Pages of books that bloom

The children excitedly told me about the wondrous natural world of the Do Son peninsula, about the lush green trees, and about the small things they had done together to preserve a clean and beautiful environment. Listening to their stories, I felt as if I could see them enthusiastically collecting trash on the beach after reading about the harmful effects of littering. Their small hands nimbly picked up each bottle cap, each piece of plastic... And I understood that the humanistic values hidden in each page of the book had truly touched their souls. Moreover, the practical experiences provided by the club had given wings to their words, leading them to take flight and land on concrete, meaningful actions.

The Beautiful Tea Bud Club reads books by the beach.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SUBJECT

Cultivate a reading habit in children.

The "Beautiful Tea Buds" Club is a gathering place for families who share a great love for books and wish to cultivate a reading habit in their children from the moment they enter elementary school. They see accompanying their children on their journey of knowledge discovery as an indispensable part of their parenting roles. Even more importantly, they want their children and grandchildren to become good people before becoming successful. Deep down, it seems each of them has an invisible thread connecting them to plants and trees?

It's not just the children who love the natural world; parents also consider Reading Day a time to relax. To organize a reading session, detailed planning is required, including selecting books, purchasing necessary supplies, finding a suitable location, and inviting participants… Despite the heavy workload, all members of the organizing committee work for free. Bringing the children back to a safe and natural environment is a top priority. Sometimes, even after everything is prepared, bad weather can ruin everything. No one regrets their hard work; they only feel sorry for the children, who have been eagerly anticipating it for a whole month.

Những trang sách nở hoa - Ảnh 3. — The children from the Beautiful Tea Bud Club helped author Le Trung Cuong descend the mountain.

Once a month, for over three years, the club's meetings have been like a vibrant flower blooming under the blue sky, a place for like-minded souls to meet. In the expansive space of mountains and sea, the gentle sound of waves, the rustling of leaves, and the chirping of birds create a soothing backdrop, all blending together to form an inspiring space for learning and recreation.

After reading pages filled with emotion and knowledge, children are free to express their thoughts, share their concerns, and ask questions that have just arisen in their minds. These questions are then directly answered by the author or researchers. They then get to draw on the images from the book or those they observe in the natural environment. From there, they become fascinated with learning about the types of plants found on the Do Son peninsula and the marine life they see every day.

Each reading session is linked to a theme familiar to the children and closely connected to major holidays throughout the year. For example, during the full moon of August, the children meticulously create whimsical pictures and brightly colored star-shaped lanterns in the second part of the reading session. There are also reading sessions in gardens surrounded by familiar vegetables, helping the children appreciate the farmers who tirelessly care for the plants and understand where essential household items come from.

The journey of sowing knowledge, nurturing the seeds of the future.

The organizing committee also enthusiastically organizes meticulously designed field trips: the 2023 visit and reading session at Kim Dong Publishing House opened a magical door for the children to enter the cradle of children's books loved by generations of young readers. In 2024, the children had the opportunity to explore the printing process of a book at the Vietnam Women's Publishing House, to better understand the journey of a work to the reader. Trips to learn about the history and culture of Hai Phong and Do Son itself have further nurtured love for their homeland and country in the children's hearts.

Những trang sách nở hoa - Ảnh 4. — The Beautiful Tea Bud Club, in collaboration with Hoa Phuong Orphanage (Hai Phong) and Kim Dong Publishing House, organized a weekend reading corner for the children.

Today, Búp Trà Xinh has received the attention and support of many families, who voluntarily brought their children and grandchildren to participate, not only in Do Son but also spreading to neighboring areas. The most recent reading session, held on April 20, 2025, on Ngoc Mountain, was attended by hundreds of children. Some families even brought their children from Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

With its humane approach and innovative organizational methods, the club has received support from the Vietnam Women's Publishing House, Kim Dong Publishing House, and authors and educational researchers such as Nguyen Quoc Vuong, Nguyen Thi Thu, Do Doan Phuong, May, and artist Linh Rab… The greatest happiness for the club's leadership and parents is witnessing the miraculous growth of their children through each reading session. The children grow in awareness, become more connected to nature, cherish books, and appreciate their family home more.

Những trang sách nở hoa - Ảnh 6. — Join Kim Dong Publishing House's weekend reading corner.

Another special thing I greatly appreciate about Búp Trà Xinh is the sharing and compassion that the club spreads. The management board not only organizes reading sessions and experiences for the children in the club, but also dedicates time and effort to bringing the joy of reading to children at Hoa Phượng Orphanage in Hai Phong; helping underprivileged children visit historical sites in Hai Phong, participate in the weekend reading corner of Kim Đồng Publishing House, and experience the Vietnam Military History Museum…

Today there is one good child, tomorrow there will be a good citizen and a good family. Today there are many good children, tomorrow there will be good groups and good communities. The activities of Búp Trà Xinh are perfectly in line with what President Ho Chi Minh always wished for during his lifetime.

Looking through the 2025 summer vacation activity plan, I am even more confident in the strong growth of Búp Trà Xinh. Maintaining regular reading sessions with new books and creative experiential activities is a solid foundation. The summer trip to the literary museum promises to be an exciting journey of knowledge discovery. And especially, joining hands with the "Bookshelf for Children" project to donate books to build libraries for underprivileged children in mountainous areas demonstrates a beautiful spirit of mutual support and compassion.

I believe that, with the dedicated leadership of the management board (headed by Ms. Dinh Vu Hoang Hanh) and the children's passionate love of books, the "Beautiful Tea Bud" club will write even more beautiful stories on its journey of sowing knowledge and nurturing the future. I hope that there will be many more reading clubs like this for children all over the country.