Emma Watson or Hermione Granger, as you would know her is on a mission and she has an alter ego. She is also a book fairy. Yes, you heard right...
Emma Watson launched an international project that sees more than 1000 books left in public spaces for people to read and enjoy.
The Book Fairies started in London with the “Books on the Underground”, and it has now spread to 26 countries. The books left by the Book Fairies has a message from Watson, saying she hoped the reader would enjoy the book, and urging them to leave it in a public place after they have read it, for others to find. She describes it as a pubic lending library system.
Watson says, “The idea is to make people love reading again and to spread the love, like random acts of kindness.”
Underground reading network
Books on the Underground was created in 2012 by Hollie Fraser. But, she moved to New York City and Cordelia Oxley took over and she is supported by a team of Book Fairies.
Inspired by this, Shruti Sharma, a writer, and Tarun Chauhan have also become book fairies. They leave books on the Delhi Metro for people to read and pass on. The books are marked with a sticker that says ‘Books on the Delhi Metro’. They post clues about location on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. People who have picked up the book and read it are encouraged to post their discovery with the hashtag #booksonthedelhimetro and then return it to the metro for someone else to read.
Why is it important to read
Let’s take a quick look at the advantages of reading.
First off, you are able to develop your verbal abilities. You now have a wider range of words to choose from when you want to get your point across.
Reading improves your concentration. Sitting down with a book helps you focus and consider closely the subject at hand, cutting off everything from the outside world.
As you read the words in the book, you begin to imagine the scene described. Your mind begins to create the images in your head unlike on the television when your images are set before you.
Books make you smarter. While reading you absorb an enormous amount of knowledge, in a relatively short time. It has also been established that books at home have been linked to academic achievement.
When you read you become smarter and you will be able to hold your own and add to any conversation instead of feeling out of place and ignorant. Your conversational skills will improve.
But, the most important reason is that, it is entertaining. Reading is fun, and more enthralling than watching a movie or a television show.
Joy of reading
I like books that aren’t just lovely but that have memories in themselves. Just like playing a song, picking up a book again that has memories can take you back to another place or another time.”
It’s important to read because it’s really good for your vocabulary. It’s really good for your imagination. I enjoy reading because I find it relaxing.
~ Emma Watson
Would you like to be a book fairy?
The idea of the book fairy is amazing. Here’s what you have to do:
Discuss the idea with friends who love to read.
Between you, you will have many books.
Donate some of your books to the project. Now you have a collection.
Name yourselves.
Make small stickers for your books and stick them on the cover.’
Write a note for your readers and place it inside the book. Mention that once this book is read it has to be placed in some part of the school so that someone else will get a chance to read the book.
You could put up a notice board asking readers to give you feedback about the book, where they found it and if it brought them joy to do so.
