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

Nowadays, reading has become a part of our life. As the old saying goes, "Reading makes a full man." So it's important and necessary for everyone to read.

My story 

When I was little, my mother often read picture books to me. She told me an interesting story every day, and never stopped. 

So in my mind, reading has always been a very interesting thing. At that time, the biggest thing in my heart was to look forward to my mother coming home from work, because it meant that I could hear new stories. 

When I was in kindergarten, I transferred to another school. When I suddenly went to this new environment, I felt bad, so I began to resist going to kindergarten very much, and cried all day long. 

To comfort me, my mother read me a picture book entitled Augustine. The book tells the story of a little penguin named Augustine, who went to another school like me, but he still maintained an optimistic attitude and became good friends with other students. Augustine's story made me more confident and brave.

Whenever I am feeling helpless, reading gives me encouragement.

When I grew up a little, I began to learn to read by myself. Gradually, I understood the glamour of language and entered the rich world of literature. 

Fairy tales are no longer my favorite, and reading classic books uplifts me very much. During this period, I was always interested and curious about the things around me, and I wanted to try everything. But after a few times, I found myself unable to stick to one thing and often gave up halfway. With such confusion, I accidentally read a book called Braveheart. This book tells the story of an old  dog who tries his best in his last race, overcomes many difficulties and finally wins. He kept going and never gave up until the last moment. I was deeply moved by his perseverance. Since then, I have become a rather responsible person. Whenever I want to give up, this book is just like a torch in the dark that constantly encourages me to keep moving.

A long journey 

Since entering junior high school, I have felt very exhausted due to the heavy school work load, my declining grades and the expectations of my parents.

With less and less time for leisurely reading, I felt that I have been drifting away from my old friend - reading. So during a holiday, I went to the library, forgot all my troubles and immersed myself wholeheartedly into reading. The book Homeless to Harvard enlightened me. The heroine in the story, Liz is unlucky because she has a bad family and a bad childhood, but at the same time she is also lucky as her clever mind leads her to a high achievement. She is like a fragrant flower growing in the dirty mud. Her unfortunate family did not bring her down, but made her stronger, harder and more desperate. One sentence from the book remains fresh in my memory "Don't close your eyes, rise again after you fall. You need to get out." What doesn't knock me down makes me stronger. 

So I made a detailed study plan for myself, determined my goal, and made progress through continuous efforts. I began to enjoy the learning process rather than the result. Finally, I got a satisfactory result in the final exam of this semester. That day, my excited mood did not go away for a long time. I recently went into a bookstore, re-read this book, and gained a lot of new experience. 

Although reading is a time-consuming leisure activity, it is still one of my favorite activities since it reminds me a lot about a Chinese idiom that says the most nutrient thing always nurtures the earth quietly without any drama. 

I would like to use this phrase as an analogy to describe how reading has nurtured my inner strengths of being kind, responsible and always courageous in dealing with setbacks in life. 

I also noticed how my reading preferences have changed while growing up. When I was little, those "childish" picture books opened up my imagination and when I went to school, those literature works at the library have made me see more about the linguistic beauty of books as well as the art form of literature. 

Reading for us is just like climbing a mountain. The higher you get, the better view you will enjoy. Reading can not only broaden our horizons, but also enrich our knowledge and boost our creativity, so that we can learn more about the world. 

As the proverb goes, "In books you can find not only gold but also beauty." So just try to read what you love until you love to read.

The author is a student at the Beijing National Day School