Daria Petran 11th grade A Centuries have passed, but the fears, dreams, and desires that drive people have, somehow, remained the same. That is precisely why classical literature is crucial to our development as a generation. These so-called “old” and “outdated” books actually reveal how little human nature has changed. As The FIS Education Bulletin (2024) notes, classics “stand the test of time” because they expose the very essence of what it means to be human. Whether it’s

Nicoleta Balint 11th grade A In today’s digital age, despite the ubiquity of technology making all books available at our fingertips, the frequency of youngsters’ reading habits has plummeted sharply. According to the US National Assessment of Educational Progress, the share of 17-year-olds who read for leisure has dropped from 27% in 2012 to 12% in 2024. Similarly, in the UK, the National Literacy Trust found that only 18% of children and young adults aged 8-18 read in their

Iova Olivia 5th Grade A To all the fifth graders stepping into this new chapter, and to those who have long left it behind, remember that first flutter of realization? That moment when the familiar halls of our school suddenly feel… different? That feeling of realization that we are not the kids who just do our homework, play with our friends day and night, and think school is just a beautiful game. Whether the memory is still fresh, like it is for me now, or faded with time,