I had an unforgettable experience in a remote mountainous area of central Hunan Province this summer. The experience of teaching children to read there left a deep impression on me and I got a lot out of it.

The classrooms were in a very shabby condition. The desks and chairs were aged and rickety, with large pieces of crumbling wood. One old school library had only two shelves of books and most books were covered with dust, fading to yellow, and falling apart.

I decided to donate books and bookshelves to the school. I talked to the principal and he told me the school had about 100 students, most of whom came from the villages at the foot of Hengshan Mountain.

Most urban children take access to books for granted. Some children consider reading a chore or even a form of torture. Before this summer I had no idea how lucky I was. Most of the children I met had little access to books and their parents are also unenlightened about the joys of reading.

Books open up new worlds to children, the principal said.

So let us collect our old books which have been abandoned on our bookshelves and help build a brand-new life for those poor children.

If you are willing to join my book donation drive, please contact me via my e-mail address lovelibrary@126.com and my microblog on Sina Weibo: @中学生爱心图书馆.