The Junior Section celebrated its annual Book Week in January as the Readathon concluded. The Book Week 25 theme was Voyage to the End of Imagination. The event was aimed to foster the love of reading and for students to be exposed to the pleasures of literary journeys through storytelling, author talks and dramatic reading .

Read Alouds: Throughout the week, Year V and VI students brought stories to life for Years III and IV through engaging outdoor read-aloud sessions in English and Urdu. Dressed as book characters and using props, they made the experience immersive and creative. To encourage regular reading, they also presented bookmark tokens to the young audience.

Classroom activities: Children engaged in a range of fun and exciting activities, each uniquely tailored to their year group.

Year III brought traditional tales from Africa, Asia, and Europe to life through engaging performances, celebrating storytelling, cultural diversity, and a love for reading.

Year IV brought poetry to life through dynamic performances of Tartary by Walter de la Mare, The Witches Chant from Macbeth, and What If  by Shel Silverstein. This experience fostered self-expression, boosted confidence in public speaking, and deepened the children’s appreciation for the rhythm and power of words.

Year V explored the lives of authors like Cressida Cowell, Michael Morpurgo, and Rick Riordan through dramatic readings. This activity helped them connect with literary figures, understand their inspirations, and appreciate their impact on storytelling.

Year VI enacted a diverse mix of fiction  like All Summer in a Day, The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Tortoise and the Hare and the Trial of Socrates. This activity deepened their understanding of timeless tales, character emotions, and fostered a love for literature.

Guest Speakers: The Junior Section welcomed a variety of published authors throughout the week-long activities. These interactions inspired children to engage with reading and books with renewed enthusiasm and purpose.

Author Tom Palmer spoke to Year V and VI students via Google Meet, sharing his journey into writing, inspired by his love for football and history. Students asked him about his journey to becoming an author, his favorite footballer, team, and various aspects of his writing. It was an exciting opportunity for them to interact with a beloved author in real time.

The Zambeel Dramatic Readings troupe brought the folktale of Podna Aur Podnay Ki Kahaani’ to life through an engaging performance, seamlessly blending traditional storytelling with a radio play format. This creative approach captivated the audience, offering a dynamic and immersive experience for students from Year I onwards.

KGS students Ameera Osman and Leila Wyne collaborated on a book, The Celiac Chronicles: Maya’s Classroom Conundrum, to raise awareness about celiac disease, a condition Ameera personally experienced. She shared her story with Year IV and V, fostering empathy and understanding. The duo discussed their creative journey, answered questions, and inspired the young listeners to see storytelling as a tool for awareness and self-expression.

Nyla Ahsan, a teacher with an MA in Shakespeare and Education, engaged Year VI students with The Odyssey, bringing Homer’s epic tale to life for a younger audience. She highlighted the Greek hero, Odysseus’ bravery, intelligence, as well as flaws, drawing powerful parallels to the challenges we all face in striving for our goals. She also explored key literary devices, enriching the students’ appreciation of this timeless tale.

Rumana Husain engaged Year III students with readings from her bilingual book Aik Gharyaal aur Magarmach ki Mulaqaat, a rhyming story about two reptiles, and from Travels with Khala, a poetic journey through Pakistan that combines storytelling, geography, and history to foster a love for Urdu reading.

Urdu: Year  III performed a play on cricket and Naiki ka Badla, along with poems Chandni Raat, Suraj, and Hamara Watan. Year V students selected Absar Abdul Ali as their author and acted out his fables Haray Rang Ka Geedar, Ullu ko Badshah Kyon Banaya, Chaar Sachay Dost, and the poem Chaain Sey Humko Jeenay Do.

Silent Reading- a peaceful 25-minute silent reading session across the Junior Section marked the perfect conclusion to a well-organized, engaging, and enriching Book Week.