading in order to learn the nuances of description and narration. Dr Singh highlighted important points to be considered while reading online books, like the right posture while reading, maintaining the right distance from the print, appropriate time and duration of reading, etc.