“For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering at the Roundabout Book Fair hosted at CISB. What started as a casual way to earn service hours for me soon became something much more meaningful — a quiet reminder of how small acts of generosity can ripple through a community.
In the early mornings before the fair opened, our team would unpack boxes filled with donated books — novels yellowed with age, picture books once loved by children who had long since outgrown them, and pristine paperbacks waiting for new readers. There was something humbling about holding these second-hand stories, knowing that each one carried a trace of someone’s life before finding its way into another pair of hands.
I felt that the energy was both calm and alive — a blend of learning, giving, and belonging. What stayed with me most wasn’t just the books we sold or the funds we raised, but the shared understanding that reading can heal and connect. The proceeds went to children in need, but the exchange felt mutual — we gave books, and in return, we received a sense of purpose.
Volunteering these two years has taught me that compassion doesn’t always appear in grand gestures. Sometimes, it looks like sorting paperbacks in a crowded gym, or watching a child’s face light up as they discover their first book.
The Roundabout Book Fair isn’t just about secondhand books — it’s about second chances, both for the stories and for the lives they help change.”
– Shared by G12 student, Lincoln
As a community, we helped raise RMB 31,578 from this event between 18th to 21st October.
We look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership — a big thank you to Roundabout Beijing and to Lincoln for his thoughtful reflection.
