Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn

Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

Photo:VCG

Before sharing my "first-day" school experience with you, I want to talk about the treasure trove of books that I've found in my new school, the Dulwich College Beijing. 

New reading experience 

After two classes went well on my first day, I decided to enjoy myself by heading to the library after lunch. 

My eyes grew wide as I stepped through the side doors. Rows and rows of books filled the shelves. More books were hidden in wooden racks. Cozy bean bags were scattered on the floors. This was where I belonged! My mom says I spend 80 percent of my time reading. Hanging on the sofa, reading; doing a handstand, reading; lying on the roof like a maniac, reading.

I love reading fantasy novels and other fiction but not science or non-fiction, that kind of boring stuff. Whenever I feel out of place, I find a good book and a comfy area, and voila! Problem solved!

I searched around a bit, then came upon a rack with a label in front which made my heart skip a beat. I squealed quietly, staring at the words, "Rick Riordan." 

He's practically my favorite author. I've read most of his series. Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, and many more are all of his knockout works. 

Percy Jackson is the book that started it all. He's the demigod son of Poseidon. He and his friends go on a quest that has them battling monsters, meeting gods, and taking on the titans from Greek mythology. I love these stories and how Rick Riordan writes them. I feel like I am actually in the story, feeling pain and agony with Annabeth, a main character of the book who realized her friend Luke was actually a traitor.

Riordan also uses sarcasm and figurative language in his books, which makes me crave more of his series. A lot of the phrases and funny exaggeration I use now are from him.

His other books cover Norse mythology, Roman mythology, Egyptian mythology... Heroes from different series meet and fight the villain, or villains, together.

I grabbed a random book from the shelf, hauled over a beanbag, plopped myself in it, and buried my nose into the book. I could read Riordan's books over and over. 

Soon, though, I had to head to my next class. I reluctantly put the book back where I found it. I trudged to my locker, tugged out my computer, and followed some classmates to the next class without speaking with them. 

I figured I could go back to the library the next day, and pick out another thrilling piece of adventure from Rick Riordan's pile. I just couldn't believe a bunch of my favorite author's books were in the library. My old school's library didn't have them and that had always left me kind of disappointed.

Another author I extremely like is Ron Roy. He's the author of the A to Z Mysteries and a lot of other mystery books for kids. The ending is always unexpected, and the stirring way the kid detectives catch the criminal is always so precocious.

Even if I'm a little old for his series, I always reread his books and solve the mystery along with the characters. I never get bored of it!

The rest of the day ended fine, and I began to think that maybe transferring to DCB wasn't such a bad idea.

Rewinding the clock 

Okay, that may sound like the end of the story, but please allow me to rewind the clock and tell you about my arrival to this new school: 

Couldn't the school bus have chosen a smoother road? I know it is my first day and everything is new, but aren't Dulwich buses supposed to transfer people to school, not try to make us fly?

I don't even know how I got here! I'm sure I was fine staying at my old school, but, no, Mom had to drag me to a new school - DCB. Nope. I don't like the sound of it. 

Last time when I came for the entrance exam, I followed the teacher to different rooms, and noticed that the school was gigantic. I'm not being dramatic. The school doesn't look big, but it is on the inside. Not so different from a maze, literally. The white house would probably "Ooo!" and "Ahhh!" at this building. I knew that I would spend my year getting lost. 

Stepping through the doors, I almost slipped. What a heroic entry. You might have been imagining something like: "And then, I saved a man from his overdue sandwich, just like Batman!" But, mine's a completely different story.

A teacher came up to me and before I knew it, he led me into a rectangular area with a relaxing-looking space that said "Coffee Hub." Snack bars always make me feel at home.

I was late on my first day, and I was quite embarrassed when I stepped into the classroom. Did I mention I was new? We played some icebreaker games during our first lesson, and went over some rules and stuff. I didn't really feel relaxed, or as comfortable as I had felt at my old school. In fact, I felt like a nervous wreck the whole time. 

Recalling the experience, it made me feel the awkwardness but also gave me a sense of confidence to deal with new things in my life.  

The author is a student at Dulwich College Beijing