World Book Day: Celebrate the magic of books
Reading has so many benefits and The Read Institute is encouraging all South Africans - big and small - to celebrate World Book Day on Thursday, 4 March.
AS soon as a child opens a book, something magical happens – from wondrous journeys through lands unknown and epic adventures, to lessons on kindness, courage and compassion. Inside every book’s cover is a whole new world just waiting to be discovered.
Beyond the tales of bravery, enchantment, hopes and dreams, reading develops a child’s imagination, boosts their confidence, increases their vocabulary, supports healthy brain development, and helps them cope with stress and anxiety.
Reading has so many benefits and The Read Institute is encouraging all South Africans – big and small – to celebrate World Book Day on Thursday, 4 March. Every year, this much-loved annual event sends a powerful and positive message about books and reading. In 2021, the power of books rings even louder in the face of a global pandemic that has turned our daily lives topsy-turvy. Despite these crazy times, it’s always the perfect time to read.
This auspicious day stems from Spain, where writer Vicente Clavel Andres wanted to honour author Miguel de Cervantes (best known for his novel Don Quixote) on his birthday and anniversary of his death. When the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization heard of World Book Day, they took the idea on and spread the word worldwide, with the first World Book Day taking place on 23 April 1995.
ALSO READ: Share your ‘treasure’ with the underprivileged
Today World Book Day is celebrated in all corners of the world, in more than 100 countries. It’s not just a day to indulge a love of books, but also a day where children and young people can gain access to books. As part of the READ Group, The Read Institute is built on the foundation of READ Educational Trust, a South African NGO working tirelessly in teacher training and school resource provisioning and actively promoting literacy through successful programmes, since its inception in 1979.
This year, The Read Institute is spreading the message that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives. Throughout March, The Read Institute is rolling out an exciting competition on social media platforms with six classroom set-up packs up for grabs until 26 March.
To find out more and to enter the competition, join the conversations on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheREADInstitute
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
