The Small Small Bookshop has been open in Yonghe for 6 years now. In these 6 years, the the bookshop has enriched and people of the Shuanghe District and slowly opened up people’s interest to reading. However. the Small Small Bookshop has stuggled to do business because people increasingly do not read.

Invesigation and Discovery

After our debate, we did surveys with the parents of the students in grades, 1, 2 and 4 to learn more about reading. We discovered that the students in grade 4 only spend around 1-3 hours reading a week and that the parent’s reading habits are very polarised.

The Bookworms Thoughts

What is it that influences reading and bookstores? Is it time, money, or the size of the store?
Are chain bookstores the enemy of the Small Small Bookshop? Has the Small Small Bookshop entered a discount war with the chain stores?
Out teachers wanted us to thinking about reading. Then we watched the Commonwealth Magazine’s Reading for Hope film. The film is about children living in the mountains of Taiwan and their thirst and passion for books. It made us think again about what reading means and about what we could do.

Factors that Affect Reading：
－Personal Problems : Reading is difficult (characters are too small, you have to sit to read)
－Home Environment : The family doesn’t read at home.
－Economic Problems : Not having enough money to buy books.
－Low Interest : No interest in reading. Just like to do activities that involve reading.
－Influence of Peers : Fellow students don’t like reading.
－School Problems : Too much homework and too little time for reading.
－Influence of the Internet : The world of the Internet is more interesting than that of books.
－Low Reading Ability : Can’t read many characters and so they don’t understand.
－Area of Residence : The library is too far or doesn’t contain enough books.
－Influences of Other Mediums : Watching TV, playing computer games, and watching films is more interesting.

The Bookworms Watch the Film

We watched the Commonwealth Magazine’s film, Reading for Hope.
The film is about children living in the mountains of Taiwan and their thirst and passion for books. It made us think again about what reading means and about what we could do.

Introduction to the Film

Do you believe that a book can change a child’s life? Following the Reading for Hope bus as it visits schools, you’ll see mircale after mircale happening. From 2004 the Commonwealth Magazine’s Education Foundation began to promote the Reading for Hope plan in remote areas. Leading children closer to books; Using reading to reduce the knowledge gap between the countryside and the city, buidling a bridge of hope for children living in remote areas.

Thoughts

Our cyber team group watched a documentary film about children in the rural areas not having enough books for reading while students in cities have many books and different resources to be able to read. When I finished watching this film, I was very moved because of the touching dialogues. On the film, I saw kids eager to read even though they live in remote townships. They like reading far more than the children in the cities. From this film, I also learned that children in rural areas cherish reading very much even though they do not have many resources. I’m a child born and raised in the city where reading materials are easily found, but unfortunately, I don’t like to read. I can see now how reading can help and shape a child’s way of thinking.

As soon as they see the Reading for Hope film arrive, the kids living in remote districts would run over happily with a broad smile. The power of knowledge gained from reading not only expands the horizon for these kids, it may even change their lives forever. Looking at these kids, I now grasp the true meaning of the old saying: “Helping others is the greatest source of happiness.” The Reading for Hope film brings the joy of reading to their doorsteps; it also brings hope and happiness to their lives. At the same time, it also makes me understand that I need to cherish the things I already have.

After watching this video, I feel that “reading” seems very unattainable to those children in the capital. We have rich resources in Taipei City, but don’t appreciate them, and the time that sped on escape reading, doesn’t seem longer than theirs! ”Reading” is a way to help them of poverty, and that’s why they cherish it so much. The children in Taipei should learn to be like them, and put to good use the resources we have.

Source : Yu-Tsai Bookworms / Film : Commonwealth Magazine, Reading for Hope Documentary