Book Week 2021 certainly had something for everyone. Having two very talented and unique authors resident in our UNIS Hanoi community for a week (albeit via Zoom) ensured that every student experienced encouragement, advice and inspiration in their reading and writing endeavours.  From the smallest children in Discovery, who created their own “Lifts” and ventured into imaginative lands (where adults were not allowed) to the Middle School students who improved their understanding of the many ways writers can approach a story.

Tristan Banck’s humorous and engaging personality took students on a journey through the creative process using all the techniques that an author would use. The students specifically developed their concept of setting and applied this to some “quick write” sessions. One of the key takeaways from his sessions was that writing really boils down to perseverance and consistency. Writing every day, taking some risks and allowing yourself to fail is all part of being a strong writer. In a nutshell, writers need to fail in order to succeed.

Minh Le’s work with the Elementary Students echoed the sentiments of Tristan Bancks. He also explained to the children that writing and reading every day is the key to developing literacy skills, no matter how old you are. Minh took a lot of time to explain all the subtle messages that are found in his picture books and the children were invited to step into his own world and understand the messages that are to be found in each story.

We were also incredibly fortunate to host a special event for our Vietnamese staff with Minh Le. Minh is in the process of writing a new book  “A Lotus for You”, a tribute to Vietnamese monk Thích Nhất Hạnh and he holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. Our staff were able to hear of Minh’s special relationship with Thich Nhat Hanh and also of his plans to write of the teachings in a picture book suitable for children.

Parents were treated to two “meet the author” sessions where Tristan Bancks offered advice on helping children with the reading and writing process. Minh Le explored the reading of picture books, particularly with young children. It was refreshing to hear the stories of two prominent authors, who are both parents, share their tips and advice for  what works and what doesn’t when encouraging your child to read.