Spreading the love of books through travel

Books, especially literary works, are often set in specific localities, villages, or cities. Going directly to these locations helps readers not only see the details described in the book clearly but also feel the atmosphere, natural beauty, and life of the people there. A trip to such places will help readers "live" in the stories from the book more vividly and realistically.

Realizing that reading and introducing books is limited to the space of meeting rooms and seminars, which has become too common, making many readers uninterested, the "Family Reading Club" is one of the pioneers in combining book introductions, interactions with authors and field trips.

The destinations will be related to the author or details in the books. This is a fresh approach to arousing curiosity and exploring the world from books through real-life experiences.

Ms. Truong Thi Ngoc Lan, Head of the “Family Reading Club” shared: “We call this model “Learning through trips”. The first trip, we tested in mid-2024, in collaboration with author Hoang Quoc Hai to introduce two historical novels, “Storm of the Tran Dynasty” and “Eight Dynasties of the Ly Dynasty” by him. Realizing that many readers are very interested in this method, we have organized it more regularly. Each trip attracts about 30 to 40 people, including families with both parents and children.”

As readers visit the places in the book, the imaginary details gradually become vivid reality. The images of the landscape, people and space in the book will be recreated in a realistic way. This not only helps readers remember longer but also discovers deep connections between culture, history and the stories they have read.

By combining visiting places in the book with historical and cultural lessons, readers, especially young readers, will no longer feel that reading is a dry activity, but an interesting adventure, closely linked to reality and deeply meaningful.

Dang Tuong Vy (Class 5A1, Thanh Cong A Primary School, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi) shared: “Compared to staying at home reading books, I find going out more practical and interesting. I will remember the details, places, and characters mentioned by the author longer. When the book mentions this place or that place, instead of imagining it, going there will make the reader very excited to learn and explore, and from there they will also enjoy reading more.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thau (lecturer at the Military Technical Academy): In modern society, parents do not have much time to care about their children's learning and reading. Before such trips, children and parents will proactively and enthusiastically read books to better understand where they will go and discuss together. This will encourage families to read books together regularly.

One of the most interesting ways to understand the details in a book is to meet the author, especially when the author has stories related to their hometown, culture or unique experiences that they have lived through. A meeting with the author at the spaces mentioned in the books will give readers an insight into their inspiration for writing, the details in the book, and why they chose those locations as the setting.

The field trip combined with an interaction with the author can help readers feel the connection between the story in the book and reality. This will help readers absorb the messages that the author wants to convey through his work.

Receiving the response from readers, recently, the “Family Reading Club” continued to coordinate with a number of units to organize a trip to Phu Thuong village (Tay Ho, Hanoi) called “Following the footsteps of Hong Ha lady” with writer Le Phuong Lien. The trip was to learn about her two books, “Doan Thi Diem” and “Lady of the Windy Times”. Participants visited the grave of Doan Thi Diem, and learned about the village culture with the author, through exploring historical sites and enjoying the cuisine.

“This is a good initiative. The trip “Following the footsteps of Ms. Hong Ha” is the first time I have participated in an outdoor book launch. Being able to interact with readers at the very places that inspire my writing is a happy thing. Readers are excited about reading, and authors like me will see our works truly live in the lives of readers. This gives me more motivation to continue writing. I think this model should be replicated further,” writer Le Phuong Lien shared.

As an active participant in trips with her children, Ms. Do Thi Diem (Long Bien District, Hanoi) said: Field trips with books are also an opportunity for children to exercise, arousing their love of learning about the country's culture and history. In particular, this will help family members bond and understand each other better. This is also an effective way to create a community of people who love reading.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lan-toa-tinh-yeu-sach-qua-nhung-chuyen-di-post868890.html