Bookshop outdoors

During the “Outdoor Bookshop” event, girls in white lace aprons danced, sang, painted, and – most importantly – spoke about various publications. The branches of the nearby trees were decorated with paper books of children’s colorful drawings. The friends of the school from National Historical Library brought old prints of the 18th and 19th centuries. Every visitor has had the opportunity to look through an exquisite edition of Andersen’s tales or a five-hundred-year illustrated history of Germany.

Hosting the festival was the students’ idea. Diana Boryhina pupil of the 4th grade, said: “We were anxious that something goes wrong, but the festival is great. I made a book about honey – it is a sequel I wanted to make to a good book I read some time ago. And my favorite book of all is The Chronicles of Narnia.”

The students will install a bookcase in the park near the school, and anyone will be able to take something from it. They had collected about 200 books across several months from their homes and school libraries. “We ask not only to take something from here, but also to bring your own books,” smiles Natalia Holovikhina, principal of the boarding school No. 23. “A book is a gate to the soul. In our school we have classes divided by gender, there are ladies and cadets. And many girls joined the initiative, they interviewed relatives and neighbors about their attitude to reading. Our goal is to unite everyone in their love of reading. It was the first time we hosted such a festival, but I’m pleased to have so many people respond to our invitation.”