Fostering Lifelong Reading at WAB  

At Western Academy of Beijing, books are part of everyday life. Our students read to learn, to imagine, and to connect with others. From Reading Café’s in Elementary School to Drop Everything and Read time in High School, reading takes many shapes, but the aim is the same: to help students grow their curiosity and connect with the world in meaningful ways.

Elementary School: Building Joyful Foundations 

In the Early Years and Elementary School divisions, students engage in reading as a shared adventure.  Traditions like Winter Reading Café and Bingo for Books bring parents and students together to imagine. The Spring Book Fair, Book Week, and Panda Book Awards encourage students to explore authors from around the world and incorporate fun activities, like scavenger hunts, book drawings and more. Weekly library classes ensure every student engages in read-alouds, genre exploration, and research skill-building, while initiatives like Junior Battle of the Books challenges older readers to collaborate in friendly competition.  

Students are encouraged to check out and return books daily, not just on their library day. In Elementary School, all the books are chosen with care to introduce students to a variety of authors and genres, take a peek at our specially curated reading list and discover some new favorites!

Middle School: Collaboration and Challenge 

In Middle School, reading is nurtured through signature programs like Battle of the Books (BOB) and Kids Read. BOB teams work together to analyze complex texts and strategize answers in competitions, while Kids Read focuses on analyzing texts, imagination and discovery. Both emphasize collaboration, critical thinking, and peer connection. Whether preparing during Day 9 workshops or WEIRD (WAB Extended Independent Reading Days), students read closely, explore themes and sharpen analytical skills. Through decoding metaphors and connecting stories to their own lives, students experience our intentional approach for reading.  

Our curated booklists include stories that validate identities, build cross-cultural empathy and empowers students. Explore the Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8 recommendations to see what's inspiring our readers this year.

High School: Expanding Horizons  

In High School, we empower students to shape their own reading culture. Readiscover, a student club, addresses the global decline in teen reading through inclusive book clubs and curated guides. Students are encouraged to explore diverse perspectives, while also being reflective and socially aware readers. Additionally, initiatives like Books in the Bathroom, Book Love posts, and weekly DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) mentor sessions integrate reading as a part of students’ daily life. 

In class, dedicated reading time and curated recommendations from both teachers and students broaden literary horizons, check out our High School reading lists and see what's sparking conversations across campus.

Schoolwide, WAB also has visiting authors each school year who present to divisions and also work with students in class. From joyful beginnings in Elementary School to collaborative exploration in Middle School and self-driven discovery in High School, reading at WAB grows with our students. Across the years, they come to see books as companions on their journey, opening doors to new knowledge, sparking imagination, and helping them make sense of both themselves and the wider world.