Bac Ninh: Spreading reading culture from beautiful souls

Inspire beautiful living

Dam Phuong Nam Hai, a 9A3 student at Nguyen Dang Dao Secondary School (Kinh Bac Ward, Bac Ninh Province), has a great passion for books. For him, reading is not only a hobby but also a journey of self -discovery , nurturing the soul and cultivating knowledge and courage. His family's bookshelf currently has hundreds of books of many genres. Every day, he maintains the habit of reading for at least 30 minutes, taking notes of things he likes, pondering and drawing lessons, applying them in practice. Thanks to that, the student has a rich vocabulary, the ability to express clearly and sharp critical thinking, helping him to be confident and successful in every playground. From grade 7 up to now, he has continuously won first prize in the national English speaking contest; three times won the national English champion prize; first prize in the national traffic safety research contest; and many first and second prizes in the provincial Reading Culture Ambassador contest.

I am Dam Phuong Nam Hai.

At this year's National Reading Culture Ambassador contest, Nam Hai's entry impressed everyone with its emotional depth and subtle analysis of the classic work "The Old Man and the Sea". Along with summarizing and analyzing the book's content, Hai also sent a clear, humane and convincing life message after reading the work. The character of the old man Santiago in the book, though lonely and facing many dangers, was resilient, which inspired him to think and live positively: not giving up in the face of difficulties, persistently pursuing his dreams, and keeping faith in himself. What made the entry stand out was the connection between the character's journey at sea and his own growth process - a student who always strives to improve every day. Many times he had to overcome doubts and initial failures to be steadfast in life. A mature writing style, profound evidence, coherent structure, creative presentation, and harmonious integration of images with a total of more than 70 pages helped Hai's entry win second prize and the "Most Impressive Entry" award.

Hai has also participated in many discussion activities and exchanges with writers and speakers to broaden his perspective and convey useful things to his friends. He sets a goal of reading at least 12 books each year; continues to develop reading corners in the classroom; proposes to build a "small bookshelf" to support students in difficult circumstances; participates in organizing book introductions and maintains the habit of writing reviews to inspire the community.

Sowing seeds of kindness from the pages of books

For student Ho Thi Ngoc Que, class 8A7 (Tien Luc Secondary School No. 1, Tien Luc commune, Bac Ninh province), each book and story is a source of energy, a door leading to knowledge and changing oneself in a positive direction. Recently, Que made an impression at the 2025 National Reading Culture Ambassador contest when her entry won second prize and the "Best Reading Encouragement Short Story" award.

I am Ho Thi Ngoc Que.

Choosing topic number 2 - continuing a work she had read to spread her love for books, Que accompanied the book "Opening the Window While Closing My Eyes" by writer - artist Nguyen Ngoc Thuan. For her, that book is like a "garden of the soul" full of warm sunshine and gentle rains of childhood. In the article, Que wrote: "From the character Dung in the book "Opening the Window While Closing My Eyes", I learned many valuable lessons about personal responsibility towards family, school and society. Dung is a boy with a delicate soul, always observing the world with all his heart. I was very impressed when Dung told his mother's words: "When someone is sad, they need many people to share with. Sadness can only be alleviated by love, there is no cure.” Through that teaching, she learned that living responsibly with oneself is not only about taking care of oneself but also about knowing how to love, sympathize and share with others. In the short story for the contest, Que not only tells and analyzes but also leads readers on a journey to look back at themselves: Knowing how to love, knowing how to admit mistakes, appreciating the “differences” in oneself and knowing how to sow good things into life. It is that purity and humanity that helps her work surpass thousands of entries, worthy of the “Best Short Story Recommended for Reading” award. The foundation for such an excellent article comes from her love of books and reading. Ms. Tran Thi Tho, Que’s mother, said: “She is very studious, many days she is so engrossed in studying that she forgets her break time. She is especially fond of reading books. For me, the most valuable gift or reward is books. Thanks to that diligence, throughout the school years, Que has always been an excellent student, winning first and second prizes in the district-level Literature competition for excellent students.

Que shared that books open up a wide world for her, nurturing dreams and kindness. What I feel in this pretty, gentle girl is a warm heart and a spirit of sharing. Que cherishes the plan with her friends to establish a Talking Book Club in school with the message "Knowledge does not require opening your eyes - just opening your heart". The model aims to create a space for reading - listening - sharing books in a new way, helping students practice expressive reading skills, work in groups and explore books by voice. In particular, Que wants to bring talking books to blind students, students in difficult circumstances or those with little access to paper books. From her love of books and her small study corner, the rural student is sowing seeds of kindness so that reading culture can spread in the school, classroom and community.

Vi Le Thanh

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-lan-toa-van-hoa-doc-tu-nhung-tam-hon-dep-postid431277.bbg