A summer playground with a variety of activities.
The joyful laughter of children, colorful bookshelves, and a variety of engaging activities created a vibrant atmosphere at the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair 2026. With the theme "I enjoy reading, learning many wonderful things," the event provided a space for learning and playing, where children could access knowledge in many lively and accessible ways.
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Children participating in the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair 2026. |
This year, the book fair is taking place simultaneously at multiple locations throughout the city. The main venues include the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library (Ben Thanh Ward), Sora Gardens Complex (Binh Duong Ward), Vung Tau Book Street (Tam Thang Ward), and many other satellite locations. This organizational approach allows children in various areas to participate in reading-related cultural activities without having to travel too far.
From the very beginning, many experiential zones attracted large numbers of children and parents. Children enthusiastically participated in book-based storytelling programs, literary dramatizations, educational games, life skills activities, and interactive competitions. Instead of simply reading in the traditional way, children directly role-played characters, solved situations, or participated in challenges related to the content of the works. This approach made reading more engaging, while simultaneously stimulating imagination and creativity.
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| Many activities in the STEM, robotics, and creative technology areas attract a large number of children. |
The STEM, robotics, and creative technology area at the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library is one of the most popular destinations for children. Many children are fascinated by controlling robots to find their way, robots to play soccer, exploring smart home models, or conducting simple science experiments. This space provides opportunities for children to access science and technology through hands-on experience, thereby fostering exploratory thinking and problem-solving skills.
Nguyen Minh Anh (born in 2016, residing in Hanh Thong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “I liked the robot area and science games at the book fair the most. I got to control a robot to play soccer and see many interesting models. I even borrowed a book about space to read during the summer. I hope there will be a book fair like this every year because I can both play and learn many new things.”
In addition, the interactive science exhibition features many fascinating topics such as the universe, human history, the human brain, and artificial intelligence. Visual models and lively presentations help make knowledge that is often considered dry more accessible to children.
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| Children read Braille books, audiobooks, and pop-up illustrated books at the book fair. |
Beyond focusing on entertainment and education, the book fair also emphasizes expanding access to knowledge for diverse reader groups. A dedicated reading area for visually impaired children is equipped with Braille books, audiobooks, illustrated books, and information-accessing aids. This space provides children with more opportunities to explore the world of books and participate in the fair's activities.
Bring books to where children live.
The Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair 2026, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and implemented by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, is part of a series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the official renaming of Saigon - Gia Dinh City to Ho Chi Minh City.
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| The Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair 2026 is expected to become a cultural festival for children. |
The biggest difference in the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair lies in its scale and scope. While previously activities were primarily held in the city center, this year, books are brought closer to children as the service area expands to residential areas, apartment buildings, and workers' dormitories through the "Apartment Book Fair" model.
At the same time, the mobile digital library system also contributes to bringing books closer to children. These mobile libraries are deployed to suburban districts such as Can Gio, Hoc Mon, Nha Be, and many other areas that still face difficulties in accessing cultural activities. The mobile libraries not only bring thousands of books to children but also organize many interactive programs such as storytelling based on books, dramatizations of literary works, digital technology experiences, and life skills activities.
This model helps children in remote areas still have access to quality educational activities right where they live. Instead of waiting for them to seek out books, books are proactively brought to them. This is considered an important step in the effort to narrow the gap in access to reading culture between regions.
The expansion of book fairs stems from the reality that children today are increasingly influenced by technological devices and social media platforms. Meanwhile, children in remote areas have limited access to large-scale book fairs. Therefore, bringing book fairs to residential areas, apartment complexes, parks, hospitals, or suburban areas is a solution to make books more frequently present in daily life.
Ms. Pham Thi Yen, Deputy Head of the Press and Publishing Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, expressed that the goal of the book fair is not only to introduce or exchange books but also to create spaces where children can read, learn, play, and explore. From previous pilot models in residential areas, the organizers have observed that when books are present in their daily lives, children tend to naturally engage with them and maintain a long-term reading habit.
Reading culture experts also consider summer a particularly important time to cultivate reading habits in children. Writer Phuong Huyen, the Reading Culture Ambassador of Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “Activities such as book fairs, reading clubs, storytelling based on books, or STEM experiences related to books all contribute to helping children develop a love of reading from an early age.”
Meanwhile, writer Doan Mai Anh shared her perspective on the role of the family in fostering a reading culture. “Children often learn more from what adults do than what adults say. When parents spend time reading with their children, even for a short time each day, children will feel the joy of reading and naturally develop a reading habit,” writer Doan Mai Anh shared.
The combination of reading activities, technological experiences, skills education, and family support has created a new look for the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair in 2026. More than just a cultural event lasting a few days, the fair aims for a longer-term goal: building a sustainable reading environment, helping children see books as companions in their growth. When books appear in schools, residential areas, hospitals, or on mobile reading vehicles reaching remote areas, the journey of cultivating a reading culture expands, bringing knowledge closer to all children.
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/dua-sach-den-gan-hon-voi-thieu-nhi-1046372
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