HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 10 April 2024 - Opening a book can unleash infinite possibilities. Hong Kong Education City (EdCity) is committed to promoting a reading culture, immersing students in the fantastical world of books. To celebrate 23 April, World Book Day, as well as Hong Kong Reading for All Day, EdCity has introduced a 'Free eBook Week' aimed at cultivating a city-wide atmosphere of reading and creating a rich literary ambiance across the community.

Mr Ken Ngai Yuen Keung, Executive Director of EdCity, said, 'Every book possesses the "magic" to inspire children's imagination, leading them to explore unknown realms. EdCity believes that reading can be transformed into a driving force propelling children forward, opening up a world of infinite possibilities. We warmly invite all students, educators, and parents to participate in and promote 'Free eBook Week' as a key to cultivating reading habits and sowing the seeds of lifelong learning for children.

We understand that Hong Kong students have tight schedules and may not be able to read for 1 to 2 hours every day. Parents can encourage children to utilise their spare time for reading, such as during breaks, travel times, or before bedtime, to experience the joy of reading together and create quality parent-child moments. The e-books available during 'Free eBook Week' can accommodate different daily routines, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the world of books anytime, anywhere, and enjoy the pleasure of reading.'

Launching 'Free eBook Week' - Access to Premium Reading Bundles Unlocked

EdCity has been dedicated to promoting a reading culture and, in line with the prevalence of e-learning, has created a relaxed and enjoyable digital reading environment. The multifunctional EdBookShelf allows students to browse over a thousand free e-books on various themes with just one click, encompassing humanities, history and geography, Chinese classics, modern literary works, popular science, life encyclopedias, and English books with real-voice narration. Featuring built-in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English pronunciation functions and offering both Chinese and English interfaces, readers can immerse themselves in a personalised electronic library anytime, anywhere.

To foster a 'Read and Share' culture, EdCity will launch 'Free eBook Week' from 23 April to 29 April. This seven-day initiative aims to assist schools in promoting extensive reading and broadening the reading horizons of children and adolescents. During 'Free eBook Week,' EdCity will grant access to several premium reading bundles from the 'eRead Scheme' to both primary and secondary school students, with substantial support from over 40 local and overseas publishers (refer to the appendix for the list). In alignment with 'Free eBook Week,' fees for over 3,000 eBooks will be waived, supporting 'World Book Day' and Hong Kong Reading for All Day' in a united effort to encourage a culture of reading. Click here to learn more about EdCity's 'Free eBook Week'.

In addition, EdCity has specially invited the renowned picture book author Benny Lau to host the 'EdCity World Book Day Event Series (2): Picture Books × Shared Reading—Creative Teaching' on April 27 (Saturday) from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Benny Lau will not only read picture books with the children but also allow parents to learn shared reading techniques and guide children in listening to stories and learning to share. Furthermore, he will encourage the children to engage in simple creative activities through games and questions. The event is designed for preschool children and their parents to enjoy together in a family-friendly format. Interested families are encouraged to click here and register on the EdCity website.
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About Hong Kong Education City

Hong Kong Education City (EdCity) provides a one-stop professional education portal (EdCity.hk) with information, resources, interactive communities and online services. With the vision of 'Actualising Future Ready Education', EdCity continuously develops and introduces new services since its establishment, and endeavours to promote and provide all-round support to all schools in Hong Kong to adopt eLearning and innovative education.