Reading Marathon 2009

The "Reading Marathon 2009" at The Plaza, National Library Building

Picture shows Jeremiah Ng from Marsiling CCC reading aloud from "A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul".

The "Reading Marathon 2009" was launched on Friday,3 July at 1:00 pm by Dr N. Varaprasad, Chief Executive of the National Library Board. It will continue non-stop round-the-clock until the marathon ends at 1:00 pm on Thursday, 9 July.

The Reading Ambassadors who participate in the Reading Marathon are from:

1. ITE West Ang Mo Kio
2. Orchid Park Secondary School
3. SCOGA-Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (Singapore)
4. Nee Soon South CCMC
5. Bishan CCWEC Bishan RC Zone 5
6. Marsiling CCC
7. Society for Reading and Literacy
8. National Arts Council
9. Serangoon Garden Secondary School
10. Wheels of Knowledge & Friends
11. Chua Chu Kang CCMC
12. Raffles Institution
13. India Se
14. Orchid Park Secondary School
15. Tamil Reading Club
16. National Library Board Reading Team
17. Geylang Serai Toastmasters Club
18. Hwa Yi Secondary School
19. Bukit View Secondary School
20. Taxi Sifu Reading Club
21. Senior's Chinese Reading Club, NLB
22. ITE West Dover
23. Malay Reading Club
24. PANPAC Education

For more information, please visit http://readsingapore.nlb.gov.sg

During the 7-day marathon event, the stage at the Events Plaza, National Library Building became a platform for reading enthusiasts who share their joy of reading.

It is organized by the National Library Board as one of the activities of "READ! Singapore" to nurture a Nation of Readers.

"Reading Marathon 2009" aspires to complete 144 hours of continuous reading aloud of fiction stories in the 4 official languages of Singapore.

On Tuesday, 7 July, members from the "Taxi Sifu Reading Club" will be reading aloud on stage from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am.

If you have time in the evening, please do drop in at the NLB Events Plaza to listen to a good read by members of the club. Its ok to skip your chill session at Starbuck or time for a Tiger once in a while :)

Who says Singaporean cabbies can't read or don't read? Let the "Taxi Sifu Reading Club" members prove you wrong. You will be surprised by the intellectual stuff they learn from reading, supported strongly by the National Library. Please give them your encouragement, motivate them and spur them on to "Carry On Reading".

The following is an introduction of the club published in the pamphlets distributed at the event:

[Quote]

A Short Ride to a Good Read

"For taxi driver Mr Tan Seng Lee, the road to a lifelong habit of reading is a literal one, in the route he takes to reach the Ang Mo Kio Community Library.

There, the Taxi Sifu Reading Club gathers every month to talk about the latest book they have read, in two enriching hours that the drivers reckon to be well worth the $60 or so in forgone earnings.

Cabbies as well as hairstylists, beauticians, nurses, healthcare officers, grassroots leaders, civil servants and housewives are among the many Singapore who have rediscovered the joy of fiction through READ! Singapore. Launched in 2005 by the National Library Board (NLB), this initiative aims to promote a culture of reading across all walks of life.

Adapted from successful reading campaigns in Australia and the US, READ! Singapore is at heart a grassroots-centred programme bringing people together in settings that encourage friendly sharing and stimulating exchanges.

[Unquote]

According to Mr Jeremiah Ng, an active Reading Ambassador from Marsiling CCC who read a chapter from the book "A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul" during his team's presentation. He is a fan of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series.

The true stories in "Chicken Soup for the Soul" are told by those who share their life experiences and lessons; which will inspire and motivate readers who may, at one time or another, encounter similar experiences as we tread the path on this journey we call "Life". He mentioned that elderly people tend to dwell more on 'reflections of their life through the various stages from childhood to old age'. How insightful an observation. He must have taken lots of chicken soup to nourish his soul :)

The "Reading Marathon 2009" is yet another national event which will place the "Little Red Dot" in the "Singapore Book of Records"!

Read On, Singapore!

Sent from my Treo 650